The Portland daily press., 1873-07-12
NEW YORK.
The Goodrich Mystery Unravelled.
THE MURDERESS DISCOVERED.
She Confesses the Crime.
INTERESTING PARTICULARS.

NEW YORK, July II.
The death of Charles Goodrich is no longer
mystery. He was shot by Minnie Waltham
alias Kate Stoddard, on the night of the 21st of
March. She yesterday made full and complete
confession of her guilt to the police authorities.
How that confession came about and in what
manner the arrest was affected, appears from
the following statement made by Police Com
missioner Jourdon to representatives of the
press at ht adquarters this morning. General
Jourden said:
Gentlemen: Since the murder of Chas. Good
rich in March last, on Degraw street, near Sd
avenue, the police of Brooklyn have continued
a steady and unremitting search for the perpe-
TRAITOR of the crime. Not only has Brooklyn
been searched but New York, Philadelphia,
Boston, Baltimore, Washington and countless
numbers of smaller places In every direction
men and women have been sent out following
clues that were sometimes slight and at others
promising.
The primary object of our search was this
women, Kate Stoddard, but SO little was known
about her personally, and so totally ignorant
were we of her habits and surroundings, that
at the commencement there was nothing to
work upon. The photograph obtained was an
exceedingly poor one, but we made the most of
it and had duplicates placed in the hands of all
the officers engaged in the case.
Here the General exhibited the photograph,
which represented Kate as pleasant looking
blonde of 30, with moderately full face spark
ling eyes, lightsome expression and buoyant
manner. That photograph indicates woman
in good condition, while Kate Stoddard, as ar
rested, was about as thin and emaciated as any
body you ever saw. We only succeeded after
patient search in finding one person who knew
her positively but for more than six weeks af
ter the murder that person was laid up in bed
sick. That person was Miss Mary Handley,
and Immediately upon recovery we employed
her on the search Kate Stoddard was met by
Miss Handley in the street Tuesday last. Miss
Handley was going to New York and Kate
Stoddard was evidently coming from it, when
the meeting by accident took place. AS soonas
she met her, Miss Handley recognized and fol-
lowed her till she met police officer whom she
induced to make the arrest 1t became of the
first Importance to learn where she had come
from, which she declined to reveal. Her per-
son without concomitant testimony amounted
to little. The entire city had been searched for
a house whence woman had been missing
since Tuesday morning. This resulted in dis
covering that in a house on High street, be-
tween Jay and Bridge streets, such woman
had been missing. We had the woman who
kept that house taken to the station house, and
there she identified Kate as her boarder. From
this woman we learned that Kate had been
since last April living in an unfinished room
at the place mentioned After discovering the
house we obtained locksmith and went to it.
We opened her trunks and in them discovered
the property of Goodrich, including watch,
chain, finger ring, seal and pocket book with
$40, in bills. This is believed to be the identi-
cal money tdk0u ITOIu Uue Iuuru6F6u man. In
addition to these articles a revolver was found
in the trunk with the watch, three of the cham
bers of which were loaded and three empty.
There were three bullets found in Goodrichs
head 1t need only be added that Kate is pre-
pared to go on the stand and make before the
coroner full and complete confession of the
whole matter.
After leaving the commission the reporter
learned that Kate, among other confessions,
stated that the revolver found in her trunk was
IL
Every arucle of property taken by her from the
premises she seems to have preserved.
Since the time of the tragedy she has had
terrible struggle for life, working at times as
sewing girl. She has made money enough to
buy bread. AT another times she was compell-
ed to sell Der clothes for sustenance; but curl
ously enough while thus at the verge of starva-
ton she kept the jewelry and money of her
victim lying untouched in her trunk, She had
two trunks, both of which were taken posses
sion of by the police. In one of them was
found an immense package of letters from her
father and mother These letters show that
her home is at marlborough, Mass, and that
her real name is Minnie Waltham. The letters
are carefully and kindly written, showing the
old people to be full of solicitude for the moral
and material welfare of their daughter. There
is nothing at all to justify the superstition that
they knew anything about the crime. In addi-
ton to these letters from her parents, two were
found from Goodrich, making arrangements to
meet her. The letters will be read at the in
quest which takes place tomorrow at ten
O'clock
The following is statement of the woman
herself to the police, relative to the murder
and how it was committed;
She had been living with "Charlie'' as she
called the deceased, and was greatly attached
to him. He wanted to cast her off, but she
loved him so much that she conld not leave
him. She entreated on her knees that he would
allow her to remain but he was firm, and in
fact was brutal in his treatment of her, and the
Thursday before the Friday on which the body
was found, was the day fixed for her to leave
him. He threatened her with all sorts of
things if she dared to trouble him further She
had remained in the house in Degraw street all
the previous evening and in the morning when
Goodrich got up she again besought him not to
cast her off. He was very angry and refused
her request or to hear her at ALL He then pro-
ceeded into the basement at the front of the
house and proceeded to light the Baltimore
heater which was located there The murder
ess says she loved the man SO much that she
could not leave him, and that when she saw
him determined to discard her, she worked her.
Sc up to murder him. She had one of his re-
volvers in her pocket, not the one which the
detectives found laying at the house beside the
corpse, and while Goodrich was STOPPING down
on one hand and knee in the act Of lighting
the heater she drew the pistol and extending
her hand toward him she said, "Charey." He
looked up and she shot him three times. These
were the fatal wounds which the post mortem
examination disclosed. After she committed
the murder on Thursday morning, she waited
all day and night in the house watching it.
On Friday morning, she had occasion to go
to New York, and early that morning she wasl
ed the blood from the face of the murdered man
with towel, which she afterwards wrung out,
and which was found damp by the police. She
it was, who fixed the corpse as it was discover
ed, and when she had done this, she went over
to New York for something or other, and was
was about to return to this house that Friday
evening. She came over on the Fulton Ferry,
and had but barely put her foot on the street,
when she heard the newsboys crying out ''mur-
der of Chas. Goodrich She bought paper
aud returned to New York, and the rest is
known.
She states, 81 killed him for love; couldn't
part with him." A reporter was informed that
Kate Stoddard had attempted to commit sui
eide. He went to the police authorities but
they denied all KIN Wedge of the matter.
Coroner Whitehall however, said, "she h as
not attempted suicide, but there is no doubt she
would If an opportunity presented" She mas
begged and prayed ever since she has been sat
lshed that her guilt was proven to be left alone
There is woman with her all the time, and on
repeated occasions she has made this request,
urging it with tears in her eyes: "Let me be
alone it only for a few minutes, for GODS
sake, and asked the woman in charge to take
pity on her
There are some features in the woman's his
tory and department, that seems to justify the
belief already prevalent id certain quarters, that
she is insane. The daughter of the lady at
whose house Kate was residing, stated she
came there in the second OF third week in April;
She said she was employed in New York, and
wished furnished room. She used to do light
straw work. See made hats very prettily. She
used ito go to work every morning and come
back at evening regularly for the first month or
So, till three weeks ago, when she did her work
at home, and took it over in parcels when finish
ed, She never had friend call or receive a