The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-08-26
A MYSTERY.


A QUAINT looking woman, apparently
IA about 80 years of age, took possession
about five years ago, of the two-story and
basement brick house, No. 1876 East
Eighty-seventh street, New York city,
which constitutes one of row of neat and
comfortable structures between Third and
Lexington avenues. She was oddly attire6
in clothing of rather antiquated pattern,
but of costly material She was unknown
and her department was mysterious
enough to excite the curiosity and wonder
of her neighbors. She was closely followed
by a half dozen or more of large wagons
filed with furniture, old in style, though
expensive and substantial. After the
strangely modelled furniture had been trans
ferred to the dwelling the drivers were
paid and dismissed, and the doors and
shutters of the house were instantly closed.
For day or two no sound from within
was heard, except what might have been
caused by the distribution and arrangement
of the household goods, which included
many queer looking trunks boxes and
barrels. re rr
Peculiar as was the coming of the mys-
terious woman to those who watched, her
habits of life were afterward found to be
still more singular and incomprehensible.
She seemed to live entirely alone in the
formerly cheerful home, which was trans
formed into silent, gloomy place, almost
frpp fha IF ho,,
Visitors during the day were unknown,
but after dark there often came young
man of about 26 years of age, of whom she
spoke, during her rare intercourse with
her neighbors, as my nephew, Byron"
Her visitor was occasionally accompanied
by older, sometimes gray-headed men, and
all, as was his own invariable habit, were
accustomed to remain until late in the
night.
About six weeks ago, the eccentric oc-
cupant of the house suddenly ceased her
evening walks, and her dwelling seemed
utterly deserted. One evening about the
time of her disappearance, the young man
"Byron" called at his usual hour and rang
the door-bell. His summons being un-
answered, he repeated it, and again re-
ceived no response. After repeated at
tempts to attract the attention of his So
called aunt, and receiving no reply, he ap-
piled to James M. Sheenan, lawyer, who
resides next door, for permission to pass
through his house in order to gain an en-
trance from the rear. Mr.. Sheenan hav-
ing, however, like other residents of the
vicinity, become suspicious of the occu-
pant of the house and her visitors, denied
the application. The young man vainly
urged the possibility of his aunt's sick
ness, and finally left Mr.. Sheenan's but
loitered near the house until two hours or
more past midnight, when he left, and has
never since been seen in the vicinity. n
About two weeks ago the family of Mr..
Sheenan began to be annoyed by an un-
pleasant odor of unaccountable origin
Day by day it became more perceptible,
until at last it was sickening and extreme
ly offensive. 1t was finally traced to the
house occupied by the strange woman, and
on Sunday morning the lawyer sought the
Eighty-sixth street Station-house and made
complaint to Police-Captain Cherry. De-
tective Hughes was promptly detailed to
make an investigation. Gaining entrance
to the suspicious house by rear window,
he was almost stified by deadly smell
but passing hastily through the deserted
rooms, on the lower floors, which seemed
to have been undisturbed for years, he was
met at the stairs by an overpowering odor,
which increased as he walked up, and was
his guide to a horrible sight In the rear
room Of the second floor, In cramped
position ON the dooE lay the decomposed
body of the recluse, robed in shabby cal
leo wrapper, the sleeves of which were
partly rolled back upon the putrid arms Of
the corpse as If the last act of its wearer
was one of manual labor. AS the detec-
tive entered the room a swarm of large
rats scampered away in all directions. At
ter hasty survey Of the room the detec-
tive returned to the station-house and re-
ported the discovery to Capt. Cherry.