The New York herald., 1873-07-02
Inquiry Yesterday at the South Oyster Bay
Hotel a. TO the Cause Of Death Of
Mr.. Samuel ]. Jones.
EVIDENCE OF THE WITNESSES.
The Mystery Of the Crime Not Yet Re
Vealed-A Foul and Unnatural Murder
Speculation as 10 the Motives of
the Perpetrators of the Deed.
What Was Discovered in the
House Yesterday.

House Yesterday.
The South Oyster Bay murder, particulars OF
which were given exclusively In the HERALD on
Monday continues to be the wonderment OF Long
Island, and Will, when the full details become
generally known, rank among the mysterious
murders OF the country The murdered man, Mr..
Samuel J. Jones' is u gentleman OF considerable
social position, being grandson of Chancellor
Jones, cousin Of Mr.. william Floyd Jones,
Of oyster Bay, and brother-nlaw OF Admiral
Malcolm Smith, now residing at oyster Bay. The
late Mr. Jones lived upon his own estate, OF about
fifty acres, near the South Side Railroad, and the
grounds were laid out tastefully, and 1t was EVIL
dent that considerable improvements thereon
were contemplated by the proprietor. visit to
the house yesterday showed Mr. Jones to have the
habits OF q student. He had q small. well selected
library, in which were many classical and standard
legal works. He lived very lonely life, and this
as well as other eccentric habits gave some little
anxiety to his immediate friends He is supposed
to have been worth about thirty thousand dollars
and the discovery yesterday Of
NEGOTIABLE BONDS
with coupons attached, payable in gold, to bearer,
showed tnat the murderer, If his motive was
plunder, missed very available and valuable
prize. An inquest was held yesterday, before Mr.
Valentine Bayliss Coroner at the South oyster Bay
Hotel, Kept by Captain ]. II. Powers. There was a
very large attendance Of the villagers, and the
room was crowded during the inquiry, which was
cOdtinued throughout the day, and adjourned at
six O'Clock In the evening until the
18th OF July next. The District Attorney
for Queens county, Mr.. Downing, appeared
on behalf Of the people, and examined all the wit
nesses very searchingly The investigation failed
to clear up in any way the mystery; but the unani
nous opinion is that the murder has been COM
mitted by some one we'll acquaipted with the
habits Of the deceased, and not by any who
was q professional in crime. The only article at
present actually missing, as far as can be found
out, is gold watch. There were name other port
able and valuable articles within reach and sight of
those who committed the deed; but these were
left undisturbed. All this intdnslfes the mystery,
and is the cause of various speculations as to the
motives Of the pcrpetrator Of this dreadful deed.
THE INQUEST.
The inquiry was commenced about eleven O'Clock
before Coroner Bayss, and the following gentle
men were sworn on the jury :-Messrs. Tredwe
walters, foreman; Richard Veraty, w. Fl. Nichols,
Jumes Powers, Ketckhum Walters, James Pearsall,
James M. Seaman Ernest Ii. Delangalett and Will
liam Freatch.
TESTIMONY OF PETER MULoNEY.
Peter Muoney-I reside in a house OF the de-
ceasedf near MS lrte reSluenCc, worked 1Or MIN
gardener; have done 80 for nineteen years;
l worked Tor him by the hour; on the 9th FRIDAY
lasD was at work for him until one or two
O'Clock and the rest of the day worked for myself;
that was the last time saw him alive; it was be-
tween two and three O'Clock in the afternoon; he
kept my time very regularly and paid me
month; he stopped around on that day, and
l think he went to the station, the Oyster
Bay staten; my girl saw him putting the
"a |
alter the time spoke Of; when he paid me at the
end Of the month he always paid me in bills;
once knew hIm to have lost his pOcketbook about
three years ago; 1t was found afterwards, and it
had $40 III it; he had two watches-a gold watch
the golc one was laid by; the first place saw him
was sin the well, alter had left him between two
him the next morning, and it was be-
tween ten and eleven O'Clock In the
come the day before; he always came to me very
soon after got there but this morning, as he did
not come, thought 1t was very strange; tried to
could not; George came round soon after, and l
tod him to cali him; lie did. but did not get any
answer: felt dry and my house was further away
than his, so went TO the well to get drink OF
water; noticed the bucket was in wrong posi-
''0h i00Aea DOWN THE WELL
and saw coat, ana then l looked again and
thought saw the back OF his bead; then went
the house; when | told him he said that
when we got there he found that 1t was the de-
ceased; we then went over to Mrs. Kilaen's; then
q man named Samuel Jackson came, and we said
IL was right to get MIN out;we got him oul in the
evening OF that day: besides, there was u man
named Baldwin, and several others, whose names
j forget; they put a rope around the deceased and
pulled him up and put him on chair close to
the well; noticed nothing, particular in his
that night; don't think the night was very dark
one we could see hini'lrom our house undress anu
go to bed; the blinds were not down the next
deceased.
went inside his house, except he invited me; 1t IS
a dark, lonesome place; had not noticed any
strangers about there, except a few weeks ago. and
then saw four men who were going to work at
Bresau am confident that there was wood and
block and the wood was in the coal house
and we, got these articles out from the
choppng block himself; there were stones TOO that
were on the barrels IN the well that mad been
S ion he kneS ra 'ese sns S
go In the night and PICK tue stones OH WITHOUT
falling; saw this
wood produced, on sunday; we used TO nave
some like it in the tool house. but we have not
nas iast Sunday; there was no hickory round
the wood pile Ike this l don't Know
WHINE Nv the District ATTORNEY ito tnnk It was his
brother went into the house nfst; that was at
twelve O'Clock on saturday; don't rememper
how many pc sons went INTO the house went IN
with the rest; could not say who went III; can.
MOI recolect; was working on my own land
when the fire took place. 1t vas alter the car
passed the fire was put out, according o what my
daughter said; IL was about eight or nine O'CLOCK
In the morning when went 10 work on the day
the body was discovered In the well; saw no signs
or scuflling; had been To WORK before went
into the garden; there Is no soft ground around
the house that would show the tracks oil aay per-
son who went around the grounds; when the de-
ceased was taken from the well there was only
three feet OF water in It; he mad the same clothing
on that he had the day before; the pockets were
searched the next day and II was lound that his
silver watch gone no pocket was searched
that night; the body was taken into the basement;
all the family stayed In the house on saturday
night; on sunday morning ! went about
eleven or twelve O'Clock to the house, and there