The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-18
A CATsKILL MYSTERY.

"A CATSk1LL MYSTERY.
A Hudson River Scissors Grinder MUIR
dered-Hrrest or Suspected Parties-A
Strong Case OF Circumstantial Evil
dcncc.
POUGHKEEPsrE, May II, 1878.
On the LIST day Of May last Harmon Hulcher, .
German scissors grinder, reached this city from
Albany, having his machine with him. The same
day he left for Rondout where he stayed all night.
and on the following morning took passage for
Catskill on the steamboat Eagle. His usual route
and has been for along while Catskill, Hudson,
Rondout and Poughkeepsie. After arriving az Cats
kill he piled his avocatton about the
streets for two or three hours and then
started for the house OF German named
Waltz. Following the Catskll and Athens post
road north. Two miles from Catskll Ia toll gate,
and one mile further on is byroad leading to a
one and half story frame dwelling on the side
hill This is where the Waltz family reside. 1t is
an DID, weather beaten structure, without the sign
OF paint upon its dirt-begrlmmed sides, and it
is about twenty feet square, surrounded by vine-
yard three or four acres in extent from which the
waltz family make living and have for number
Of years. The family consists OF old Mr.. Waltz
and wife ana one son, about twenty-three years
OF age. TO this house. on the night OF May Q went
Harmon Hulcher,
THE HUDSON RIVER SCISSORS GRINDER,
and he has not since been seen alive. The next
morning the room upstairs in which he slept was
visited, when strange sight was visible. The bed
lounge, or sofa bed, on which Hulcher slept was
besmcared with blood In the locality where the
sleeper's head and shoulders laid ana blood had
trIckled through the crevices to the under side
where the dark stains are still visible. Where the
blood had smeared the upper side an attempt had
been made 70 destroy its appearance by daubing
that part OF the lounge with blue ink but the per-
son engaged in dong it must have been blum
derer, for the under side was left entirely I'M
touched. The blood had also formed in a pool on
n n
also endeavOred to remove the red stain by using
plain and planning 1t OF, but had LETT enough be-
hind to clinch the matter. These facts, coupled
with the fact that the missing mans mother and
son-in-law had arrived In the village In search of
son. The arrest was effected yesterday, when
they we're taken before Justice n. Russell, Of Cats
KIN whose otiice was az once packed with human
with people. The news OF the arrest had spread
like wildfre, and the affair was the main topic of
conversation everywhere, so great was the mys-
terry surrounding 1t.
AT THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
Waltz and son showed no signs whatever Of guilt
was for. The Onlcer told him circumstances bore
hard against him on the charge OF numbering
wouldn't do that for all the money he and have
got together" The testimony given by father ard
night OF May 2, and retired in the room referred
to. In the night the old man was awakened by a
noise up stairs and called ont to his son up stairs
the next room to Hulcher thn partition only
dividing the rooms. The son replied that Huicher
was vomiting. According to their evidence neither
father or son visited iulcher's room to what
was the matter. The next morning Hulcher, they
said, was gone with his scissors grinding machine
and had also taken blanket and pillow with him.
which OLD man Waltz charged that Hucher stole
and asked constable to arrest him." This was
about all OF the preliminary statements made by
the prisoners when they were sent to jail to await
further Developments. When the missing mans
mother visited Waltx's house she asked him If he
had left anything behind. He replied Eyes, his
bell" but that ne would not give II up till the pill
low and Oh blanket were paid Tor: Finally however
up again TALL be was arrested.
AFTER TIE ARREST.
waitz's premises for HuicIefss BODY. lnsront Of
his house fs large swamp, and many were OF the
searching party first visited the rooms OF the
house, and found the room which Hulcher had
took the lounge out ana sent it to JUS
uce Russell's ONCE in Catskill. where the blood
stains upon it have been viewed by hundreds Of
persons. They also found blanket, which had evil
IDENTITY been washed to remove spots OF blood from
1t, but some OF the stains are yet visible Leaving
Egner, moved toward stone wall in the rear Of
the premises, being attracted thlther by marks Of
neon 70 IT, Te cop 81 s
though the stones had been tumbled of. close
examination found one pile OF stones on the wall
partially covered with dirt. stained with blood, and
here and there hair was visible. Darkness coming
on, further search was postponed till Saturday
morning, and all returned to Catskill village.
THAT night the story of the stone wall was can
vassed in almost every house in CatskiI and vari-
GUS opinions were formed. One that the old
man, Waltz, did not know anything abont the muir.
der till the son perpetrated the deed; and then the
father wishing to shield the son, helped the latter
to drag the body from the house up to and the
stone wall, and then they buried the remains. The
son, upon being informed OF the stone wall my g.
terry, said woodchuck had been shot there,
which would account for the blood and hair The
sons is Joseph Waltz, and his account is con-
fused. H,s known that the scissors grinder had
between 500 and $500 on his person. and IL he has
been murdered money was. no doubt the motive.
Early Saturday morning the Catskl authorities
took hold OF the case IN earnest Long proddlng
irons were made and at nine O'Clock A. NJ. the
searching party started for WaltZ's house again,
intending to prod through ever foot OF earth on
Waltz's premises in search OF Hulcher's body. The
prisoners have not said a great deal as yet 1t was
reported on saturday morning that
PAINTER NAMED COMFORT
had an interview with old man Waltz during
which the latter when asked II he wouldn't tell all
he knew about the case, stammered and heStated
This. however, Is mere street rumor, and en-
deavOred to find the painter to ascertain its truth
Hc was not at home but his wife said If he had had
such an interview she would have known it. This
painter is Greene county executioner. There have
been three executions in the county since l847, at
two OF which he oliiclated.
STRONG CASE OF CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
There is no denying the fact that the deepest
mystery surrounds this last case, and the facts
summed up pointvery strongly to murder. The
disappearance, the bloody lounge and bedclothes,
the attempt 10 remove all signs OF blood. the
tumbled down stone wall, with It's blood stains and
hair, &c, &c form the strongest kind OF circum-
son, and they viii find 1t seriously troublesome to
explain 1t ali away Other developments are ex-
pectcd hourly.
mn