New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-22
A life INSURANCE MURDER.

Outs OF His feet, Hands and Heat
and then J8IOSVs Hine Up with Gun
powder.
The Wilmington Delaware) correspond
Gnt Of the New york San writes as follow
OH the seventh instant. The story he re
2afes is shocking beyond description:
a Professor West has been living in Do
ser 8or several years. He was fOrmerl,
Gophected With p schOol there, and is sail
Gosbe q gentleman Of good scientific attain
anents. Some years ago he severed hi
connection with the school, and since theI
haB had no special occupation.
t&Or over year past he has been expert
8nenSing with a new and peculiar kind O
gas,s1he properties of which are not known
go anybody but the manufacturer. About
she time that he began his experiments be
aa6 his life insured for 5,000 He caused
she report to be spread that one peculiar
property of the gas was the removal OF the
skin from the body, and TO prevent all pos.
6ibfe identification or even to ascertain the
complexion.
0D thursday morning there was terri
bic explosion i'll the professors laboratory.
a man, supposed to be the professor, was
found on the floor. His head, feet and
hands were missing, and the skin had en-
GiRely disappeared. The explosion had set
che building on fire, but it was saved from
destruction Shreds of clothing were found
ON the disfgured body, which were identi-
ated by the professors Sife as belonging
90 Aer husband There seemed to be no
donbB shat the professor had been expert
gnenting with his gas when the explosion
occurred, and that he had lost his life. A
Gtrict search of the building resulted in the
discovery OF a quantity of powder under
meath the floor where The body was found.
%here was powder enough to have blown
she body to atoms ii the flames had reached
10.
a further examination indicated that the
head, feet and hands of the corpse had been
cut OFT, and not blown from the body, and
shat the skin had been peeled from every
portion of it, Some days before this the
professor had hired q colored man as q SER
vanT. This man was missing, and people
began to suspect that he had murdered his
anaster, mutilated the body, placed it upon
Chs tloOr OF the 1abr9tOryo and caused the
explosion.
early the same morning, the south bound
midnight freight train stopped at Dover
This train had passenger car attached to
5G. Bhe conductor, MIR. Chandler Evans,
says that the train stopped at the depot
abOuB four o'clock. His attention was at
Ggacted to a peculiar bundle tied with rope
which he saw upon the platform. 1t was
cover ed with a coat, but through the coat
mo could plainly see the impress of pair of
boots. As the train was starting a man
Sicked mp the bundle and jumped on the.
care This mans face was closely muffled
Vie wOre asOuched hat, drawn down to the
Bridge OF his nose. When the conductor
Galle6for hi ticket he asked if he could 90
direcR TO Norfolk without delay. At Del
gnass still muflledc the man left the cars, en-
tered u carriage and was driven rapidly
away
Fhis circumstance, together with the fact
9hag the professors wife, when told of the !
disaster To her husband, received the intel
3lgence without any signs Of deep emotion,
caused some surprise. When it was known |
shat the professors life was insured for |
S25, 600, suspici0n was aroused, and the au-
Shorities went Tn work. The professor was |
Gaught in Maryland and brought back to |
Bower. 1t was discovered that the colored !
man had not killed him, but that he had |
KILLED. the colored man. BE owned up that |
he had killed the AegrO, but said that he |
had done il in self-detsnse. After the man
sVaS dead, the professor probably cut off his |
hands, feet and heado and buried them
Then he peeled off the skin. Bhe body was
Then placed in his laboratory few minutes
before the explosion Be- is clear that the
professors objecS was 70 make the authori-
ties believe thae the body was his, 50 that
his UiBe could obtain the insurance on his
life and afterward join him in remote
pare 0E the country, and the two could
i've 60 % green old age, and die happy
Che protess0y is pow an JAIL awaiting examo
NaGiOno
AnOSheD sun 8ettero
OogGR, Dele December IO.@rhe un.
1aralleled crime Oerpetrated here last 1
Teek IS the solo subject of conversation
among the people. She general belief is
hat Ike Weste as DE is Familiarity styled.
lad the idea thag he could deceive che au
horities and the populace and deiraud this
insurance companies { think there can be
10 doubt that this %as his design and if
verything turned OuH as he anticipated he
nighe have achieved his object The room t
n which the crime was committed is about
wenSy feet square. 1t is difficult to describe I
he scene as it appeared to those who first ]
made abe awful discovery Each one tells
different stOFyo and as the masOns and S
kastereIs are at work repairing the damage '
one ny the fire. there is no opportunity 10 a
1dSo ot she situation Hs it really waso
all FIXED ToR JAN EXPLOSION g.
s piece had been cut QUE Of the fYoor /
bout ten inches by six, and in the hole
arceI of powder, six inches through and I
bout Cen high, was found. If the fire had
oe been discovered, and the flames had {
cached the powder, there is little doubt
laf tho building would have been blown
, atoms Many Sacts are hourly coming to !
ght which assume, under the circum :
ancese a NOSE peculiar and horrible sig
ihcance. In presence of several gentle
len expressed surprise that West did not :
'lecS q white man as his victim, and then !;
le possibility of She mangled remains be- !
Il taken for his would have been greater. II
his remark has produced the following ex- Il
aordinary factsS 7
TWO HAPPY MENo n
a short time before the murder Of the k
Dor negro Ike West met a Mr. Kellum of
lis town. After some conversation West
yi6, looking at Kellum from top to toe, !,
Sellum, You and are justabout the same r.
re and build =,
During the conversation West referred W
yU or three times to this fact, ana on part g
z with Kellumo said: :.
You have never tried my new GAS. r.
ONE up to my room and will administer q,
me to you"
Mr.. KeIlum declined. He says now that q
is very glad he did. T
About the same time West had a CONVEX
tion with MIR. Watson, Il lawyer OF this
ace West suddenly burst ont with:
Watson you and | are of pretty near ,,
g same weight and build"
Watson said, - will bet cigars I am the st
avier man" ey
They weighed, and Vests weight was
pounds and Watson's 1911 West then =;
gan 10 speak Of his new gas, and pressed ~
+. Watson TO 60 up to his room and inhale y,
me to see how agreeable it was. Mr. 10
atson excused himself. He is happy az
IN today. .; %
ANOTHER HAPPY MAN, Mt
About the SANE -iaa West met Mr.. ha
nd lVh 4, Il