The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-01
A STARTLING SUSPICION .
CHiRGES THIT DR. PORTEOUS WIS
MURDERED, NOT DROWNED.


the friends Of the deceased gentleman, and
there have been many complaints Of disposi-
tiOn to conceal tho real manner by which he
met his death. Yesterday the accusations Of
foul play on tue part Of the hoatmen who W. re
with him, were mores omen, and they resulted In
the sending OF the following letter
7eMs % Dsrici inorn,y, Qn,,ns cougtg. J1niatc3 T. T.
,eoa. sre 90, t.aed VIII the coroSs!. Iaeas:i acd
The Coroner evidently does mot unders,snd hi. duty
under te TO- put .as se1n ms1h9rsy n oi
done.
Their places far % have the facts invcttescd
/. Mr. Benjamn, Who was in the upset boat, ssccn
ne. Tue sR0re nS sad n.s no, & gg' IN
supposed body. ordinary n,estgation having failed TO
4 Dr. poreous had hold OF the boat, floating With 1t
ict 90 bis ho,d tnice very unIkeiy. N' '''' w
5 Dr Poticou,'. forehead bear. the msrss OF blow
|. the men acr' auarreiiiaE.
VI. koap 90 . inform ,hs Ie.cacr, ,ha, pr ror
Wasave, evidently he must have been, having been
in the water on,y = lev minutes.
tcoa. Wn dragged. face down. through the water ana
snd only then. al the stake. was drowned.
3 Mr. Hoop b. rcticcnt about the matter
1n case o nes S,b.t fn 9S be found by the Grand
Ma NrriTosrr, Citizen of sea cha
NON Moof s S9a rHs Hsv Ssc b bersn sqd SseT &
tor An nyeseaon. and 80 do On behah VI he friends
dieui servant. 4 9. /. HIRSicKfLID S Jo''
A reporter who visited Sea Clir last night as
cert lined that the Deotle were slow to listen to
the stories implic lting kOOp aud Benjamin in
the death 81 nr Porieous, and the foundations
Tor the rumots seem slight. There are dark
bruises the face and head of Dr. Porteous
but they have apI cared since the COronei's in.
guest, AM are attributed to the rolling of the
body on the beach when the tide turned II from
side to aide. Al he ipuupgt tina txaa
fully examined by Mr.. Dcpuy and others. all Of
whom say hat there were no wounds anywhere
visible. There ure slight scratches on the fore
head and ears. The body was handled roughly
an taking II from the water and was carried from
nrst arrived on shore he assured the men who
went to dredge for BenJ mn's body that ,hoy
certainly reuchvd the shore. when asked why
he thought 80. no said, know II am sure ~
thnt as bFhJ tnllh was remhik kahN strong
swmmer. he felt confident that he could not
have have drowned when so close TO land lie
thirty yards from tire shore at the time the boat
capsized, but now he thinks that they were
ABOUT 100 wards out. Others estimate the DIS
tance at 5OO Yards. At dusk the effect Of the
Il. rk clin, toward which benjamin swan,
shorter than 1t really Is.
The search for Benjamin's body wns continued
the shore he must have landed in a clos ly
settled elshborhood, and would probably have
been noticed. he was shoeless and hatless
koop has not visited either DR.. Port ous's or
Mr. iIenj iinin's family since the accident None
OF Dr. Por!e"nss Jswelry Is missing except his
value and they are supposed to h We teen lost
A tue inquest when the body WAS stripped.
Nr. Henry NoOre. OF 81 John street, who lives
al tJi Moore street, Brook klyn said last night
tnsi =. v'ac-s no credence 10 the published let
connected with Dr. Purteouss church, aud he
Is Infinitely acquainted with the facts
went t. sea Gin on Wednesd ~ aftern0nn and
saw Tue h"dy ol the dead clergyman in MS little
ths mouse ~ the evening incluoi ing himself,
The Rev. Mr. Platt Of Il ist New York, Mrs Por
TO soc tue body, ana Mr.. Moore held the lantern
while they made an examination OF the corpse.
Tue face appeared calm and peaceful aud
on any parT OF the body TO indicate that there
we're any WOUNDS. All spoke OF the lifelike
look. and said that no oeath snve that Of drown
Ing could have left the features composed.
