The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-31
The Nathan Murder-A RemarkAbls
story and an Imperative Duty,

1t matters little how it is met or what are
its practical fruits, it is still the same
marvellous, thrilling, almost incredible his
tory. The tale reads like the product
OF a wild and weird imagination 1t
doubtless will be said, that he is insane on the
subject of the startling crime which five
years ago surprised and shocked the COM
munity. 1t will not do, however, to dismiss the
story upon any such hypothesis nor indeed
upon any hypothesis whatever, except its
complete disproof. It matters little, 80 far as
the police is concerned, whether or not Mr..
Conklin has obtained clew to the murder of
Benjamin Nathan. The question is one of even
graver import than the discovery and punish
meat OF murderer. Mr. Conklin's clews
may be utterly worthless, but they we're en-
titled to more respect than they received; and,
whatever their value, the action Of the police
officers high in authority to whose notice
they were brought was alike unworthy and
disgraceful 1t seems incredible that Captain
Davis should threaten to bounce" police
man for trying to discover the murderer of
Mr.. Nathan, OF that Superintendent Jourdan
should say to him. in the presence of
the Chief of the Detective Squad, 'If
you don't drop this Nathan business
you won't wear the buttons twenty
four hours" At the Same time we must not
forget that there is something Characteristic
in speeches like these-something singularly
in keeping with tho remarkable revelations
before the Assembly Committee on Crime, of
which Mr.. Conklins story is only part. 1t
has been clearly demonstrated that the mu-
nicipal police is quite capable of the worst
things charged against it. II has long been
known that an honest man has more reason
to fear policeman's club or police captain
power than thief Indeed, the testimony
before the Legislative Committee proves that
Captain Mccullough actually procured q man
TO be brutally beaten for bearing testimony
against his misdeeds. In view of everything
which has been revealed within the last few
weeks we may we'll believe that the police
would Systematically attempt to conceal a
crime, especially if there was some powerful
or profitable motive for its concealment.
Under such circumstances any indiscreet
policemen who should talk about the offence
or show unnecessary zeal for the discovery of
the offender would be likely 10 be treated as
Conklin says he was treated, incredible as the
imputed conduct of Captain Davis and Super
intendent Jourdan may appear. In the light
of recent revelations, we nothing that is
improbable in Mr.. Conklin's story, and for
this reason we surrender so much of our
space this morning to his narrative and to the
remarkable tragedy to which it seems to |
relate
1t will be observed that we give only a |
secondary place to the clews Mr.. Copklin
thinks he discovered in regard to the Nathan
murder. They may or may not be important.
The first place is to be given to his revelations
as they affect the police. In this respect the
substantial truth of his statements is q matter
of the greatest importance Every allegation
is capable of verifcation, and we trust no
effort will be spared either to verify or
disprove all that he alleges. AS the matter
now stands the testimony of Mr.. Conklin is
the gravest charge ever made against the po-
lice of great city. 1t would be easy enough,
perhaps, to argue it away, but it is not
case for argument. Notification or disproof
own way we have gathered everything we could
find bearing upon the case on one side or the
other, but newspaper investigation will not
suffice. Here is occasion where police
inquiry is necessary for police publication
1t will not do to pooh-pooh Conklin's story or
to pass it by without investigation. This is
the offence of which Superintendent Jourdan
and his associates were guilty in the first in
stance. In their wisdom, or their guilt, they
were too high and mighty to deal courteously
and dutifully by an officer who was earnest,
even if he was mistaken. His clews were at
least worthy of inquiry and there was no
reason why he should be snubbed and
insulted unless, indeed, it was the purpose
of the police not to find the murderer of Mr..
Nathan. That is the question we want
answered at this time. There is a widespread
belief in this city, and, indeed, throughout
the whole country, that the police purposely
covered up all traces of that crime-that any
real clew to the discovery of the murderers
was deliberately dIsreGarded and put out of
sight. Mr.. Conklin's story, while it may or
may not point to the perpetrators of the
crime, corroborates this general belief
It is Tot out of harmony with the
offence itself, and it is not impossible
that it may lead to important results bat it
is not SO much on that account that we de-
sire to have the whole question reoponod
What is most important at this late day is a
full knowledge of how the police dealt with
the matter at the time. The air has been
thick with rumors during the whole period
that has interviewed since Benjamin Nathan
was so mysteriously murdered in his
own house five years ago. Few persons
could be induced to believe that the
issue had been fairly met or the
investigation honestly made. From titne to