The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-30
FOOTSTEPS IN THE HYACINTH BED.
sVigilant' Detectives and that
Same Old 'sClew."
The Brothers Murphy in
Jail and Isolated.
A MYSTERIOUS, MOURNFUL STORY.
MANUEL. RocKLAND COUNTY, N. Y, I
April 20, 1874.

<apth 20, tst4 }
STRANGE AND BLOODY STORY.
Ten days ago the telegraph wires Mashed the
news all over the land that cowaIdly murder had
bean perpetraied at this little our-0fthe- way
place. Manuel in the southwestern corner OF Rock
land county The dispatches, however, were very
obscure and, as yet, the myriad readers OF the
HERALD have not had the veil raised which was
seven wears ago dropped on the men and women
who have been mixed up one way or another
with this most mysterious OF murder cases.
At fifteen minutes past eight O'Clock on Sunday
evening April 10. Matilda Hujus, aged forty years;
Robert Gamble, aged forty-sour years, and Kath-
rina Bonthomy, servant, by birth Bohemian,
who can speak German, were sitting around a
stove in The parlor OF q two story frame house on
the main and only street or road OF Nanuet-for it
can scarce be called q street-and were con-
versing together. Matilda Hujus was q
German woman. and, though married and
having a husband living she bore q very bad
character in the village, which has population OF
about 500 souls. Robert Gamble is a native OF the
North of Ireland, but long resided in New York
city, The gossips Of this dull but impairment
little village have find, repeatedly asserted that
Gamble has been criminany intimate with Matilda
Hujus for the past seven years. During part of
those seven years the wife OF Gamble, now de-
ceased was alive, and the woman Huus lived in
the Saluc uOuS6 with ucT, UuG against Inc VIII u
Mrs. Gamble, about two miles further up on the
Manuel road TO New City. the county town of
Rockland county And now, to continue my story.
These three persons were sitting around the stove
and were, believe, conversing about some thing
or another that matters not to us. Suddenly
there was q red Hash, loud, vibrating report
from the direction of the furthest window,
in q corner OF the room, and Matilda Hujus
fell forward on the carpeted door In dying
agony. rfddled with large squirrel shot. The
wretched woman rose for an instant to her full
height as a person stricken mortaly might, her
eyes rolling wildly and, exclatming 20 Jesusl"
fell prone. and in an hour was dead. / might
have mentioned that there was male child,
named Albert Dryer, three years OF age, in the
same room al the time. The same charge from the
shotgun, as it probably was, also struck Gamble,
who was sitting in q direct line with Mrs. Huius.
further on in the corner at right angles from the
window whence the shot was fired.
This window Is numbered .s8r in the diagram
which give Gamble received seven squirrel shot
in the face, four OF which were in the top OF the
head one In the shoulder and some in the face and
breast. He also rose, and, bleeding pr0fusely.
staggered through door into the hall and into his
own bedroom, terror stricken as he perceived that
Mrs. Hujus was In dying condition. He feared
that more shots would be fired, and when in his
DcQIOOm icducu AOE mOmCut uOm WCoAucoo uuo
fright against the wall and staggering
around. slid his hands down the door,
and then fell ON his knees to look for his
pistols, which were concealed under the mat at his
bedroom door, The girl ran into an adjoining
room, and her statements are SO confused that but
very little be gathered from them. She states.
however. that the little boy Albert, who is very
precocous and large for his age. cried out, in his
fright, Don't shoot. papa don't shoot any more,
papa ~ The neignbors, hearing the shooting and
the alarm, ran in and endeavored to assist the
dying Mrs. Hujus ana the wounded man Gamble.
Gamble states that he crossed the street to the
house OF q man named Corsa. who occupies rooms,
and called HIM over. tavern keeper named
Kidner also called, and this man states that he
found greasy cap and RED and yellow paper
mask outside OF the house and under
the window from where the shot came,
in Q tulip and hyacinth bed. In less
than an hour from the time that the
assassin fired the shot Mrs. Hujus was corpse,
and Gamble. who is but a shadow OF nimsef-hav-
ing at one time weighed in the neighborhood OF
80 pounds-oled with great prousion, losing about
four quarts OF blood in few hours.