The New York herald., 1873-09-09
An Extraordinary Case Full of
Mystery and Terror.
The Evidence Of The Man Who Put Out the
Fire and Discovered the CharYed
Body Of Miss Hamil.
A TELL-TALE ODOR.
What Have Become of the Money and
Valuables Of the Deceased?


burned, in the house No. 100 Ninth street. Williams
burg, last Thursday, would create no small amount
OF excitement; but, strange TO say, when the hour
fixed for the beginning Of the inquest had arrived
there were not over dozen people about the
doors OF the court room, corner South First and
Third streets. 1t was nearly eight O'Clock before
Coroner Whitehil arrived, and he was preceded by
the jury but o few minutes.
APPEARANCE OF THE SUSPECTED PARTIES.
Mrs. Merrgan and her husband put In an appear
ance shortly afterwards. Mrs. Merrigan is by no
means OF the buxom order that she has been pic
tured. She 10 OF slight build not over the middle
height, with q bright, open countenanee and a
healthy, rosy complexion, set Off by pair OF dark,
winsome eyes. She was attred in plain lignt
drab-colored alpaca dress, with delicate black
stripes, and wore black velvet jockey hat She
had with her beautiful little child about eight or
nine months old, who was neatly dressed in a COM
plete suit OF blue. The woman and her husband,
accompanied by two policemen, were given seats
within the enclosure of the court room and the
two for few minutes after coming in were left
alone to themselves. Mrs. Merrigan looked the
most uncOncerned person in the Court She
seemed to be wholly engrossed in attending to her
baby, and whenever any one of the few privileged
characters in the room made bold to take seat
near her to stare her out of c0untenance, she ap-
peared to take no notice OF him whatever. In
deed, the husband was evidently under more ap-
prehension than the wife, for when the Coroner
first took his seat he moved restessly in his chair,
and finally, unable apparently any longer to
control himself, went up to the desk and
began vehementy to expostulate with him
because he had not been beforehand notified to
make due preparation and have what he termed
his own witnesses present He was plainly dressed
fIyn fI.aa
shirt and no collar black alpaca coat being care
lessly buttOned across his breast.
TIE SPECTATORS AT EASE
The court room in which the inquest was held
is little dingy apartment with three windows. one
on the south side and but on the north side at
the head OF the stairs that lead from the street.
There were only about fifty persons present dur
ing the proceedings, and, strange to say but little
interest, much less excitement, was manifested
during the examination OF the witnesses. This was
mainly due doubtless to the fact that the Coroner
showed himself to be an excessively slow and hum
drum sort Of examiner, who put more useless ques.
tions than would have made up first class pam
phet OF the a,y's - series, and whose desire to
please everybody by his aability only made things
more complex and himself more ridiculous.
WHAT A LANDLADY HEARD AND SAW.
The first witness, Barbara Goldner MRS Merri-
gun ioAuiuuy|s Oicatcu u BIcob uedi VI DObHeT.
She was German in tongue and German from be-
ginning to end in her determination to be under
stood only as she spoke. the result was that an
interpreter had to be obtained, who, despite his
being literary man OF good repute, made
his explanations peculiarly peculiar by their
coudiness. The good woman, however, evidently
did her best to tell the truth about everything she
knew about the case, but when she was confronted
on cross.examnation by the pint OF lager beer she
went after the night OF the fire. she got at logger
herheads with the interpreter and talked back
in way that did much to relieve the proceedings
from their general monotony.
TIE BROTHER OF THE DECEASED
testified simply to the Identification OF the body
and was followed by David G. Coe, the young man
who put the fire out in Mrs. Merrgan's room and
whom she endeavored to prevent going into the
room where he afterwards found the dead body of
Miss Ham. During the examinat ton OF this wit
ness there ensued between Mr. p. G. Ready, the
counsel Tor Mrs. Merrigan, and the Coroner a
lively spat as to what the witness had testified to
in the rst part of his evidence relating to the put
ting out OF the fire which he discovered on or near
the bed and in the closet.
A SUSPICIOUS PIECE OF EVIDENCE.
The Coroner had an idea that the counsel was
sci, considering he had some rights which even
CorOners were bound to respect, gave the presid-
ing Official to understand that it was long lane OF
examination that had no turning. The spat did
both OF them good, and while 1t added nothing TO
the value OF the irregular ana rather discussive
course OF the proceedings 1t amused the audience
which had good reason at times TO be amused. The
evidence oil the boy Egan, who helped Mrs. Mer-
rigan on Thursday to remove her chairs
where the body was found, was valuable in only one
particular, but this particular had an all important
bearing upon % tne question as TO whether the wo-
man Hamill had been murdered days before the
fire occurred. The boy, in fact, testided-after a
great deal OF questloning-that he had noticed the
SaSr ID 5 earoo1 When repSSyS ePseSeG
and that ;.od MIS- dM,rrisan, on perceiving that
brought in the house two weeks" before This
added to the removal OF the furniture which was
for Mrs Merrigan, and the evidence OF Coe, who
says that he saw Mr.. Merrigan in the yard five
minutes after the fire was discovered, Will only go
to make his position all the more difficut to get
out Of The evidence far dscloses but little that
is convincing, but there is enough OF it to show
that Mrs. Merrigan knew
SOMETHING ABOUT THE MURDER,
even II she was not the principal TO Judge from
her appearance last evening no person could pos
murderess Of a Once-beloved bosom friend and
schoolmate Yet 1t is very difficult to see how the
unfortunate woman can prove her innocence. IL IS
show motive for the murder. Although mention
has been made OF money and other valuables
the deceased may have had In her possession when
she went to the Merrgans, still neither the police,
nor has anybody else, been able TO trace to Mrs.
Merrigan or her husband dollar or trinket that
additional evidence OF witnesses yet 10 be called
may throw light upon the case, so that there can
be no longer any doubt about who the real perpe-
traitor OF the crime is; but 1t Is 10 be hoped that
between now and then the materials" OF evil
dence viii not be allowed TO pass from hand
to hand as freely as they did at tho start when
the Dody OF the dead woman was first discovered.
IL Is bad enough to have case or murder TO In
vestIgate at ALL but 1t Is not just the thing when
murdered body has been discovered for police and
others to let slip ont of their hands the very
"pointsr which might in the end be necessary 10
the fixing Of the crime on the guilty
parties The taking away OF the rope said TO have
been found about the neck OF Miss Hamlll's body
before the Coroner arrived was misdemeanor
in the eyes OF the law and might have, In the alb
sence OF other conclusive evidence OF crime,
cogged the wheels OF justice most disastrously.
This mysterious case is not yet free from all intrl
cacies, aud the Coroner should, therefore, move
with greater caution than ever from now till the
end or the investigation in keeping within hands
reach at all times every atom OF tangible evidence
in bis possession.
THE TESTIMONY.
The nrst witness called was Barbara Godner
who, being sworn, In answer TO questions by the
Coroner said-l live at 100 Ninth street. in the
'front.'; am landlady Of the rear house. OF the same