The New York herald., 1875-12-18

chapel by Fathers Duranquet and Barry Funeraer-
vices were also held over the body OF Ellis inhe
chapel the Five Points Mission 40 which his deSed
HISTORY on the CRIME
On the morning oi the 10Th OF September the 81
dents Of the village Of West Farms and vicinity re
startled by the announcement that George Saxonn
old negro, living on the outskirts q Lydigs Woodad
discovered the mutilatcd body OF concealein
the undcrbrush. The story told by Saxon was thatc-
corng 70 his usual custom, he had gone out to gaer
wood 10 light the lre and his search brought hino
the spot whore he found the mutiiated body. He W
what he thought to be a bit OF wood ana mt
70 pick i up when, 70 his horror 40
found the object 10 be the uphfled nd
Of a man. In clearing away the leaves and deis
with which the body partly covered he sawne
man had been murdered, his head and face beingr
riby cut. Near the remains there stood as pn
guard, small black and tan dog, which fed wn
Saxon approached. The horrihed old negro mt
straightway 10 the house and told his daughter and
in-aw Of what he had seen. The listeners were st
10th 20 believe what the old man said, but after bRk
fast the law went to the spot and verified thold
mans story. The pohce were informed and the cpse
was brought TO the station house and officers serou
TO gather any clews that could be obtaed
A thorough search OF the spot wherethe
murdered man had been found proved that the mncr
did not occur there, as not shrub dispbed
That the murdered man had died an easy death w,not
TO be entertained, for the condition OF the bod'the
attitude of the hands and legs and other condons
noticeable proved conclusvely that desperate rug
gle had been made with the assassns After dilent
search in the immediate neighborhood the offers
found collar, and short distance from the colr II
noticed that the ground had been trampledhnd
plain that the victim had been murdered here ancar
ried into the woods, where Saxon had found im
Later in the search pcdlers basket found, nth
s contents dishevelled and confused, though ney
had been rummaged in search OF something Bbdy
finger marks on some of the lecloths, which ere
part OF the contents OF the basket pointed the
derers az the rihers of the basket A pedler's lck
was also found, but nothing which would in anyway
lead to the detection Of the perpetrators Of the bbdy
deed
An inquest was held on the body in the nan
time, and no evidence being forthcoming the bodyyas
removed to the Morgue IN new York. where twas
identified as that of Abraham Wesberg, OF NoIS5
Rivington street, who had left his house about wo
weeks before, and gone into the country 10 petle
Those who knew of his going and were shown he
pack and basket say that he must have sold halt ohis
wares.
THE FIRST ARRESTS
On the morning OF the 21st OF September Deteeve
McGowan of the Nineteenth precinct went to theil
lage of Westchester TO search tor the murdcrers kv
ing learned IN the meantime that party Of threele
groes had been seen conversng with Jewish peer
in beer saloon about half mile from the spot whre
the body was found At a place called Fox's CorTs
in the village named the detective met two suspc
looking negroes, whom he accosted The said tey
had come from New York the previous day 10 bk
for work. The detective noticed that they had ay
seed the mats OF their WOOL and bng
unsatisheG with the account they gave of
themselves he brought them to the Tremnt
station house On examination here the men deserted
themselves respectively Bill Thompson aged tweiy-
seven. a sailor and William Ellis, aged twenty-tw
ships COOK. They both claimed residence at No42
Baxter street After the preliminary examinatio
search made Of the persons Of the prisoners wch
resulted in the finding of pocketbook each Tkse
pocketbooks were in every respect the tbse
found in The pedler's pack. In Thompsons pockt a
spool OF cotton was found, and on this evidence he
men were committed. Notwithstanding that tey
stouty protested their innocence the police were on
vnced the guilt Of the prisoners and the oath ofhe
month, three days after the OF Ellis and Tholp
son. Captain Mcdonnell OF the Eighth precinct arresed
a white-eyed negro named Weston, at No. 16 Grind
street Weston was found in the attic Of that numer
with his face hidden from view. Though at arshe
protested his innocence, Weston, the day &C
n.
