The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-26
ANOTHER JERSEY HORROR.
Terrible Fate Of a Young Woman at the
Hands Of Negroes.
A Sunday Night Sail ON the Hudson-Awful Re-
suits Of Liquor and Lust-A Girl Abused
Murdered and Thrown Overboard-How
the Crime Was Discovered-A Hasty
Inquest = Tho Body Disin-
terred-Arrest Of Some of
the Accused Parties. eoi

diabolical outrage ON the person Of young
white woman by party Of negroes, who supple
mented the crime by numbering their victim,
under circumstances OF a most revolving nature
came to light yesterday. on the New Jersey shore
OF the Hudson River, Immediately opposite
Yonkers, Westchester county.
Della Corcoran, the deceased, whose lite was so
ruthlessly sacrificed to lustful brutality, Is
described as Q buxom Irish girl Of about twenty
five years of age, and had been employed as a
waitress at picnic resort, known as Excelsior
Grove, situated in Harrington township, Bergen
county, and located directly on the margin Of the
river underneath the Palisades. Bernard 8.
Davis, proprietor Of the grove mentioned, stated
to HERALD representative yesterday that Della
was an Industrious, good servant, her chief fault
being Partially for strong drink, which would
occasionally manifest itself despite her efforts to
conceal it. Last Sunday afternoon the deceased,
having completed the fuflment Of her domestic
duties, sauntered down pathway leading from
the house of her employer, without any head COW
erlng, remarkng that she was going to call on
A COLORED WOMAN,
who lives few hundred yards further down the
river. The young woman never returned Nor
does IL appear that her employer exerted himself
in the least to ascertain the of her absence.
ON Monday morning man named Westervelt,
living at Lower Closter distance OF perhaps
quarter of q mile down the river from Excelsior
Grove found his boat not far from the shore with
out oars and partially filed with water. On bail
ing out the boat several hairpins and other
TRIPLES OF FEMININE HEAD GEAR
were found in the bottom Of the craft, but even
these ordinary suggestive matters for inquiry did
not apparently strike the imaginations of the
drowsy Jerseyites in that section. Next day
woman's WATERFALL" was observed floating near
the shore and not lar from where the boat had been
recovered on the previous day. All this time it
GIRL in TACT any of her acquaintance on the Jer-
sey side OIL the Hudson, took the slightest interest
in ascertaning the cause OF her sudden disappear
ance.
During the forenoon OF Wednesday two colored
THE CORPSE OF A FEMALE
floating near the shore at place called Hyler's
Landing, about two miles south oil Excelsior Grove.
the body was secured and Coroner Westervet, Of
Cresskill, notided. No marks ofviOlence were visi
BILE to the Jury on the corpse, although It was
noticed that the clothing was considerably
torn and disarranged. A formal inquest was held,
which resulted in verdict OF 'Iound drowned,
corpse was placed in an ordinary box and buried
on the bank OF the river The shocking manner In
which the unfortunate deceased came to her death
would probably never have been known but for one
OF those iN It
FoRru1Tous CIRCUMSTANCES
through which great crimes have often been dis
A young man named Patrick Caren, working at
Della Corcoran, and had an engagement to meet her
on Tuesday evening at the place where she was en-
ployed. On arriving there he heard Of her mys-
scour the entire neighborhood in the hope OF learn
ing something Of her whereabouts. Hearing that
the body of an unknown woman had been found in
the river and rudey inferred he obtained per-
mission from the Coroner and dug up the box,
when had been deposited only ieW inches inches
was shocked to find that che remains were those OF
his sweetheart, whom he immediately identified by
hn rracQ nn1fra hn IN n
swollen and partially decomp0sed, closer exam
nation showed that
leaving little room to doubt that the girl had been
strangled to death. other Indications went to
prove conclusvely that she had been outraged.
thor is a' il 'V was decided to hold another
inquest, she first being regarded as little better
it was ascertained that deceased had gone out IN
boat on Sunday night with three or
FOUR COLORRD MEN
living In the vicinity one Of whom, named George
Byas, was arrested on a warrant yesterday by
an oiicer connected with the Englewood police.
the same time. she, as is alleged having been in
the boat with deceased and the negro men during
sbe arrests 81 W tSs writer was at
Grove stated that he was In hopes OF securing the
remainder OF the party before evening.
1t was ascertained at Yonkers that three negroes,
white man and the vile or Byas came across
TO that city in o boat about seven O'Clock
whskey and ale set out to return across the river.
IL is Understood that Byas says he and his wife
LEFT THE BOAT
and went to their house, not before, however, he
had requested Della to go home. THIS II should be
stated. Is only one Of the many rumors anoat re-
garding the tragic affair.
Sergeant Austin, of the YonKers Police, states
that Information reached that station, to the
effect that negro employed at Excelsior Grove
took deceased out for sail on the river after
twelve O'Clock, and that having outraged her per-
son he strangled her and threw the body over
board
IL is probable, however, that the double crime
was perpetrated on shore, and the body afterwards
conveyed out into the river, where IL was thrown
overheard in the hope that the current would carry
II away. The Jersey authorities will doubtless in
sttute arigid inquiry into the horrible circum.