The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-12
AN AWFUL CRIME In PHILADELPHIA,

Poor Girl Dccoyed by Drunken
Wretch Into n Garrct-A Fearful strug-
gle for Maidenly HOnor-The Baffied
Brute Kills the Girl, Cuts His Own
Throat and Sets Fire to the House.
PHILADELPHIA, May IL, 1873
Between ten and eleven O'Clock on Saturday
night an alarm OF fire sounded from 456 New
market street. Smoke was escaping from
the attic, basement and first floor, &C.
cupied by Joseph Kollmar as bakery.
other portions Of the building he rented out by
rooms. The attic was rented by jeremiah White.
When the cry of fire was raised Kollmar and one
OF his Journeymen ran up stairs, and, finding the
attic door locked, burst 1t in.
The firemen soon arrived, and the fire was ex-
tinguished. Soon cry was raised that two per.
sons were smothering. search revealed two
bodies, those Of man and woman, with their
threats cut. The woman lay on a straw mattress
which had been fired, the cords having been
burned OF. The body had fallen on the floor In the
middle OF the mattress After the body of the man:
which lay on the floor with the feet toward the bed
and the head to the northwest, was dragged into
the back room, razor was found where his head
had lain. The bodies were sent to the Morgue to-
day.
the attic led to the recognition OF the murdered
girl. Some one said 1t was Mary Bracken, whose
mother Lived In Clark's avenue, running off But
tonwood street, above Fourth. Offlcers visited
the house OF MRS. Bracken, and identified the
picture as that OF her daughter The girl was OF
good moral character and highly spoken of by
all. White was both boilermaker and shoemaker.
or late he had been working at shoemaking.
From what has been developed it is evident that
he decoyed the girl to the room and attempted to
outrage her, and falling he cut her throat set fire
to the bed with o coal oil lamp, and then cut his
own throat. In his left hand was a bunch of her
hair, the girls left thumb was cut OF and her hand
badly gashed. On her right hand was only one
the murderer's face was badly scratched. The
upper rooms were occupied by four tenants. One
OF them Mrs. Braun, of the third story. says that
a little before ten O'Clock she heard White talking
loudly but supposed he was drunk aud talking TO
himself After o while she heard him Jump on the
noor, and after another pause heavy fall. This
after he set fire TO the bed and had cut his
throat.
Detective Franks says 1t Ia clear case OF at
tempted rape, murder, arson and suicide. The key
OF the room cannot be found, ana the door was
locked inside.
White was born in Ireland in 1881, and has wife
and children in Kent, England. A letter rom his
Vile has been found saying she was In distress,
and asking Tor aid. Receipts for two drafts have
been found, showing that he sent her $21 so in No
vember, 1885, and s13 60 in May, 1867.
Rose Bracken, aged sixty, mother OF the muir
U Wr,, girl, says-some i've years ago Jeremiah
~. my nau room in my house. then lived at NO.
oio newmarket street. When moved left him
n v hor i nave never permitted him to come to
moved to Vine street, below Second We
knew ne had a wife In England. He said
e hau 70 ieave ireland on account Of his Fenian-
lsn, w chink IL was on account OF murder he
committed. Mary left home on Saturday night,
between seven and eight O'clock | was not at
nome. ohe SAID she was going on an errand. Was
last seen at Second ana Buttonwood streets in
conversation with two young men. She has never
been out after nine O'Clock
Mary Cannon says that White habitually fol-
lowed the girl and her mother, but the rirI always
avoided ninl The picture was one he took from
Mrs. Brackens house last Summer while abe was
absent from home. From Second and Vine
streets Mrs. Bracken moved to Clark avenue and
the house being so small, her husband said
that he would go and live with ms danohter
Mrs. Keenan,. Her daughter Mary was her only
support. She worked IN cap store, and would
october. She was prepossessing blonde, well
formed and OF cheerful temperament. She and the
family were Catholics Her moral character was
excellent. When found her loot was burnt on, her
legs scorched up to the knee. White had been
drinking hard OF late.