Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-03-27
another Brutal Murder.
New YORK, March 81,
\ TERRIBLE DEED

Another Brutal Murder.
New York, March 81.
A TERRIBLE DEED.
Charles Goodrich, brother of W. w.
was found this morning in
the basement of one of row of hand
some brown stone dwellings in Degraw
street, near Fifth avenue, Brooklyn,
with pistol shot wound through his
head and deep wound over the right
eye, leaving little doubt that the met his
death at the hands of some burglar.
THE UNFORTUNATE VICTIM,
was a widower, AZ years of
age. and a man of considerable means.
He had recently erected this row of
buildings, some of which he had sold.
The fifth one from Fifth avenue he had
lust let to a New York merchant, COM
pletely furnished, and for the past week
had been in the habit of sleeping in it
for the purpose of taking care of it I'M
til the gentleman was ready to move in.
MANNER OF THE DISCOVERY.
w. w. Goodrich was in the habit of
seeing his brother every day. He went
to the house Thursday, but finding it
locked supposed his brother was absent.
But as he did not make his appearance
this morning, he became anxious and
went to the house again to-day, Knocked
at the door, rang the bell and got no re-
Spouse.
MAKING A SEARCH.
He decided to break into the house,
and entered one of the adjoining houses,
went on the roof and descended through
the scutt1e. He found all the doors
closed, and looking into the sleeping
apartment of his brother, found sheets
and blankets turned down, as if he had
just risen.
THE TERRIBLE TRUTH.
He went down to the basement, and
on opening the door found his brother
lying dead upon the carpet. Passing
into the back basement he found the
window broken open and became con
WINGED that his brother had been brutally
murdered. The panes of glass in the
window had been broken so that man
might insert his hand and turn the
fastening
THE PREVAILING THEORY.
The theory is that some thief was
aware of the fact that Mr. Goodrich was
in the habit of sleeping in the house
alone, and supposed he carried large
sum of money about him, that he broke
into the place, and that Goodrich,
HEARING HIS NOISE,
came down stairs with a pistol in his
hand ready to meet any intruder. The
thief took up position from which he
could knock him senseless as he entered
the place, and it is believed struck him
blow over the right eye. This blow
was sufficient to
RENDER HIM POwERLEss.
and the thief then seized his pistol and
shot him. Then the robber, it is sup
posed, rified his pockets, for his pocket
book, as well as valuable gold watch,
was gone. There was nothing about the
place to give evidence of a struggle, but
the position in which the body was
found would lead a casual observer to
infer that he had committed suicide.
THE APPEARANCES.
The pistol, a silver plated revolver,
was lying near his right hand, little
pool of coagulated blood was upon the
carpet near the hearth-stone, while the
head of the dead man was lying about a
foot away.
NOT A SUICIDE.
The blood had been washed from the
wound over his eye, and the towel
which had been used for that purpose
was hanging over the sink. The sup
position that he had committed suicide
was to great extent dispelled by the
fact that the pistol shot wound was in
the left temple.