, 1874-01-03
4 House Oh Staten Island Attacked
and Robbed by Armed Men.
A Train in Kansas Thrown from the
Track by Vandals--0ne Per-
son Killed and Three
Wounded.
Two Ruffians Hanged by a Mob in
st. Clair Co., Mo.
y';1cr Criminal Items.

sDecia Disputeh to The Chicago TRIBUNE.
New YoQk, Jan. o.-Tho dangers which beset
strangers in New York, or any great city, aro
numerous and varied in character. Ono class OF
them is strikingly illustrated by case which, ous
for the brotherhood Of Free Masons.-o1 whose
beucGccacc and vast worth this case is only ono
of the many proofs,-would have been forever
ESsHRouDED IN MYSTERY.
For nearly six months Nathaniel french, Dep
n,,y Provincial Grand Master Of Masons in the
Rermudas, ard Representative Grand Master OF
the Grand / Iodgc OF England, has been nlsslng-
When last seen he Was on the ThnI1 OF tue da-
vanz Steamship COMPANY, from one OF WHOSE
vessels ho had jcBt landed. Pers!stent search
fur him by j. Mason Of thus city ~ mas nH
brought to Light his fate. He landed July -,
end within twcnty-four hours thereafter was
robbed and beaten until lnsoneipio IN the
'rGeaty-seyeuth Police Precinct, which ls on 1he
western side Of the First Ward. ne was oseol- '!
urccipc:, whc called an ambulance and had MN
c,oyeyed to Park Hospital He died abont 4
week after being picked up By the pohce WIN
cut having recovered consciousness, ana: aS nls
friends weyo not known, he VAS
bORIEp N THE POTTER g FIELD.
S;non1arIy. the case was never reported at the
ceatr:l Police Office. as is customary. and thus
cEcaped publicity through the usual clannel-
Below is the history Of the case as told oy III.
Bradley, the gentleman who Worked II up: .,:-
The steamship City Of Havana arrived N THIS
mort from Cuba and Nassau, N. P, July 10, 1873,
bringing IS a passenger from the latter city af.
Nathaniel French. He camc to this CITY "ltn
the inter.ion Of taking i steamship to Europe,
his destination being Cardiff, Wales. h1tel
Ica7ing the steamer be nn2aged an e1pressman
to convey his trunk 70 q hotel which he named,
and received cncck for it. He left the steam
yuip dock, and was never a5aln seen to be recoS-
uized Before he loft. White. one ct the on1ce1s
st the steamship wharf, noticed tha.
He WORE EXPENSIVE 5EWELRT
md from his manner surm!sed that he was
ulap Of Importance. Tho cxpressman tooA
Frcuchs trunk to the hotel he had indicated
bat not finding him took it to bis own store
house, expecting that inquiry would 90 lnsae LOT LOT
it in = day OF tIo, but no one called 1or II ano
tl,e matter soon escaped his memory
About tho middle OF last November > Blster OF
nfr- French. living in this city. received letter
from her brothers family IN tie l3ahamae. ."nlcn
ststca that since the departure Of Mr.. French
fror5 Nassau, n. F., nothing had been heard
from hin, aud requesting her to do all III hcr
noyer to asce1tain his whereabouts, as they
feared he either SICK OF
had lccn foully dec!t with. knowing that her
brother ras Freemason, she made known neE
pcrplc1itv to friend A. II. Bradley. OF
tt1s city, who is member Of Acacia Lodge,
No. Is. OF Washington. He st once
visited tho steamship office, and learned posi-
lively that 1:r. French left the Vessel July 70
n then called ut tho Offices of various European
e.cau,.h;D lines, and, after dliScn. inquiry, as
certEiued that Mr.. French had not left Ne" iork 6
ty onv Of ti:cse routes he i1eu concluded that
gone Incident might have befaien the missing
man, ind decided 70
VISIT TIE Hos71TALs OF TIE c1TF.
10 see il : person o. Mr. Freoch's description
lad been an inmate O; any OF them. Mr. Brad
lev examined TIE books of Bellevue Hospital, but
his search, though close and long, Was
rot rewarded Tor some timo With sue,
cess At length, when almost diseouraseo .co' 60
e.ndaa Of sa0,ns non tbe by entF Nathaniel French,
etla'SIu % planter. e Wales" The book also show
cd that be vas brought to the hospital July
&c. 1873 from the Receiving Hospital IN CITY
Of insenslbility under the euppositlon that be
vas suffering from the effects OF i7temperance:
Mr. Bradley was told By the. hospital
otlicials that rothing OF value WAS
found on F1enchs person, and That II
vas supposed by all conversnnt with tie case
that he was stranger in the city and ponnilesa.
After remaining in Bellevue Hospital t~o DAYS
French was taken 10 the hospital on Blackwell g
Island.
FURTHER ENQUIRIES
e1lcitcd the fact that marks OF violence had been
found on French's head and body AZ II
was supposed he was suffering from the
effects of excessive drinking when be
was taken to tho hospital. it was IN
ferycd TINT he received these 1oJuIles
while intoxicated, and less attention was paid to
him :lan would otherwise have been the case
Inquiry On Blackvell's Island shows that after
remaining at the hospital there five days, Mr.
French died, and As nothing WAS known OF nls
fslentls Lo was buried in the Po!ter's Fl5ld. Al
ter lie was
PICKED Er ISsE:E1ELE
in the First Ward. lie did not sufficiently recover
consciousness to give any information regarding
lis friends. Mr. Bradley then communicated
these facts to ar French's sister, AID also de-
tailed them in letter to tho lodge il Nassau.
Il, F., Of which French Wa member.
Ho received Dec. 21, d reply from q
brother Of the deceased. named julius French
and dated Nassau, n P. Dec. y. 1873. In i
thc writer warmly thanks Mr. Bradley, in behalf
OF tLo family of the deceased and himself, fo1
his g1eat labor in working up the case, ano
bis kindness in informing them OF its re-
suits, and asks him to take proceed:
iucs to have the remains removed
from, IRON the Potter'e Field to Greenwood Cemetery
After receiving this letter, Mr. Bradley asceK
tained at the Office Of the Havana Steamship
Company tho name OF the expressman who j. IA:
Eakcn Charge Of French's trunk, aad, on visiting
bin. found the trunk safely slowed away in hlf
,torchouse with other unclaimed baggage.
viii be forwarded to the family of the deceased
f.Gu