New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-26
MNRDER OR SUICIDRR

between murder by another and telo dc Sc.
This has naturally led certain class of muir
derers so to dispose of the remains of their
victims as to suggest the idea of their suicide,
and, in the absence of evidence pointing to
any other theory, self-murder is often accepted
as the only possible explanation of the cir
cumstances.
A tragedy which has just been enacted
in ew-Hampton, n. H., is deserving OF
Especial attention as an illustration OF the
danger of drawing hasty conclusions from APP
pearances. The body of a Mrs. Pattee was
found hanging by the neck in closet. 1t
seems to have been at once taken for granted
that she had died by her own act. Curiously
enough, no steps were taken for holding an
inquest; the arrangements for the funeral had
all been made; and it was only at the last
moment that the services were postponed and
a Coroner sent for. This course was resisted
by Pattee, the husband of the dead woman,
and he appeared nervous. excited, and opposed
to any investigation. The jury found YER
diet of death by strangulatlOn, but also found
specially that the rope was not put about the
neck until after death Pattee was at once
suspected, and an informal watch was
kept over him. He managed, however,
to get away, going to the house of friend
in CamptOn. some fifteen miles distant from
home. Here he was arrested after vain en-
deavor to conceal himself; and be then put
written confession into the hands of the Sher-
if. His story is substantially, that during the
night his wife arose, sang and prayed in the
adjoining room, and then coming back to bed,
caught him by the whskers, saying, "NOw l
a. in
he says that he caught her, putting one
"hand over her mouth and the other over her
nose. He also run his finger down her throat
"and she bit it, leaving scar" He held her
until she became still, supposing that she had
tainted, but upon releasing her he found her
dead. Horror stricken and at a loss what to
do, he finally hit upon the plan which he fol-
lowed of so disposing of the body as to sug-
gest suicide. He carried out this plan, ar
ranged the bed, hid all traces of the strangu-
lation, and remained watching until morning
and discovery came together. He has been
committed to take his trial for murder. and is
safe in JAIL unless his neighbOrs take him out
and lynch him, as they have loudly expressed
a desire to do. He is said to have been an
inoffensiye man; and if his statements are to
be received as trustworthy, there is some
reason to believe that the woman was insane.
Nothing is said of any motive which Pattee
may have had for killing his wife; he may
have acted passionately, hastily and brutally,
without prepense malice; and his subsequent
proceedings have been prompted merely by
cowardice. In the present state of the case, 1T
is difficult to come to any intelligent decision
concerning it. There are, however some gen.
eral considerations which it may be proper to
suggest.
Let us suppose, for instance, that the story
which Pattee tells is a true one. There is
nothing about it which is prima tacie imprOba-
BILE or incredible. The woman may have made
the attack upon him which he describes, and
he may while killing her, have believed that
he was acting in desperate self-defense.
Again, if the funeral had gone on, if the
body had been buried, if the theory Of suicide
had been accepted by the nelghborhood, if
Pattee had managed through all to preserve
certain stolidity of demeanor, he might never
have been suspected, and the facts of the case
never have been divulged. This inevitably
brings us to the somewhat unpleasant refiec-
ton that many persons Found Dead" and
supposed to have committed suicide may have
been dealt with by other hands than their OVID.
Nothing is easier than to suspend body al
ready dead or to throw it into the water, or
out of window, or down flight of stairs.
Coroners are not always the most intelligent
of men, and coroners' juries usually find the
yerdicts which they are directed to find.
Wherever it is possible the presumption of
suicide is accepted without much reluctance,
notwithstanding it should be received only
when there is absolutely no other worthy of
consderate investigation. After the burial of
the remains the tendency of suspicion is to be-
come less violent the memory of the affair
gradually grows fainter every day renders a
searching investigation more difficult and
less probable; and although extraordinary
detectons are not unknown after the first
excitement has subsidized they are by no
means common.
The proverb that =" Murder will OUT if
it proves anything, proves too much. If
remarkable detections had been constant
and common, and apparently predestinate,
we should never have had the proverb at
ALL The world is too busy and too much
attracted and governed by novelty to con-
tinue the investigation of mysterious events
until the mystery shall have been I'M
covered With the lapse of time witnesses
die, many circumstances are forgotten, and
the relation of Others becomes confused, until
at last the case is considered closed, and its
further interest abated by some unwrtten
law of limitations. OF this the great Bond
street Murder in this city is an illustrations
1t has passed into the category of celebrated
crimes concerning which the curious will con-
tinue to speculate forever. All this points TO
the imperative necessity Of impartial aud pa