, 1875-02-21

reporter could not docsntly investigate natter
further, SO, bidding Mrs. Hassett and her by nj
moana preposseesinE family farewell, h,
fought his way back to the street. thrpuel
tho aock OF muddy Eeese. ano pursued b!
Investigations among the neighbors The frs
Of these wnom be called upon was
NR. HICKEY,
who krern eaipun m the corner OF Twenty.
fourth and Hanover streets, who impaired tbs
following information:
hat Kind OF T. reputation does the
Hasset family possess in this neghbortoods
Mr. H1cKeJ-Although hats hsd eeyersl
o9smesa transactions With ths family through
which have been materially benefited, An
sorTT to 9av that, with the exception Of the old
mau, tue family is = disgrnce in the district.
Reror:et-Nhat do the boys do for + lireli-
hood7
a tgslander-They spend about three-t -toutthl
Of their time tn making bricks At tht faideweff.
Mr. Hickey-An four soma are laborers, but in
the winter they too 1szY TO work for their 1iv-
Ing, and have for the past four years lived on the
old man. nho seems to be the most respectable
member Of the family.
Nspor.er-Whst does the old man work at7
foMr, Hickey--He is n1ao y latorer, aud has per.
rmed ssFeral seTer contracts for the city, and
Is the manufacturer OF a kind Of ccment, which
he has Oh several ocra,ious cndrevoreu to have
patented.
nepor.er-Whst do the girls uotk at2
Mr. Hlekes-TbeT are both well-knewn prosti-
tu.es, and have but recently returned home from
crib on Archer aSnuue.
Reporter-Do the family often disturb tbs
reiEi1borb in their drunken rows5
lf1. Hicke5--Ihey have been Whist might be
called curse in our county, and wonder that
the boys have not before this committed some
crime that would havc consigned them to Joliet.
Reporter-What is
You8 OPINION OF THE CHARGES
brought AGAINST the old man by the SOM
Mr. Hickey-Tbe charge somewhat surprised
me; as considet hum incapable Of committing
Reportsr-Was Has.ett Or any of til. family
suspected at tho time Of the 1nurder7
h1r- Hlckey~Sot the least c;eu was discover
ed, and. ~ far as learn, no thorough luves.i-
gallon vas made Of the case.
This last fact ls vouched for by several other
pef1tla who are residents in the neIghborhood.
ME. CoKEELI>
who keeps saloon (and indeed, nearly every
hous4 III the vicinity Is drinking place) On the
corner Of fwenty-heventh and Butler etEee.e,
also represents the boys as being exceedinglr
h&rd cases. He stated that Dan when un Ills
regular d1rnas, had repeatedly threatened the
old 1nau with immediate destruction, intimatiog
that be Danl possessed aome secret which, il
revealed, would put hemp around somebody's
various OCCASIONS, been known to beat his
mother in shameful manner. aad that, while
there WIS any money In the house, Mr. Hassotl's
life &ss III danger.
TIE next person the reporter called upon vas
Nh. RAMP,
tho proprietor OF packipg-hoose On tho corner
Of Butter and McGresor streets, who stated that
The neiShhorhood was souawhat startled when
they learned that old man Hassett Ind been ar
rexted on 80 serious charge, as he had the tepu-
tatlon Of being quiet and inoffensiye man. II
it had been one CT the boys he eai1. the surprise
would uot have been SO great. IS they were the
terror ct the vicinity, speuding tLelr time in
ti:.h.ing. aud drinking. and other less .eunohlng
occupations. The family altogether had bad
name, tho old folks being the beat, OF,
rather, the least vicious, in The batch.
ThedaughteE, who was kuoGn among the tboss"
in the neighborhood rs little Nellie" had
becn until recently the keeper Of den OF pros
tituuon on Clark street. but bad OF late taken
folks on Butler street 1t VILE the general In
PRESTON tint If the sun kne7 SO much about the
particulars Of the mursier he had good reasonB
for being fully posted. With regard to the
publicity which the murder gained at the time
OF tbs discovery Of the mans body, he stated
that it created considerable excitement, and ex-
pressed astot1isment that ary one in tho neigh
bot9ood shou1l Isetehd to be in ignorance Of
the occurrence.
Ii the Twcuty-second Street Stntion the re-
potter saw
sEHdT. FITZPATRICK,
WHO statcd that tue Hassrtts we're we'll known
to every policeman IL Bridgeport, ~ they haa
all On previous occasions been Obliged to run tho
boys in for dlsorderty coudact-
Heporter-Do you think that the old man is
guilty OF the charge brought against him?
Se1geant-I can hardly besieve him gniIty.
Ills appearance Of painful surprise when read !
see; purely unaffected. II guilty, he has tho !
check of Beecher, acd ten times the bIacknnss I
OF heart.
Reportct-Do ron have aay opinion is to who !
committed the murder
sergeaut-None that would be willing to hare
appear in print l hEYe faint idea, however,
thas whom Tbs case is investigated Dan wili be
found to havb BEEN something more than look
ct On, rs he ts entirely too well yersed ii His
Etory.
Reporter-Haye you as yet any c1ew to work
uhoni
Sergeant not the lenst; the fact that ut the
tisao Of the murder the victims head could net
be found shronded the entire nIaar IN my sterv.
It is ng opinion that tha murderer or 1nur-
dere.r, whoever they were, cut OF the mans
bead IN order to destroy identity, ss tue river at
the limo vas dragged Il vain for the missing
member.
Reporter s(tuznine the leavcs Of: the report
bcok}-1hin vuutne, l SEQ, makes Bridgeport
ont to be pretty rough place.
6erEeant-lt does, indecd, au6 doubt vheth-
or the report Of any other precinct il the city
can equal it, as It embraces the seuta OF soc!c:y
aid professional law-breaka1s. sihce tho killing
OF O'Neaza by Rafferty,. however {ie WAS oMeara
who discovered the trunkless body in 1871, the
naost dangerous eteraenta OF rowdyisu1 has been |
and the vicinity il nun the refuge !
for Prostitutes ID the last stagca Of their down
ward course: L .fon, " Dennis, /" Patsy"
and .' Mike" would only shift their quarters We
should feel that heavy responsibility had been
lifted from our shoulders,
Several other persons were interviewed in rela-
tioh 10 the case, but, while their testimony cor
roboratod thnt Of those previously interviewed,
no new Iac.s we're brought to light.
cun1ous FEATURE or THE CASE,
however. which developed ITSELF was the fsct
that many Of the people who have resided in the
vicinity Of tite murder Tor years had no kuowl-
edge OF the date when it Hns committed, aud the
fsct that many OF Them we're ignorant that .
body whs found in the rrer In March, 1871. |
would suggest that the police authorities Of that |
3ate did nos~giv the case the intention and
nyestigation or, at any rate, the publicity, that
It desexTed.
4 CANADIAN icE-lAM,
MONTREAL. Feb. 20.-OH7rg to the eccnmula-
ion of ice ut rhs rapids, the water h3s risen |
shout 2 feet over the locks Of the Beauharnais
'Hzal, dooAing several houses and compelling |
he inmates to leave. The Island Of Aux Che
rsnx is completely submerged. Meanwhile, tho ;
mills and factorTeA 1t Fa2fnyf;a1 athY.nn3