The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-21
THE WEST FARMS MYSTERY.
4 ROA DSTDE TRfGEDY rHIT PUz-
mrs THE POLICE
The COrpse that was Found 10 the Woods
Near Iirou xdnlc-A Pack PeddIer'a Fate
The Police Theory of the Assassination.

The CorpAe that wss Found 10 the Woods
Near Bronxdnlc-A Pack PeddIcr'a Fate
The Police Theory Of the -snssiuntlon.
An old negro, George Landrine, OF West
Farms, went ou Sunday morning to gather nte-
wood Ia r. VI. Lydigs woods. about half a mile
from bis dwelling. while searching through
the underbru-h he saw the body OF a man on
the ground under tall oak tree. Not caring OF
daring TO investigate further, he went home,
and said that there was man up in the
woods either drunk Or dead. No attention was
paid to him, but sftcr breakfast ne again spoke
about 1t, and his sou Abraham with two Leigh-
bors. James Campbell and William Degelspiller,
went to the snot indicated by the old man and
found the body Of dead man. He lay with his
face upturned to the sky. One arm was partially
raised and one leg was bent. The rains OF the
morning and the night before had washed the
face Gle, u, and rendered more conspicuous gap
ing wounds IN the forehead. the cheek, and
ocrOss the throat. There was no blood visible
IN face, hands, or clothing. Young Landrine
hastened TO the fremont police station and in
formed Capt. Bennett. who with Roundsman
Cullagh and Detective Durbee Immediately ac-
companed him 10 the wood.
The body lay about two hundred yards from
the old Boston highway, aud nearly midway be-
tween West Farms and Bronxsdale. II is a
lonely place. On both sides Of the road are
thick woods OF oak and chestnut, with a dense
underground Of vince, weeds. and sapngs. A
tall oak lowered above the dead man, and about
nfty feet from where he lay was black, slmy
pool OF water. The leaves ana undefbrush
around the body were undisturbed; NOT a twie
had been broken not a leaf upturned nothing
Indicated the last struggle not drop OF blood
was spattercd ON either leaf OF tree. About
thir.y feet away were pedder's bag and basket,
on which were spots Of blood, md not dis
Of black cloth, in which needles were stuck,
and leaf from q Hebrew c iiendar.
The BODY was taken to the station and word
w,s sent TO Coroner Miller and Inspector Thorne.
The inspe ttur telegraphed to the Harlem. Nor
psania. Eighty eighth street. and Ffty-ninth
street stations for renfofcemcnts OF detec ives.
Onicers were sent In every direction to scour the
WOODS for the murderer. ON Coroner Millers
arrival y jury was impancled. who viewed the
body. and Dr-. Liebman and Rodcnstein made
a post moitem examination. The body eNl-
IDENTITY ~ Il 81 an lsraeit about ~ years Of axe,
i've feet three inches In height, thin almost 10
emaci tiun. with dark brown hair, sparse sandy
beurd ana moustachei clad IN "A sack coat, lght
corduruy vest. aud dark trousers tucked into
calf skin boots. The autopsy revealed twelve
wounds IN the nec~, lace. and head. and OF siN
OF them any one must have been fatal In the
opinion ~ the PHYSICIANS the man had been
dead not over tw' nty-four hours.
The Tag and basket contained articles Of cheap
underwear and ihe usual stock Of country
peddler They had evidently teen oyernauled
by bloody hands, and among the goods were
found an old dirty checked shirt and greasy
cap, both spattered witn blood, aud without
doubt left by the murderer, and their places
supplied J., the murdered mans hat and shirt
from bis basket.
Tue detectives and oficers made unsuc ccessfuI
search for the murderer. Not even could they
ind the spot where the bloody deed WAS done.
nor any traces Of blood or OF death struggle.
