New-York tribune., 1873-05-21
A MYSTERY SOLVED.
UNRAvELING A CITY TRAGEDY.


PERATE ATTEMPT TO COMMIT SUICIDE.
While Police Sergeant Schultz OF the Elghtn
Precinct searching among the vile hannts oil tho
Eighth Ward, yesterday. for OF the negro Jaes
Jackson. charged with having brutaly murdered his
white paramOur, Caroline Gibson, alias Mary Jane
Sullivan, alias McDermott, he encountered
drunken negro who boasted that he could lead
the officer to the hiding-place Of the fugitive.
Though doubtng the truth Of the drunkards assertion
the Sergeant took him quietly to the Prncest station
house and telegraphed Immediately for Captain
McCullogh, who then comforting with superinten-
dent Kelso, at Police Headquarters concerning the
search few moments later the Captain arrived. and
was told by the negro that he had seen jackson.
yesterday morning, in the low restaurant and saloon
kept by Solomon C. Boding also coored In the base
nent at No. "A South Fthaye., on the southwest cor
ner Of the avenue and East Houstonst'' dangerous
place reported during the recent police census OF bar
rooms as a resort for bad lot OF colored people
Capt. McCuIlogh and Sergeant Schultz went al once
to the place indicated found Jackson secreted In
miserable room, OF properly den underneath the
sidewalk. The alleged murderer lay upon bed com
posed OF two window shutters, the ends OF
which rested upon wood-horses. On ehainiha-
tion, terrible wound, in which e1'
tensive suppurauon had already supervened was In his
throat extending the Of the windppe which
partly severed nearly TO the right ear Ne stated
that he had inflicted the wound himself with razor.
and that then period Of about ~ hours ne hai
eaten nothing, but had drank about water-pah
full OF ale. He was very weak and emaciated,
and cOnyersed indstinctly and not without great
effort and pain He said that he glad that the OH
GERS had come and that II they had remained away ho
should surrendered himself in the evening lie ad
mited having Ldriven the deceased from the liquor
store at Broome aud Sullvansts to No 5t Thompson
ST., where he lived in two small squahd apartments,
with her and two other degraded white women,
but he strenuously denied having murdered her, He
ayerred that she received her fatal injuries In falling
down stairs, accidentally. while she was Intoxicated.
and he said that he aerward cut his throat IN the
oubuldng OF the yard Of the dance house, in the base
ment at No. 40 Sulyanst through fear that ne would
be arrested aud hanged for murder, Notwithstanding his
entire innocence Of the charge.
The prisoner was conveyed 10 the Princest station
house and telegram sent for ambulance to transfer
him to Bellevue Hospital. Meanwhile Coroner Herr
man. who had been summoned, arrived with Deputy
Coroner Cushman. An examination Of the wound by
Dr. Cushman showed that several small arteries had
been severed but that the principal ones were not
cut. Through lack Of surgical attention the wound
had assumed very dangerous and probably fatal char
acter. Inflammation had already attacked the wind
pipe and Judging from the symptoms, was extending
rapidly toward the lung The ncson emitted a sick
enng odor and the flesh had begun TO peal off from the
sides. The prisoner trembled violently, partly from
weakness and partly from the fear that he would be at
tackled the crowd about the door of the satonhouse
On being questioned by Coroner Herman he replied in
cohereDty, though with apparent candor He was un-
able to speak scarcely above hoarse whisper, which,
at times was barely audible TO listening in-
teny His articulation also very ndstinct on ac-
count OF the inesiOn in his windppe, much OF the air
exhaed from the lungs by the effort in speaking rushing
through the iDcision with disagreeable, wheeling
sound He made in substance the following statement,
which is reproduced in his own language:
was born in Dutchess County. and my folks i've at
Poughkeepse about II o'clock last Saturday drove
Mary Jane home from the quorstore at BIoome ana
Sullivan SITS; did not strike her Wlth cup or any Bhg
else, except small cane with cro2ked hah'le;
hard R1 he enough 10 t SeT se was drunk and
after she got home she fen down stairs m r again
end laid her on the bed got cut over her eye
when she fell, but did MT suppose 1t would amount to
much after put her the bed went down to Sar-
wants dancehou IN sulllvan-st met stranye man
there and told him what mad taken place he SAID tnlt
If the girl died I'd be hung; asked him what l should
do and he told me TO i myself M sue @ dieG ne Seb b
got back he said the girl was NJ dead, 0ut that he
thought she'd die before mornings sent nun back again
10 see how she was while lie was gone tnOugn,i; ~
"Wel, II she dies, III have 10 suffer ANYWAY ana Ia
clubhouse aud cut my throat then tainted, and when
"came to" found myself down IN Bontons place.
did MT kill the glr but suppose III have 10 suner;
OF course 1 would nt have killed the girl, De;
WIFE and thought powerful sight Of her. no one is 10
blame oF my Toun9 @ oas wSc sG IL he oa howS
to wish ia killed myself, Tor knew Eght M ta awal
have to be hung, but did Mt Kill her.
Jackson's statement is given much credence in view
OF the circumstantial evidence already adduced NO
weapon was found In his rooms which would have pro-
duced wound such was found upon the right eye
brow of the deceased, and Deputy Coroner Cushman
thinks that the injuries might have been sustained by
a bersOn in falling down stairs. The wound upon tho
eyebrow was semicular about OF an nch
long lacerated and such would naturally have been
produced from contact with prOtrudlng nall OF pro-
ken STAIR while the deceased was falling, as alleged
The statement of Jackson concerning his having faled
In the house, and having been carried away yefes
Dr. Cushman's opinion, that a person having lost SO
much blood could not have walked away unalded Jackson
was remarkably robust and survived solely through MS
powerful physique aud marvellous vitality Soon AFTER
making his statement and having his wound Dandaged
Temporarily he handcued to prevent the inncton
OF further violence. He then assisted 20 an anOu
lance which had Just arrived and was taken To- Belle
Vue Hospital accompanied by officers, by whom he Will
he watched constantly. Saryant, the danoe-houso
keeper was subsequently released on $500 pail 10 testify
at the nauest which will not be held until the result or
Jaekson's wound Is determined.
After leaving the statlOnhOusej the ambulance pro-
ceeded 70 Police Headquarters, III Mulberry ST., near
Houston, 10 which little girl had been taken whose
arm had Just been crushed in being run over by
Beeekers car The mother OF the child, who held her
little one bleeding her told TO get into tho
ambulance, but seeing the giant negro, hando uned
and his bandaged, already IN the vehicle with the
officers, she drew back aud appealed for some other
conveyance. She was, however, persuaded nnaly 10
thax ahf .la m tha inf a