The New York herald., 1876-03-25
THE BAY RIDGE MYSTERY.
HOW THE FRIENDS OF CAPTAIN THOMAS A
HAMIIN WERE TREATED BY THE BROOKLYN

POLICE-HAS a MURDER BEEN CONCEALED9
To EDITOR HERALD:-
The damaging and erroneous statements published
in New York and Brooklyn papers regarding the above
case for mysterious cause mot the fault of the
reporters because their information came from the
pohcel demand that l should state a few facts Cap
tain Thomas A. Hamlin, who was no doubt destroyed
in the vicinity OF New York and Brooklyn for his
money has been heard OF for several months, and
when an article appeared in Brooklyn paper that
body, long remaining in the water, found DR.. d.
E. Smith, OF No 13l Fort Greene place. at once
Tho Morgue and so impressed from the
Of the body the shape Of the head other ap
pearances that it must be the remains of Captain
Hamliu that he word TO the Coroner TO bury
the body that he would telegraph relatives OF
Captain Hamhn, in New Haven, to that night
His despatch received during my absence in Mas
sachusctts My father beng old and my sister, the
Captains wife, wild and at the news not
lt 90 Brooklyn Ny father deemed necessary
to notify tho insurance agent John G. North, whom lie
requested TO attend 20 the matter.- Mr. North arrived
IN BROOKLYN the next morning, and, with Dr. Smith.
made their investigation at the Morgue and reported
Coroner Smms That afternoon, at four O'Clock, dur
ing tremendous rain, Cnie Charles W. Allen, Of New
Haven, received despatch from Chief Patrick Camp
bell of Brooklyn, asking for Captain HamlIn's ''fu
description, " kind and color of his clothing under
front or behind kind and color of his shirts, teeth
good or bad, and any Information Mrs. Hamn could
give, and 10 fully and Immediately by telo-
graph. In Chief Allen replied,
friends could be scen 'Friends will be down In the
morning TO identity" Another despatch from Chief
Campbell received at about the same time asking,
''Wcre the hands of Captain Hamlin deformed9
II so, answer Immediately" To which reply
given, "Frcnds Of Captain Hamn started for Brook
lyn. VIII be there in the morning." The public gen.
orally will understand that considerable of
involved to Chief Campbcrs dispatches, and tho
friends did not suspect that it important the
Brooklyn police hurry under ground the Of
possibly murdered man, whom friends OF missing
seeking to identify, especially with Morguo
in Brooklyn and friends coming down In the morning
/ told the police authorities hcre TO telegraph that
''Friends will be down in the morning TO Identity"
But this 1t appears, was not satisfactory to
Patrick Campbell, superintendent of Police Another
despatch received asking the feet haads
deiormed positive is requested" To this
prompt reply made by Chief of Police Allen, that
.'Captan Hamns feet and hands perfect with tho
exception of his toes &c W. J. Bradley will be down
in the morning with iull particulars" This ends tho
famous cvasive story of ofteegraphing which Campbell
complains about much. | arrived at the Morgue
with Dr. Smith, of Brooklyn and Mr.. North, of this
city, and though errand was known the Morgue
was closed. We cfound the Coroners' Office locked also
and repaired TO the Police Headquarters and found
Coroner Smms and Superintendent Campbell We
were most uncourteously treated by them and kept
waiting till patience exhausted and only
gained any attention by demanding it, superintendent
Campbell then turned upon and charged evasve
plies TO dispatches HIS behavior ana conduct sur
prised us and were at FIRST difficult 10 understand,
though subsequent developments threw light upon his
course But our errand was not TO have contro
versy with superintendent Campbell as to the superi-
ority Of tho police OF this that city We had
come In the discharge OF grave and solemn duty
applied to the Coroner and we were at last permit
ted TO see the remains The keeper seemed unwilling
ard me in the examination of the body
said, al want to see the marks clothing. boots, or
brother Let see his toes" to which he replied,
"The police made damned botch OF that The detec-
tive ought TO have kept that to himself and not let II
outn He turned to Mr. North and said, al knowed
that all the time you was here" to which Mr.. North
replied 'You ought TO aid all you can in finding out
who the murdered man is, and not cover 1t up After
left the Morgue was not satisfied that could not
the boot nor stocking, nor anything found upon
the person. We returned to the Morgue and demanded
to sec these evidences Tho Keeper OF the Morgue
stoutly denied that they there and said they
could not be seen, to which Mr. North replied that
they must be there, for the Coroner promised that
they all should be kept sacred and not allowed TO go
out of the building Then the keeper said he could
produce me boot ana stocking: told him demanded
he should show all He refused to show the
things Mr.. North and myself left tho building, feel
ing determined to investigate fully to ascertain il that
the body Of Captain Hamlin 1t seemed strange
to me this brother) should DO denied facilities
for ascertaining whether those remains those
Of my brother not; and the behavior of the
officials seemed strange, to say the least.