IL the evening two young negroes applied at the
MorrisaniA police station for lodgings. They
were searched, ana on one WAS found a slung
shot. which he said he had found in an ash bar
rel In Philadelphia. This was sufficient TO war
rant their arrest 10 await exam mlnation by JUS
tice Wheeler. Yesterday morning they were
taken 70 the fremont station. Tho detectives
were again busy Yesterday. They haunted the
woods where the man had been found they
peered under logs and into and over stone walls
they questioned everybody who passed oy. All
day Inspector Thotne's jolly face wore an er-
preston OF profound mystery.
There Wtie two point, IN the case that we're
imno 'ihle to solve. l1rst. they could not de-
triiine with " hat tine wounds hau boon made.
th,y vcre too severe for knife wounds. as some
~ tarW ct shed through the skull. IheN were
too rW ~ To hage tetn maze by an ordinary
hatth hct, too clean cot to have hccn made with
shHtp STONE. 1nc only weapon that susgCs Csted
tt-clt WIS lafher's hatchet. Then another
strange titus - their Inability g. hnd the
slishtest trace OF the spot Oh which the man
W.. murdered.
The result ~ days nuo detective work
brought To light these facts On lhursday John
Buckfidce, on his way IRON West Firms TO New
YORK CITY a" three negroes sittihg by the road
SIDE about one mile east Of West Farms. one
OF them was u Vlllginous looking fellow, with
about forty-n'e years Old and yerv black
tuc of his companions was ~ hll OK,
huf Younger. and the other wns "A mulaito about
twenty, dressed VA very dirty Ight clothes.
Toes we're a hat'l -lpokiug lot he sald. Later
~ the day Nit. Thomas LOeser. while on his
lager beer wagon, passed three negroes. whose
descfii tion l. lAe that ~ those seen by Buck
ridge. ou the OLD Me4tcheStcr road. going to-
wand We. chester. John Livingston. who
keeps u store at BrOnxdalc, said th.t on
Frdu, morning tho pcdd or entered his
cheese and ripe. while he was sliding
on the steps catiu- the crackers, three neg ues.
without doubt; ny liYingSioh'e desciiptlun, the
same seen on the DAY before 10y Buckridge and
Iocstr. approached and spoke T. him "a though
they knew hiin, one o.! them shaking hanUs with
MIN ami tab ing 70 cracker IRON Ills hand and
eating II. TINS was about po'ciOck. MIR. LIVING
ston paid no more attention to them. and did
not see them again until about two hours later
hen returning from West Farms. he saw two of
the negroes coming ouL of the woods about iOU
wards south ot where tho murdered man was at
MIR. Henry bradley the Bron1dale butcher.
was driving along the odd Boston road ahOut
ing aud heard voices in the woods very near the
spot whore the man lay. Mrs. Weeks lives in
BrOnNd. lie. On Friday morning, about eleven
o'clock, while walking toward " est Farms she
saw ev the Side oi the road spoos OF whlte cot
Ton thread % sni p!h,o p,3he, s6e was about to PICK
man, hurried on. The pipe was aiterward
recognized as tho one the peddlerh d bought Of
Livingston. IL seems evident that tho ptudler
was murdered while Oh his way from Bronxddlo
TO West Farms.
Inspector Tnorne sent ont general alarm
last evening describing the negrOt and order,
ing their arrest. BuCkbridge, LOeser, and Law
ingston were az tho fremont station and saw
the two Imprisoned negroes there, but dad not
recognize them rs the ones they had met on the
road.
pcddlcr in BronVyllie yesterday said that he
recognized the murdered man Oy the descrip-
ton, as a man vino lived In HNington street,
New York, and who had no intimate friends.
Ihereuuon, vllager remembered talking with
the dead pedtler, VINO said that he had been in
business IN New York, but failing, he had put
all his money into ms wfc's hands. she refused
10 let him h We any Of II, aud his father IN law
had nttcd him out with pack that this was
hls flr-t trip, and that he had ken only 81.
The greasy, dirty canvas around his goods WIS
cert iny not on ils first trip, and the police dis
ere II the story Of the dead pcddier The body
was taken to the Morgue yesterday.
AMUNEMENTS.