The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-22
WAS II A MURDER?

THE ACCOUNTING CRIES HEARD ON BLACK TOMS
ISLAND MONDAY NIaHT-ISvEsrIoATINa THE
MYSTERY.
west OF Bedloe's Island, in New York Bay. is Black
Toms Island IL Is OF made dirt aud the garbage
the streets, and 10 about sixteen In IL Is
said by tho good people OF Communipaw
that the Island Is the resort oil dssolute
people OF both sexes white and black,
and bitter complaint Is made that there little
show of authority there. No lives the leland ;
but ihero 10 factory for the making Of nitro-gly-
cerne most Of the explosives used in the blowing up
o! He'll Gate beng there manufactured. To any
sailing IN the bay In the daytime the island seems
pleasant enough spot, but at night its loneliness
and It's unguarded look, lying It does
tho very shadow OF the great city, suggest
its being the easy possible theatre desperate crimes.
Communpaw is now agitstcd over the question
whether murder was committed on the island on
Monday night Several Of the citzons heard cries n
dcatng tho direst distress, US OF attempt At
der and yesterday expressed thcr belief proba
b,lity OF such . crime having boon committed. The
following are The latest revolutions
AGoSIziSG CRIES ron HkLR
Mr. Christopher Dsgroof, u machinIst In the shops
Of the Central Railroad OF New Jersey, at Comnuui-
paw. yesterday said IN erect:-"On Monday evening
several persons who live In CommapipAw we're sail
/ ins or hsnins IN the bay passing near Back Toms
Island MI. spencer, engineer In the Sub Treasury
building in Wall street. and myself, werc ~
one boat, and my two sons IN another. on
q plcasure excursion. Passing Black TOMS Island
saw two men bathing who were Naked aud about ten
feet from them was boat IN which we're TWO women,
who held their naked feet and limbs over the side Of
the boat and IN the water just then
peepng through the tall weeds on tho shore. The
boat containing tho women. We sailed below
the island and IN about fifteen minutes
OF that could hurdly tell whether screams came
from children, women or mon out the cries indicated
Terrible lear. One o. .hs men near ny heard mans
God" as Of one in the last oxuemlties. We immedi-
ately turned and rowed to the Conmun paw shore.
Here we met numoer OF people, and among them
MIR. Jerolomon the well known boat builder or Com
munipaw, VINO, with his wife and child, had out
fishing. Mr.. Jorolomop had heard The cries and ho
exclaimed, For Gods sake, boys, get up crew Tor
. murder has been commnledv One man said b..
had heard the cry, MY God murder help. oh hepl'
We Immediately got eight men and pulled around the
island IN Two b0uts. We found nothing, but could
family hear boat pulling away IN tho distance. 1t
looks 10 mo as II murder committed, for tho
cries heard were those OF some one mortal agony"
SEARCHING
Mr.. spencer d:-sIho cries which heard
those oil man, ana ia every way they Indicated foul
play. The Island IS bad spot ana cries OF distress
from thcre could hardly be heard upon the main land
M Jcroornon, the boat builder. made, substance
tho following stRtemenL:-"I with wife and child
had been ou, fishing Monday evening We we're lying
about quarter of u mile south " Black Toms
Island About eight O'Clock ] heard scream from
the shore Of the lsapd heard the cry Help help
grown mar Immediately pulled up anchor ami
rowed In tho direction of tho cry, but discovered
nothing then pulled to the main land and eight OF
US made pretty thorough search around the
Island. To-day SIX OF US again went ovor
the island and beat up the thickets and drcdgcd
along shore The Island, OF made ground AS II Is, Is
perfect wilderness. 1t IL almost impossible 10 get
through some Of tho tangles. The principal growth is
OF peach, plum and immense weeds To-day NO made
as thorough search as could be expected for tho
time occupied. We found, short distance IRON
tho beach, pair OF womans buttoned Shoes freshly
worn out l cannot gay, at the present time, that
these are connected with what VIC believe may have
been murder the island "