Being determined to ferret this matter to the bottom
returned to Now Haven and Professor Brewer, of the
Yale Scientific School, 10 whom made application
made mcroscopical examination, comparing lock
Of hair taken from the head Of the deceased person in
the Morgue with lock OF Captain Hamn's hair OBJ
tanned from Mrs. Aamln. Professor Brewers exam
nation showed that the two specimens were In color
and texture precisely alike. pary charge insin
uaton Is that in Brooklyn paper that the specimens
submitted from the corpse which is unworthy Of
notice Determined TO obtain further evidence and
facilities Tor Identification being denied Mr. North
obtained from the Governor OF the State the following
ccrthcate:-
ExEcurIyE DkrARrMxsr,
DEAR sIE-Mr John @. North. this city. is of
he 81 S our de r. S S IL M sqS ssy
esnas,in s @ - ,Se S oS 1ha % "a usnn ho
was also Of this city T be greatly M and Gbso
With this certificate Mr.. Charles Bradley, Mr.. North
ana myself again visited New York, and upon It's
presentation 10 Coroner Sims that oicial for the rst
gave orders tho Morguc keeper permit TO
make the full examination desired then having
secured Dr. Charles +. Grswoid Of No 40S Gold street,
Brooklyn, and DR.. d. H. Smith, above mentioned,
while Mr. North In behalf Of the insurance companies,
secured Drs Joel W. Hyde, OF Brooklyn, examiner Tor
the Etna Lie Insurance Company OF Hartford, and T.
H. Colton OF Brooklyn, examiner Tor the Connecticut
Mutual Lille insurance Company, OF Hartford these
physicians made thorough examination OF the re-
mans all OF whom certified that the parieta bones OF
the sAu were missing, while three OF them described
the fracture Of the skull Dr. Grswold says there
fracture Of the lett temporal bono by ablow that
the two pareta bones were also missing" Dr. Smith
certified that the two parictal bones missing and
the left temporal bone OF the skull broken and the
left leg missing from the head OF tho icmur, II appar
entity having been torn iron the socket The appear
OF the fractured skull lett doubt
that the mau had been brutally murdered" Dr. Col
ton certified that the squamOus portion OF the left
temporal bone and both parietal bones were absent;
the entire left log absent well as the pelvic
bone OF The same side. There nothing IN the APP
pcarancc OF the body Indicate that the absent Lex had
been ampuiaed" Dr. Hyde certified ;-"Thc left leg
entirely gone together with the left lilac bone,
and the lower portion OF the abdomen that side. "
And yet Coroner sims and the following Jury-viz,
I. u. Williams, Michael Farrell, John lhs mark Gro
ban, Michael Cannon, Terence Mcclure, and Dennis
Mcqueen, returned verdict that tho deceased person
''cauno TO his death by drowning
with the use Of the facilities afforded, and the
examination Of the toes together with measurement
OF the height OF the remains came to tho concu-
sion tho were not those OF Captain Ham
lin; but that foul murder had been committed there
seems doubt WILLIAM J. BRADLEY.