, 1874-01-02
THE HELEN jEWETT MURDER.


Doos1on, n. j., Dec. q, 1873.
To TIE Editor er The cAaeayo Tribune:
SIR: recently read, in the Newark IN ~
.7ournok an article copied from your paper, en-
titled ..Tho Helen Jewett Murder-A Strange
seouol-A Lawsuit Growing out Of tha Half
FORGOTTEN Case" In this article The TRIBUNE
il made to say: 'Helen Jewett was beautiful
woman of locse morals, and the supposed
mistross Of Richard P. Robinson, young nan
of {, good Connecticut family. One night
his house was burned down and Helen
Joyett's murdered body was found in
the ruins. 1t was supposed that the
ho1iso was fred to obliterate al traces Of tho
deed. Robinson was arrested Oh suspicion, aud
ulacad On trial for murder. Ee waa betrlcudod
in his trouble by 41r. Joseph Hoxsie. his etA-
ployar. merchant Of New York, and subse-
aueutIy q member OF Congress, now defeaaea.
Robinson Was acquitted"
Now. do not know whence you obtained your
information, but this I do know, that there are
u.auy errors Ill the above statement. was
driving hoise and cart in New York at
the time (l63D, md WAS in the houso,
and in the very room, IN which
the murder WAS committed, On the
mornip. of the eecoud day thereafter. I here
with stale me fats Of tic cabe liz l Teeollecs
them. -.
kichard T. Robinson WAS . young man, pre-
posscssIug lu appearance, aud no1 more tnan ~
yoars of uSe At the time ol tae Muruer. TIC was
wiht in modern parlauce would DO termed last
youuq man. He was living as c:elE with Lls
itncle, Joseph Iloxse, who at the time was dong
a la,rc business IN the dry goods and clotA1uS
line, Ut No. lo1 Maiden lauo., Helen Jewe't was
quarters at Madame Rossana Townsends,
Ma. lG and is Il t1ink) Thomas street. She
was Young, handsome, aud highly accomplished;
In the way OF dash and olsplay sue eclpsed
everything that appeared On broaawa5' oeins
son got acquainted with hug, sud soon ooEained
the favor OF her smiles. He visited at her
home, and often accompanied her to places OF
auusenent. lie no doubt found her MI e4pen-
siye alt,cle Of atuactlon. and Hossibly may have
1annai his uucle's till to Ialso tue Ways aud
! u,eaus for her support.
Aud now the scene changes. Que night dur
iuy the winter OF 1887, Tho occupants Of the
Townsend mansion were accused Dy tue smell
the tire. Tho door Of the room
cccupieI By Helen was forced open, aud
th.ro law thu n,auglod betiy Of the poor girl, eu-
yeopeu in 1lanss. The tire lad lot extended
beyoua the bod-e1osns and o %as ,na soon estn saa
| 1rawu TO the scene Of the mn4der and every
| thing was in commotion. Robinson was at once
suspected as the murderer; the police "ero
| summoned to the scene sud early next morn-
! ing ho was arrested ut Ills boarding-house in
| NV street. He was soon after indicted for tho
| murder. and committed to the Old Brioeweu
| until :Ae day OF trlal.
had all the way along manifested the Utmost ll-
difference as to his fate. Nr. Iu1sle haa en-
ployed two or three OF the moht eminent lawyers
| IN the city to defend him, and, II recouect
RIGHTLY. the great Ogden HOFFMAN WAS one Ut
tuem, Tic tr1al commenced. For the prosecu-
ton. the woman Townsend testified t1at Robin
son lad been frequent visitor to her house
dining the thrco mouths previous to the muE-
der. and that Miss jewett Was the 1T
tractiou. The girl who had charge Of
tbe street-loor Oh tie evening or tbo muir
Gcr avore positively that she let Robinson
nv ;.,,, tho house at IL O'clock that evening Two
| r,rls WHO slept III tie room adjoining testified
Pin, Robinson, or some other gentleman, entered
Miss )ewett's room ut about that hour; tna1.
| nbout MI hour thereafter, they heard loud and
angry talking in the sane loom "niSn conslhnsd d
| all was uuiet 4 ha:chct. smea1cd With bloou,
| was found i'll the back yard OIL tue norniaS after
! tho murdcr, aud 4 geutletnnn's ueck-scail was
! found hanging on tho fence LII the rear Of the
vorI. So it was self-evident from the start that
| ;o murderer Ind passed out through the back
| v,r,} and thence over the fence, auu through a
| narroy alley leading into Balclay street. Inc
Ratchet was identified by 3lr. Ho1sle's porter as
| being The ono used in his store, and tue scarf
a maa p" h"Gr, hsd eeen worn bv tho prisoner Here
o W. r1 rested aud the late Of Robinson
| scctiIed to be sealed and LIS ooom certain. But
nosnln5 n.y.. ,,55,.ii - = ~: n,s t.kcn nlaca
IAN, uaet. 3otsnse nov one1,cd but the prospect
,s ny tia, oosea eioomv enonrl to disrcI tho
peao'e 49, .ue ~ hono Witness liter vitutsy was
iast Ias ar, ~ Dp ~ .tond s,rorn md examined
prouSnt up tnstr1nnv did not amount to much thai
was was 'Isn favorable to tao prisoner: Al length
/ ~ ~ Rohar+ Fur10nf
seutltts.., s,aru ". r and r1accI nnon t,e sand.
sLeufr r Tfurong was tic proprietor q tirst-class
nouae W W Nn'..a., a.rsota nnI wos we'll k,owr Ia
rue auo ~ tha 1850 down.tuwn mercaan;s md Their
moss n's " M thav ali ,xontlercl what be could
cieia1, 1nu 3.1,a,r ohort tlo csse He avora most
nossp5 he was well acquainted WITH Hobnson,
Il'a'5 ~ ca,ro N L;s nnca at nhont II oeIoci
| s.,,,,anta and re1,7ained there for over two
| Lnur1 Had a thunuerboIt descended iuto
IA conrt-room. It could not have
couaed cou n greater sensation among tho audience
than I'D tn;s anuouncemcnt. An aIibi lad been
1,rorcn rrn, hv a rentleman whose character was
! PiSssA - y IL