The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-28
THE. BROOKLYN MURDER MYSTERY
Latest Theory of the Ira gedy.

Latest Theory of tie Ira gedy.
The New York papers are still engaged i1
specnlalng upon the mysterious death o
Charles Goodrich, the wealthy property owner
| of Brooklyn, whose body was found in base
ment room of one of his buildings In the latter
city on Friday last, his head being pierced
with three bullets. The Brooklyn Eagle con
tains the following theory:
That Mr.. Goodrich was murdered not by 6
burglar or thief, but by person VINO had some
other motive than that Of robbery, and thai
the murderer was o woman. That the man
corlmilted suicide Is next 10 impossible. The
pistol was i0nud on his right Side. There are
three wounds, two OF which are on the left
| side of the head, and either of which would
have caused insensbilily. Ga tho right side
is another wound. To have shot himself on
the LETT side with his right hand would
have been almost out OF the question,
owing to the location of the wounds and the
direction of the bulls as traced In the skull
cienty sensible aud 30 perslstent after inhicl-
ing the two wounds on the left side as to have
passed The pistol into the right hand and in:
flict another wound in the right side Of The
head is altogether beyond AL precedent of
human endurance and suicidal persistence.
The man was shot from behind first, with
his own pistol, In the hands of anotner per-
son. This shot took effect behind the left ear,
and stunned the man, who could not struggle
with any nerve. The next shot entered his
lett temple. The third grazed his forehead.
and the fourth, he having turned around as
the murderer came around him, took effect
on the right side of the head. He then fell,
and be fell where be lay for some time with
his head upon the marble floor near The
hn rh.Ara tnrr nf nj q
found. He was afterward moved by his mur-
derer, 30 that his head lay upon the boots as
he was found. He was not Killed for his mo.
ney. although his pocketbook was taken for
the immediate necessities OF hi5 murderer.
But he was killed as the result OF quarrel
with woman, who was either Jealous OF him,
or whom he had refused to marry. This Is
the theory Of the reporter, and 1t will be found
to be essentially correct II the truth shall ever
fully be determined.
In support of this theory facts are given
showing that Goodrich, who boarded In New
York, had ior some months last Summer been
In the habit of aosnnliDg himself for several
days together in Brooklyn; that he was there
seen repeatedly in Intimate mpanionship,
generally on the stoop of house In Ergraw
street, two houses from the one In Whicn his
body was iound, with woman OF graceful
appearance, having blonde hair a0undanlly
curle'. that during the fall and winter they
were not seen together, Tut that the woman
was seen on the streets at unseusonably
early honrs, and more than once during the
present month cemIng out OF the basement
where the murder was committed, und where
Goodrich lodged; That 10 February scuf1e
was heard In the basement room, aud q
woman's voice crying tor mercy. indicating
that there had been serious trouble. In Tue
meantime another woman appears on the
scene in BrooklyH, and ibis one, 1t seems,
was engaged 10 be married 10 Goodrich. Tne
lrst woman writes several letters, one 10 the
father OF Goodrich, claiming lha! she Ia
already married to him, ,:nd that child is
the fruit OF The nnion, though the marriage
may have been OF an illegal character. This
gives the cline To the mystery. Whether the
one or The other committed the deed is In
question. The New York Times, lranlng TO
the theory that the discarded woman is the
murderer. says:
s.Alter Mr.. Goodrich's alleged engagement
10 The second lady the visits of tn. hrst be-
came far less frequent, 40 far as can be ascer-
tanned. Her last visit is believed 10 have been
made on The night Of The murder. She was
seen leaving the house on Thursday morning,
between hali-past ave and halt-pasl six O'Clock.
Mr. Goodrich left The house early 10 the day,
and did not return until alter ten o'clock at
night AS all the doors were locked, 1t Is but
reasonable to suppose that II the woman re-
tnrned to the house il must have been after
that hour The de tails oil the death are of
course unknown. Ia this respect IL Is easily
comprehended by the incident OF the letter
how completely the theory oil the completely
OF the woman coincides with the facts already
ascertained. In view Of these facts II Is not
difficult TO Imagine her pleading Tor herself
and the memury oil her child. her appeal for
recompense by a legal marriage, his refusal,
then her demands for money. IL IL also easy
tn Imagine the refusal OF Goodrich 10 com.
ply with her demands, then The Wild anger
OF wronged ard slishled woman, The
snalcned.up pistol, the firing Of the shots, and
Goodrich's la!l 10 the floor. Then the COLI
sciousness of her uct, The reLnrn vi the In
gerng love she bore him, her hope that he
might have lite LETT, the procuring oil tile
towel with which she wiped the blood from
his face, the discovery that he was dead. the
womaL's horror, fear, ami flight by the front
hall door, which she closed behind her, ledy-
ing tne hUrse all fls!ened, as 1t was found,
probably a few hours afterWard. All This can
be we'll imagined"
Alelegram from New York, yesterday, gives
another twist to the tangled web OF doubts
oyerhanglng the case, as follows:
The Goodrich mystery is yet Unsolved. 1t
is stalled that the building of row of brown;
stone frouts on Degraw street, Brooklyn, in-
yolved The supposed murdered man heavily
In debt, and that he is not wealthy, as at nrst
Supposed. 1t appears that the so-called bloody
shirt found In the house where the murder
was committed had no blood ntalns whatever
Oh It, aud had no buttons torn of, but was
simply solled. The chief of police Of Brook
Iyn still holds to the theory that Goodrich
committed suicide, and that the cause was
financial embarrassment.