knowedged that he had been present at the murde OF
the peder, but sought TO throw all the onns OF le
crime on Thompson and Ellis. Captain hcDonel
had not been idle during the day intervening between
the arrest and the examination, and had succeedeen
arresting Catherine Gusen, tho white mistress of
Weston whose testimony was very damaging TO Ter
paramour. This is the woman to whom Weston
married in the Tombs on December 2, with Dolanas
groomsman. In his confession Weston sid
that Thompson, Ellis and himself had net
the Jew in saloon, tnat they hid
followed him out and that when he had gone SHIRT
way up the road Thompson and Ellis attacked lmn
with clubs and after clubbing him TO insenslbity had
thrown him over the fence and dragged him into te
wood. he claimed that he told them he would ha o
nothing to do with the deed, and they then swore 4
him. He said that the pedler after short time, re
covered consciousness, and, raising himself up said
'Do you want murder me 2n This sign OF life mad
Thompson angry, and raising large stone, he hurled
II at the PROSTATE man, who then began TO halloo
Ellis asked Thompson for a knife and said he wonld
cut his the pedler'sl throat; and he did THIS va
Westons story; but, as was proved aerward, he as
sisted
REFoRE THE MURDER
HERALD reporter learned yesterday that Ellis,
Weston and Thompson connected with bandof
wandering negro mnstreIs who journeyed through he
suburban parts OF the state wealthy banker, wnsse
business Office Is Ia Broad street. told the following
story TO the writer yesterday
''In the summer. a little over a year ago my son,
whose business Office IS al CarmaDsve, came 70 ny
home at InwOod one evening and SAID he had arranged
for a little amusement; that band OF wandering
negroes, who sang and played very well on different
Instruments, engaged by hin to gTe
entertainment at my house. We hurreily
sent invitations TO our immediate neighbors and
when The band began to play parlors qnte
full Indeed, well did they entertain that IL vas
after eleven O'Clock before our guests dispersed and
then discovered that II was too late for the PER-
formers TO get buck to town. and out OF the goodness Of
my son's heart he suggested
SHOULD THEM NIGHT.
They we're marshalled into tho dining room and gwen
refreshments our silver lying upon the buffet; aher-
ward they were put into the billiard room to pass the
night old quilts and blankets being given then 10
insure their comfort Had | known the character Of
Of the sable mnstrcls ! should not have
slept 50 soundiy. However, in the morning
they went away, and we missed nothing from
the house. Since the convection Of Ellis,
Weston and THOMPSON, Deputy Sheriff Cunningham,
who lives CarmansvIle sent tor the Tombs to
take his turn guarding the prisoners The olowing
conversation took place between the convict negro
Weston and Cunningham
''W EsTog-Don't you live up to CaTmansville2
''The DEPurY-Yes.
'wEsroS-Does you know Mr.. Jim -
''The DEPuTY-Yes how is it you know anything
WESTON tchuckling)-o, he's dne geu'leman; we
took up 10 his fathers house when wild de
minstrels; dey KEEP US all night and treated iust
raIe
when this conversation was reported to me took
occasion to repeat IL TO well known lawyer, who now
occupies the Chittenden estate at Fort Washington,
and narrated the following incident To havng
occurred about the time Of tho pedlers murder which
seems 10 hx upon his house as 'the large house"
named in the murderers confession, where the negroes
stopped their way the very day of the murder no
doubt for purposes Of robbery His servant girl was
cleaning the windows early in the morning before the
family up; these windows extended down to the
level OF the piazza;
SUDDENLY, LfEE APPARITfoNg
three men, evidently negro tramps appeared 0eforc
her causing her 70 start back from her work. WHAT
do you want n she demanded. We want something
to eat the reply. We want money or work, }
said another The affrghted girl called Cook /
cook tho servant down stairs but luckily Just at
this time large mastifs belonging to Ihe place
came bounding the lawn, and the girl who had
by this time reganed her presence Of mind cried out,
Look out Tor the dogs; they will tear you pieces
this warning the vagrant negroes made on The
girl Is convinced the men were the those who
yesterday yielded up their lives the law and doubt-
less II not long alterward they met the pedler
Weisberg, who came 70 his death at their hands, ?
nppu rup