The New York herald., 1876-03-17
A RIVER MYSTERY.

THE REMAINS FOUND AT BAY RIDdE-ARE
THEY THOSE OF MURDERED SEA CAPTAIN
On Tuesday morning there loated in on tho shore
OF Bay Ridge, the outskirts Of tho city of Brooklyn
at the foot OF Fifty-1fth street, the body OF un
known man. The left leg Off at the hip joint The
flesh all gone or the herd and face and part of the
skull was gone On the rig foot gray stocking
ana calfskin boot The only vestge OF clothing on
the body hickory shirtband around the neck
Yesterday forenoon, when preparations were being
made for the removal of tho unsghtly remnants
OF humanity to Potter's Field for interment a
new ard exciting feature given to the case.
gentleman who introduced himself as John G. North,
of New Haven Conn called at the Office OF Coroner
Simms in the County Court House, ana represented
that he connected with au insurance company
in the State named. He said he had been the
Moguc where he had seen tho body found in the river
and that he convinced that the corpse that of
Thomas H. Hamlin, Of New Haven. Mr. Hamn, who
was about nifty years of age, had not hccn or
heard from since August O. 1873, when he left the
United States Hotel Fulton and Front streets New
York. in the afternoon for the avowed purpose OF pro-
ceeding to Philadelphia, where he proposed to pur-
chase vessel He was known at tho timo 10 have
in his possession rom$3 600 TO 81 90 in greenbacks
together with large amount OF convertible bonds
MIR. North SAID the Captain a brothcr-in-law of
Dr. d. Smith, who resides at No l31 Fort Greene
place BrooKyn who bad also visited the Morrue and
positive hat the body was that of the missing
Captain IiamliE His means of Identification cx-
planned as arising from the recognition OF peculiar
the absence OF the teeth. But there was an
other way Of identifying tho body, which
also proved TO them satisfactory. Several months
before he left bis home the Captain had
a large abcess just over tho left hip which had
healed and left deep there. on examining that
part of the corpse the scar was found The Coroner
asked him how no could account for the Lett leg being
or and he replied that 1t may have been torn or He
SAID he had Instituted most thorough search for Can
tam Hamlin last summer when he visited nearly every
Morguc in the principal cities through the country At
Philadelphia he saw the photographs OF drowned and
Htg Inch. hnth
but the Captains features recognizable among
tho number. The keeper OF The Morgue told him that
there was detective connected with the Office who
could being spiritnast enable him to unravel the mys
terry The detective tried his splrtualistc science how
ever, bat SAID he could not do anything with the
lie, however, directed him TO clairvOyant, Mrs.
shepherd, with whom an interview was had She ac-
cordiug TO
THE REMARKABLE NARRATIVE
given the Coroner yesterday, went into trance, In
which she told her visitor that he was stranger in
Phadclphia; that he had a wife and seven children
five daughters and two sons, all Of which her visitor
says true. The clairvoyant then said -
''Your business here Is that Of searching for
friend. But you will never hnd your trend He is
cnuced on board vessel He is assaulted A large
roll of bills and papers taken from him. He tied
up, murdered and thrown into the river. - And then
the clarvoyant awokc from her trance. The Coroner
inquired Of the insurance agent whether Captain Ham
lin held c insurance policy, and hc told that
he dd that his life was IN lS47 insured for S5 000 and
In 1919 1t was insured for g., 800. lie leaves a
wife, but had children. Detective Folk, in
company with pr. A W. Shepard the
the remains at tho Morgue yesterday after
noon. Tho Doctor was unable TO tell whether tho
leg had been amputated at the hip whether 1t had
dropped or The detective says that his opinion is
that the body is that Of man drowned of OF the
Islands. The stocking ana the shirt band Just such
issued TO inmates OF the ails and Pcnitcniary.
The top of the skull crushed in at the parts where
the bones Join only. All the toes arc connected. In
the stocking and at the end OF the boot piece OF
an army blanket. The boot was an old one OF rough
make, the heel being worn or Superintendent Camp
bell says very strange that the friends could not
identify the body through these latter details. Tho
insurance agent, Mr.. North is Trend of the family of
deceased and obtained description OF the identifying
marks from Mrs. Hsmln before leaving, but there
nothing said about the deceased being ''wcb footed
whether Captain llamlin had any identifying marks
about his hands or iccL