The New York herald., 1877-02-26
New and Damaging Evidence
Against Welspiel.
A DRESSMAKER'S STORY.
WeIspiers knowledge Of the Dead Girls
Visit to Staten Island.
FITS A ID LIE"


cation at the hands OF the authorities. Ih'
mystery with which the was surrounded
when the mprobability Of suicide was pointed
out by the HERALD, invested the case with socre
charm, and II excited profound public interest and
was discussed 'thc Staten Island Mystery" From
careful consideration the published evidence, peo
ple decided that tho man Wespel, who admitted hav
ing been in the girs company tho evening before
her corpse found, and after which nobody So"
her alive had need TO tell very probable story
10 clear himself from suspicion. His own testi
mony before the Coroner showed tha'
he had been intimate with the girl from
1872 when she only thirteen years old; that nc
had played the part of husband BROTHER father and
friend II her. and that during those years she, when
mot living out as nurse had occupied the same room
with HIM. When she left tho employment OF Mrs.
Pneps lust three weeks before her death she went to
live with him In his littlc room at No. l67 Eldrdge
street. issuing from which she was last seen alve He
swore positively that his relations to the girl had
mover bcen criminal but tnat she had had two chill
dren.
THE MURDERED GIRLS PARENTS
Whom the father mother Of the girl were found at
their homo. Boston. brought hither and placed
upon the witness stand before Coroner Dempsey, on
Thursday last they told story which sent thrill OF
horror through the community. and almost resulted In
tho lynching OF wolspieL He had the parents said.
seduced her as mere child after employing her in his
family and finally induced her to leave her home
and hid her away from her heartbroken mother
TINS o %nors w,b nc ner since The mother
OF tho girl swore be had, while living In Boston.
threatened poison any man to whom Inc girl should
show any friendship; had threatened to poison his
wife saving she would work enough, and had re.
peatedly declared that one but he should ever have
hiblied a warrant they had obiained for the
arrest of Welspiel In Boston In February, 1918,
for adultery. he having been married man
when seducsd the school GIRL and adultery being
crimc upon the statute books OF Massachusetts, This
warrant they obtained when WelspIe as alleged, ran
away with their daughter, and for tho purpose Of re.
mandcd the Of $500 to makethe arrest and as the
parents could not pay that sum they wero Obliged to
abandon their misguided child to her fate
THE coRoSER's ACTION IN THE CASE.
All these facts showing tho bad character Of tho
his testimony made a profound impression upon the
public mind, aud while many thought Wespel was
concerned directly in the death OF the erl al were
time await Developments especially as the parents
announced their intention OF procuring another war
rant on their return home and have tho scducer OF
their daughter extraditcd.
The verdict OF the jury was that the deceased came
20 her death '1rom a of Prussc acld how or by
straghtway Coroner Dempsey TO the surprise of every
one, discharged Wespel from custody. When Coro
ner Dempsey demonstrated with on the subject he
alleged that the jury did not connect Welspie with
the death OF the girl IN any way he couid not legally
0otatn n1m. IL ID, however, not ~ All uuCOmmOu oT
. Coroner 10 lock a up TO await investigation oven
after jury have acquitted him.
WHAT wELsPIEL TOLD TIE JURY
The follow story OF the Investigations o! HERALD
seportcr last night will furnish additional reasons why
Helspiel should be held 10 await developments. On
lhe stand he testified that tho saturday preceding
lhe finding OF the body he came homo sick ut noon
from LIndeman's piano factory, where he
was employed and went straight to bed
and slept until awakened five O'Clock
In the evening by the deceased, who suddenly SAID
Bhe was Of living in that house and wanted
10 Newark, where friend named Mary would get her
Employment IN a corset factory. He testified that he
,hereupon her request dressed himself to accom-.
pany her to the boat, which she wished =" catch at
Sar TO Chatham square, when he felt too III
70 ride further and got out, accompanied " her; that
bne theroupon said she could find her way the boat
herself ami that he left her alter parting scene,
which shc thanked him ior all his Kindness to her."
and directed him to procure and hold until she rec
maker Ia Sixth street. Welspie swore positively
hat the girl said she was going to Newark and that
be knew nothing more about the matter than Is given
In the above details
NEW AND DAMAGING EVIDENCE
Thinking he might be able to throw somc light upon
the case, HERALD reporter last night out to find
the dressmaker alluded TO. Sixth street is principally
built upon by largo encments, Inhabited exclusively
by German families, and. strange to say, IN almost
every house from Bowery TO the East River lives ut
least one dressmaker, while not a few tenements
The one IN question was found in rear room on the
top floor OF the tenement No. 1885, and there was
sign exposed 10 mark the calling She proved 10 DO
ried sister, carries on the business in question: When
lho reporter SAID he had come in relation to dress
lett by a lady from Eldridge street (Wespiers
home) the little drcssmaker threw up her hands in de-
light and expressed her eadness that the garment
was. rs she thought about TO be taken away. I'VE
afraid something had happened to the lady," she
said, "because she did not come" The reporter, with
out stating his identity or any OF the particulars
Of the case merely announced that the young
woman dead. Miss Duppler and her sister casped
their hands In surprise and grief, and talking sorrow.
luy over the circumstances under which the dress
latf fhntn lin nrfaFl thuf ftrnn
weeks ago last Thursday-thirteen days before her
death-Katic Ricdel looking for another dressmakcr
who had moved from an adjacent house, found tho
Misses Duppler and gave them quantity of black
crepe 10 make her a dress.
VISIT STATEN ISLAND.
On the following Monday sh0 called and asked II II
done, and was disappointed to find that 1t was not
rs she wanted to wear 1t down TO Staten Isnnd,
Whithcr she was going with her husband on the iol.
lowing day Wednesday. Then she went away, tell
ing tnom TO hurry the dress. ON Thurs.
iay she came back and stated incidentally
hat she had been down to Staten Island on
,ho previous day. Then sho requested that
,he dress should be finished by Sunday she was
Then going down to Staten Island again with her hus.
band She showed the sisters some velvet She had
bought and OF which she was gong to make a
hat to wear with the dress. She came IN
the noxt Gay and brought quantity OF black
silk to trim the dress and asked again that
u should be nnished by Sunday otherwise she would
for II. 'She was very proud said Miss Dup
pier, .and wanted loops and nounces placed here aud
there oil it. see mere 1t is, and she produced
II was finally settled that the dress should DO finished
by eleven O'Clock Sunday forenoon, when Katie said
she would send her brother for IT, They did not
her again. A. ten o'clock Sunday morning
q man who was easily recognized from the description
a. welspicl called and SAID be mad been sent by the
lady In Eldridge street TO bring her dress home "Hc
did not state what relation he bore to tho lady," said
Miss Duppler ''anS thought he was 30 old and mot
good looking that he could not be her brother but
must be the husband ON being told that the gar
ment not yet finished he said they need not mind
Ibout IL any further, as the lady had gone or was
soing-they were not sure which-to Staten Island
that day. They did not bee him again.
A GERMAN PRovKRm
The story SO far Welspcl's caliingand the
sasion that ensued corroborated by the husband
Of The married sister, who was present at the time.
When this gentleman learned that the girl had been
found dead under suspicious circumstances he saw a
OF being summoned, became very reticent
and Ted that there German provcrb 10 tho
enect that II one does burn his fingers he will
have need 10 blow thcm.
Ten minutes walk brought the reporter to No 1G7
Eldrdes street. where WeIspel lodges, and entering
beer saloon on the floor, 'front.' sent up stairs Tor