The New York herald., 1877-03-01
A DEAD SECRET.
DISCOVERY OF SKELETON IN HARLEM LOT
SUPPOSED TO BE THAT or THE VICTIM OF A
MURDER COMMITTED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS

DISCOVERY OF A SKELETON IN HARLEM LOT
SUPPOSED TO BE THAT or THE VICTIM OF
MURDER COMMITTED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
AGO.
The adags that ..murder will out" which has
application old as the history Of crime, appears to
have yesterday met with another illustration. On
the corner OF Third avenue and l26th street
number OF men have lately been employed
In digging cellar number Of
houses are 10 be erected the block, aud the cor
ner lots, which Tor years have been vacant are the
sites selected tor the new buildings While John
Murphy, of these laborers, was Following
out q OF the ground located ON l26th
street, about 100 feet from Third avenue his shovel
struck somo hard substance quito close to
eth surface, which he at first believed 10 be
stone When he had partially uncovered IT, however,
no found that II connected with something under
meath. This led to an examination, and the laborcr
discovered TO his horror that It skull and the
upper portion OF human frame he had been trying 10
uncarth. Murphy known his discovery;
the laborers gathered around, and the work Of
uucarthing the skeleton resumed more cautiously
In q short time tho whole 1t had becn disintcrred
and tho skeleton OF an adult was lifted from the spot
where had LATIN for years IL was found IN an oblique
position, the head being only fifteen inches below the
surface, while the lower portion was at the
depth OF three iect A curious circumstance
in connection with the discovery and that would go
10 show that lis had been conducted hastily
was the position OF the limbs. These were spread
IN opposite directions. as though the body had been
dropped hurredy into a trench which had at once
been covered up and no attempt had been made to
mako tho disposition Of 1t customary in legitimate
intermcnts.
The police notified OF the finding of the
mains and they were brought tho Twelfth precinct
station house, where Deputy Coroner McWhinnie
amined tho bones and declared them to be
In his opinion, about twenty or twenty-five years
old. Such Startling discovery naturally gave rise
hundred melo- dramatic hyp0theses and IN vcnti-
ang these such OF the neghbors as heard tho story
occupied themselves yesterday afternoon. or course
the Oldest Inhabitants OF Harlem were In general re.
quest and some OF them spun out "reminiscences OF
the place and the owners through whose hands
II had passed, but mono Of them were
that or Christopher and George Pabe two brothers
who officers IN tho Twelfth precinct and who,
twenty Ave years ago, werc constablos IN tho same
locality. They say that the LIST OF November, IN
the year ls4i, William II. Colwe established lumber
yard on this spot and sa business me mere
John Studwel now bank president In his time
the yard filled with piles Vt lumber, and odd frames
OF wagons, axes. wheels and such junk were scattered
around IT, At one end of II was dilapidated livery
stable which. even at .hat tine had fallen into decay
BY man named James THIS GROCERY
was tho resort OF some OF the volunteer Fire
Department Oi those days. ana 70 ~ also came
tho harder OF boatmen and saloon loungcrs who
infested tho place nt the time. Although the tavern
did not enjoy very fair reputation 1t was much'irc-
qucnlcd by country poopie who brought their
produce into tho city along tho old Boston
road and pedlcrs and bagmen about TO tra-
verso westchestcr county frequently stopped there.
The officers who recall these "reminiscences think It
likely then that oil tho casual sojourncrs At
James tavern murdered for his money as fact and
cton have made such people TO be In similar cases
ali tho world Tho pcrpetrator OF the crime, fcar
ing detection had hurried to dispose OF tho body OF
his victim, and sought hiding place
It is said separated 1t in those days from the livery
stable yard and close by this just on tho spot where
the skeleton found, large pie OF lumber used
TO stand In the shadow OF this the murderer
hollowed out u shallow grave. dragged the body 10
II and cast it in. Then he covered 1t with
earth and hurriedly that he was unable To
arrange it or even take the precautiOn OF
burying tho head more than few inches underneath
the surface AS tho place was seldom frequentcd,
however tho spot Of burial has remained updsturbed
all these years. and Is only uncarthed when everything
by which the body could be identified has rottcd away
The Pnbel brothers tail 10 remember ything about
missing man or the suspicion OF mysterious disap.
pearancc being fixed upon the tavern but thoy think
that an OF the records Of those times may
throw some light upon the case.