New-York tribune., 1874-12-17
DEATH OF THE BURGLARS DESCRIBED.

VAN ppUNr-TEsTIMoNY OF ALBERT VAN BRUNT
wN SCOTT HERMAN FRANK, AND OTHERS.
The little room in the Brooklyn COurt-house
used for the purposes OF q Coroner's once was io
Yesterday so decidedly insufficient for the proper o
inc o the inouest on the bodies OF the two purelar
,u,oa mar yndye Van Bruns house at Bay Rdge tnaV
,be Ro,ri OF Superyisors' room was taken ana ins'"
Allied nv n great crowd There were many lawyers auu
prominent men In local poucs prcseh', hiho"s '"o
.ttcr heing recognized Hugh Mclaughlin. Penltehuary-
kcener Sneylin, the Hon. Hugh M. Clark Aldermen
O,Reiuy and Donovan, DR.. Norris tho newly-elected
Charity Commissioner. County Treasurer Gardiner Cor
oner slmns ex Excise Commissioner fyburn. Judges
Walshaud Demar. and CorOnerelcct Nolan The proceed
ngs were great interest. Idctthat
le that really elected In regard TO the
details Of the agioal event. but the people were given
an opportunity, after gazing TO their satisfaction upon
the manged bodies In the M0rgue OF seeing those who
circumvented and killed them After the j1ry, whose
names were given in yesterdays TRIBUNE. had viewed
the remains and returned the the Coroner
opened the proceedings.
The Coroner-Gentemen OF TIE Jury, 1 propose 10
begin the inquest the death OF the bodies you have
Just viewed aud trust that the jury will understand
that we approach tho investigation the same In this In
stance as we would In tho death OF any persons We
simply know that there are two persons dead Hits
possible thing for the fury to Danish from their minds
what they have read heard reference to this mat
ter trust they will do that may give our verdict
enIlrey upon the evidence first propose that Judge
Van Brunt, the owner OF these premises where the
bodies found should be placed on the stand but lie
is busy Court in NewYork and may arrive before we
get through with proceedings. will state to the
jury before beginning that Mr.. Van Bruut senior. Is On
invalid confined his bed and will not be able to be
present with us. have from the attending physician
noto stating that j. Holmes Van Brunt has been con-
fined to his for the past two weeks with inhamna
ton Of the bowels and his condition Is such now that 1t
not deemed safe for him to be present at the Inquest
1t Is signed by DR.. Frederick c. DemOnd also have
note from Judge Church stating to me that In CON-
plance with my request he took Mr. Van Brunts
| deposition, which read to you as follows
j. HOLMES VAN BRUNT DEPOSITION
state Of Ae,c York. Kings Couny Iown OF Nti' green Eneent
being duly sworn do depose and say: | reside at by
Ridge in the town of Now Utrecht on Monday morning.
the l4th ns at about O'Clock hoard the ringing OF
the alarnbe in my house which connected By wires
with the house OF my brother Judge Van Brnnt, aoJo.
ING my house; Immediately told my dauehter to Eet
up ana call my son. Albert. and to tell him that The
alarm-bell was ringing from the oaer house no eoon
there must be blind open the other house:
and he would better go over ana see he SAID ne would
lives in OF the houses III the rear he took lantern
and went over there and woke him. and little time
az .erward he came 10 and told me there was light
at the other house, and he asked me 10 get the gum
supplied him win dOuble;barreled gun and
came running back and asked for another gun
would better dress myself and go over did so ana
went with hun told him to take me rTht ie 10
| were watching; he. Albert. then started I1r ocott
house to get his so When he & s and we FrK aT
myself about % feet from the cellar door aiioSether
teh f'r "a nd Iv " fhe uttIe rate in front Of tle
house and not 10 leave II on any e0nSderatiOn then
tolJ Frank 10 20 with Albert and ordered hun stay
there at all hazards this time lights could be seen
[ moving thrOagh the house; we watched for them TO
come half an hour; II was ralahR; wa.
| Cptfi a.. being
! tie house for about two weeks; the OnfSarS came
| through The dningroom TO the room known as the but
! ier,s p,Dtry; / then went up the window in tho
dtning groom, the buffers pantry they came out
in the dining 10 20 towards the entry; was not
wo feet from their feet. and could their bodies
plainly; the older man, Wm Mosier was walknga little
was CARRYING light they went to the entry stepped
back little on the sod 1Ist opposite the winJoW tIeY
then back into the buffers pantry anu so into Ie
kitchen, where they remained only snort tme and
/ toid William Scott, If we waited much longer that
would not be good for anything ASKED hn II ne ha1
the keys OF The kitchen door he said yes; - tOld
him TO 20 up and unlock il 10 start them no went
up and made ratting noise at tho door, instantly the
are coming down the stars;" could hear myself
noise 8 If they were coming down In the dafK no
and observed a faint light OF match moving over
from the buffers pantry toward the hall Whispered %
here !" he took position little behind me To my
right; about three minutes after this little light
was put out heard a noise Of some person coming
I'D the steps, which LEAD out doors one door only
being SO dark there and the ght being very dark
could not coming up those steps and could
hear called out, "standl" had the word scarcely
out OF ny when two pistol shots were fired at u.s.
the blaze about two feet from the other had
INV gun at my shoulder all the time, but could not
how il pointed until the fash OF these pistols and
then discovered that covering the inside one Of
the two men at breast Immediately pulled, and ut
the same time lowered the gun, which supposed must
have struck him, as he cried out william scott hred
Immediately, as the man was hallooinR from the
the shot entering the house 1t appeared
as they missed him or that they TOOK enect ID hs nat
tie outside appeared start TO the inside
appeared to stumble on the cellar door and was groan
lng ali the tme; they then both ran together ana nred
at Them they were in range, and could see
account Of having the white fence IN 'front.' oi
them then called out, Ihey are coming! GIVE IL TO
them r. this time they we're going around toward the
Give them" so that our party might know was
not following them; when fired that time one OF them
and pistOs n very rapid succession, and during
time heard Albert call repeatedly 10 them 10 stop In
minute; OF these four fired by the Durgars and
nine by our party; as soon las as tue ming ling
had them ran around there; Frank was
Standing by Douglass said -" Look out for them He
Lns n pistol :" IL was dark could not which
his head bis feet as he lay there told Frank TO see
il he could md ptO he soon said Yes, here Is one.
and he handed IL to then i TO the other man,
when Albert standing over him with pistol and
cautioned me to look out as be might 6e playing
got aud came there and holding the lantern 10
9Ge In sss Taere Is hi. pistol Scott reacneS
down aud handed It to me: then went back TO tps
Ii me 20 see other man" and watched Doug
Douglass said something about Charley Ross told
him he was dying, and II he had anything 10 say he
would better sa tell the truth Ia,ked him where
he was from he replied, =" From NewYOrk )" asked
him how he got here, aud he answered BY sloop.
wnich was anchored OF In the stream-we ashore
in a small boat" Just then my servant girl came aud
looked made remark To her That he had
been a very bad man by that time some OF the neigh
bors came and l. feeling completely exhausted, brought
the two guns aud pistols to the house. where
have remained ever since; when was looking In the
window at the two men could have shot them very
easily, but did not want do that wanted to have
them come and surrender as they did not do SO,
and seemed desperate. found myself compelled TO
6re from selfpreservatlOn; from the form OF two
men Judged time that 1t was Douglass that had
struc X and l learned afterward that Douglass had
received shot tue stomach the hrIng was begun by
the burglars as already slated.