The New York herald., 1877-02-13
SUICIDE OR MURDER1
A Young Woman Found Dead
in a Field.
EXCITEMENT ON STATEN ISLAND.
THE BODY uNREcoGNlzED.

I1E OOOJ OiNNESOGINtZcO.
Murder sucides Is the question be solved In re-
la,on TO the handsome young woman whose body was
discovered in the Quarantine Grounas, at Tompkins-
vile Staten Island. Sunday, briefly related In
the HERALD yesterday. There are circumstances
Connected with the which iayor The
theory OF murder. aud that IN romantic,
secret and terrible form, which, II revealed, may
equal 10 fact, the semi-hcttious story OF
the unfortunate Marie Roget, pictured by the thrill
ling and sombre pen OF Edgar a. Poe. Some Of the
Tor taking this view Of the opposed TO
the commonly accepted OF suicide, appear below.
Although the body visited Sunday and all day
yesterday by hundreds OF people from the ada.
cent country, has yet recognized
the unhappy girl. An inquest was to have
been held last night by Coroner Demp-
scy at Bay Wow HOTEL Tompknsvlle but when
the jury had assembled 1t resolved, at tho sug
gcstion OF the Coroner to postpone the investigation
until Wednesday, in the hope that the body would. in
tue meantime be identified, some light thrown upon
the matter. 1t was resolved TO take photograph OF
the deceased today means OF Identification In
decomposition should In before the intcrment
is maue. The body Will remain view at the UNDER
takers shop of Michael until Wednesday pos
siby Thursday and should friends appear will 10
consigned TO earth in the pottcr's field OF Richmond
county. 1t was also resolved last night
have the stomach, which removed at
autopsy held Sunday afternoon, analysed
II it could DO done for s25 iessnot otherwise, the
Coroner obiecting TO lay the county under any heavier
the corpse vvdly recall the ofs Sarah Alexander
who was killed by Rubenstein.
FINDING THE BODY
About half past twelve O'Clock on Sunday two
little boys, named respectively Robert and Edwin
Murphy were lying kites on tho grounds referred TO,
when tue younger Of the tho body lying out
stretched face upward, In slight hollow OF the ground
and within twelve feet OF the road. Tho child was
frightened and called his brother an1 u number Of
other boys who notified the residents of the vicinity.
soers Lying upon hsr back, with her arms by her
side, ono leg drawn up ana tho other extended sug
gcstvc OF easy slumber, lay swcclaced and intelii
gent looking girl OF twenty.
DEAD
fair face, shaded with brown hair, which was
combed back straight from u broad forehead, blue
eyes, small ears, well formed mouth and chm, sug-
gestvc OF kindly disposition. aud nose somewhat
broad and tho least trle inclined to the Roman out
line, combined 10 form countenanco Indicative Of
frank, Intelligent and good woman. There were no
nve two inches high, attired In grey aIpaca
skirt, black alpaca waist shawl OF black and gray
stripes win ooruer ot OF m'xea orown, ana
trimmed with black velvet aud leather oi
tho same color fastened with square steel
buckle in 'front.' white wooilen cloud was about the
neck, and the ee which were small and we'll formed.
encascd in nnc kid but,oned shoes, much worn,
and outside OF them pair OF dainty rubber cvershocs.
On the third nger OF the left hand was chased cfcet
OF gold
Alter inspecting these details some Of the party
scmbled informed Coroner Dempsy OF tho case. That
official empanced jury OH the spot and after they
had viewed the body, warned them be hand the
Bay View Hotel, at TompKinsve landing,
O'Clock last night TO attend tho inquest gfse
BY this time such crowd lad gathered that the
had arrived convey IT t0 tho establishment OF
Michael Oates, undertaken at Stapteton, whore II now
lies awaiting Identification.
MoRTEM HELD
At lve o'clock Sunday afternoon, shortly after the
by Dr. Theodore Walsir and Coroner Isaac Lee. Upon
the back OF linen cellar worn by deceased were the
initials ''K RI stamped with indeiible ink. Nothing
was found upon tho person which would iden-
ty 1t. All the clothing was OF rather fine quality
In tho pocket Of the dress was found an empty ounce
vial without label Lurking in the bottom were seen
u few drops Of liquid whicn the learned physcians
apothecary pronounced cyanide OF potassium. Per-
haps the finding Of this which led the Coroners
to pronounce that the deceased must have to her
death by poison. The organs were all IN healthy
condition Tho unfortunate woman was found 10
have been eceate for about TOUR months and the doc
tors state that she had been mother before The
body couldn't have lain twcnlyiour hours when twas
found the OF the chest and other parts were
warm. Besides, tho spot whore IL lay IN full view
of the road and II could not have faed to be seen by
some passefby had l. been there on the previous day.
Among the hundreds who called to view the body
yesterday there was no one who recognized Il. Tho
writer visited the place in the afternoon. 1t Is tum
bledown story structure used as stable, car
rage house and workshop. In the corner devoted to
curious young girls who gazed upon the features The
dead A brutal lack OF reverence was exhibited in
the treatment Of tho dead and tho disposition Of hor
Il seems likely, from the fact OF tho girl not being
proximity OF the place where the body was found to
the ferryboat landing, that the deceased was resident
OF this city and went TO the scene Of her death BY the
boat
WHY 1T LOOKS LIKE MURDER
The theory OF suicide would seem 10 be incompatible
with many iacts the In the first place It Ia
likely that a woman who had swallowed deadly
draught would deliberately replace the cork in the VIAL
carefully wrap about that her ve and then best0w IL
In her pocket IN the position in which the VIAL sup
posed to nave contained the poison, was found.
tho bottle, gives it as his opinion ,has j. con tanned
chlora, although thore not enough Of the liquid
lett to determine with absolute certainty. Now, the
bottle only holds ounce, and II declared BY med
ica that solution OF chiora could not DO made SO
strong that ounce would Cause death. Tho OPINION
| OF druggist 10 whom tho vial was shown, that
II had contained cyanide potassium is declared
erroneous the LIQUID In tue bottle was perioctIy
yelowIsh hue. Many persons, too, scout the
idea that woman would lie down IN such
carefully compose her limbs, smooth out her Dress
close her eyes, fix her lips into smile anu die
,nat while her arms were and not single
evidence OF CONFUSION anywhere oise ner rigns
leg should be doubled up up Under, under y hes r., body body
tate their belief that the woman dtod clsc
whore, probably in this city. and that her body was
carefully arranged, brought to the Island IN close
carriage late on Saturday night or carly
| Sunday morning, and carefully posed where Il
was found When 1t discovered the hat
drawn down the eyes, as If the wearer had lain
down 10 go asleep strong evidences OF foul play is
found IN tho fact that cent was found In the
pockets OF her clothing Not single stain OF Maud
any thing else had soilod tho garments and tho
shoes bore no traces Of travel IL thought that 10
hastily carrying the body from conveyance lett
standing IN the road and dosposng II the leg could
have been doubled up 1t was found but that couH
not have occurred naturally.
RASCAJaLY SON