Ihe suspicion # foul play was not entertained.
In regard 10 the assertion hat MIR. Moore had
lent his name To the theory tnut death was by
oumAn agency, that gentleman SAYS that
.ho letter OF Mr AppleRaie. That he
,o9vers, a win the latter YESTERDAY, ana that
"hlch the body was treated alter 1t was picked
az IN the water.
Mr.. Moore says that on the afternoon Of tho
tIcursion Mr.. benjamin, who at work
'pr the proDrietor oi the Sea Cln Hotel, asked
hat DIR. POrtecus h given him 81 with which
" purchase traps iOr n>h IN the bay. At the
vas on I'm sso ''H po'nt asSns and u he es" says Ss
that he he rd ioud ana angry dispute
us distance as though the party in tue skin
wore quarrelng. He heard some one say that
40 didn't believe in God, and at once voice
ehed, don't believe In hereafter" Then
followed n Jangle OF angry and dsput mt sounds.
Mr.. Moore, with whom DIR. Porteous lived at
one time for several months, and who IA well ac-
qusntod with the clergyman's eccentricities
says that the doctor, when he was talking on m
toIeresting subject, was accustomed to a
loud, harsh manner, and could he frequently
a III Al
sion, he said, IL Is probable that the men became
careless, nnd that ~ moving about the frail craft
The manner in which the body was towed
ehore ana otherwise treated | consider simply
should certainly De made In regard to this mat
Yer, Some one in the yaul boat caught
TO land, tue face being toward tue bottom rho
nndy lay on the beach, still warm, Tor long
rine, all saying that they were afraid 10 disturb
II until the arrival of the Coroner.
Al any time before 1. reached the shore 1t ap-
narently could have been resuscitated. Tnen II
vas borne on a ladder TO a barn, basty inquest
ra held, and II was taken thence on the Ladder
TO the house.
Mr.. Moore thinks that II there are any wounds
on the lace II Is more than probable that they
we're caused by kn9ckin2 against ths boat In the
sLnRgle Tor lie. lie says that the doctor had
no watch with him when he went on tine trip,
and that there caIl be scarcely u doubt that Mr,
Benjamin was drowned.
Mr.. Charles Brandt, " II BoweIy, this city
who was In bis Yacht, the Favorita, ~ anchor a
quarter Of mile from the place where the boat
containing the party was upset, SAYS that Dr.
Porteous and the Others had been fishing in the
neighbOrhood that day, and had attracted the
attention Of al III The harbor In tho afternoon
the olereVmAhs party rowed near the YAcnt,
Aod Mr. Braudt hoard Dr. POrteous say, We'll,
veil ~ aud nsh ten minutes, ana II the ash
do not bite well veil go ashore and yet some
grOR. lie nollcrd them rowing about the bay
Ater that and raid to hs fellow yachtsnien that
some OF the party were Intoxicated.
Al the time Of the accident his yacht was
still at anchor In the same place. lie
SM attracted by cries for help. At
nrst he paid little attention TO them,
Tor frequently parties on the bay were
gery noisy, aud shouted and haloocd to
sossels and 10 those on the shore. At length,
however, lie shouted in reply. but received hO
answer save repetition Of the cries for help.
Then ono II his men shouted, asking what was
he trouble. lie answered by some Que in
schooner anchored much nearer the over
.Srhed boats than was ". LTandts yacht, that
nAh Nas drowning. Mr. Brandt then ordered
Iwo OF his mon, william Grniths, OF Green
0Vlnt, and Harry FtLsinmOns, to lower tho
Isoht's small boat and hasten TO help the
downing men. The boat was got on as soon 40
p1salole, and Was hastily rowed 20 the persons
VINO were strigyllng In the water.
OfmthA saws thht when they reached the scen0
OF tho accident Mr.. KoOp was clinging TO the
eFortuTned boat and his two hoys were on the
bOats bottom. Gt' nlths's boat was "A very small
,klh and ho feared TO attempt Ia pull KOop into
~ Tor there was danger Of upsetiing Koop
started toward them aAd GTlniths said. Hang