The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-22
STATEN ISLANDS MYSTERY.
WAS KATIE RIEDEL MURDERED OR
DID SHE KILL HERSELF?
a witness who Saw a Stranger Lettering
About the eGraveyard-Morc Testimony by
WeIspieI as 20 What he Knew OF Her.

The testimony taken In Coroner Demp-
scy's inquest over the body of Katie Riedel.
found dead on Staten Island. does not yet show
conclusively whether she took her own life or
was murdered Wespiel, with whom she was
intimate, and who saw her last alive on the day
before she was found dead still AYERS that he
had nothing to do with her death. He says that
Katie confessed to him that John Bass. u frcsco
painter. formerly OF Plainncld v. j.. where she
worked in 1871 or 1872 was the father OF her
two children. Diigent inquiry in Plainneld
yesterday was made for any knowledge Of Bass.
but none could bc obtained.
welspicl also said that Katie wore plain
wedding ring with J. b. engraved on Il. This
was not on her hand when she was found. That
katiG x wore ~ snch ring is eonirmti 10y Char
domestic dom site" at Mrs. kosenbersIs Il 81. MARKS
place. in 1874. Bass has not been iYund; The
ipquiesii was u resnmcd last night julius Hansen
Of IA East Thirty-sixth street t"-tiiied:
keep nursc agency. Katie Redel came to my place
on March u 1874 shs ,aia ,ha ~ am, frep rs',nsy
Marx. rase She stayed ,hsro and d. o. pee 9
called herself Mrs wcl.pci and said her former
name was Riedel In her arms wH.a seven wcek-old
& s got s @ SG & Sc o S nj, 4 "a" s1s Gn. 'SeSSs yea" aT
Henry street. brooklyn, and stayed two or three weeks
Ti se lat it ,' %S ws w aT her. @ % Ass e Ee'G IL
harrow street Jcrsey civ rne family went 10 Ions
nranch afterwari So one congl,inci q her repuia
avenue wclsrici inquired for Katie eight ~ ten times
lie called her his wife but did not scknOwledge that he
wa; tne iatlr Of the child She ,al hat she had lived
y Jealous oi her Katie nglty On her first visit but
aftcrward more scdate.
Hansen selected welsplel from Ave men who
stood up before him. and said that he believed
Welspiel Wore whiskcrs when he called nj his
tHansen's) Office.
John A. Van Dam OF New Brighton. painter.
testified:
came home from New York on the ~ o'clock mid.
night Quarantine hoA IN the nsht offcb n and walked
with Nj White ny Marietta street through ,sntrs av..
nus and thence along the terrace. home. BY the old
willow IN central avenue passed. aman walking slowly
| brown coat and pan,nloon- We dM not ,ycsk and
could not see his ia,c. He alone II, followed me
| - clo~iy that | grew ,nsp,ious and uncasv !
~ though TO avoid being seen 1nl rcrn.nifsi asked
Whit" If he knew the man. and he did not went into
my hou.' aud the sttanye man " NJ down the .tr'ei
William Mci-rirl rccnlied, ,-Inid would know Mr.
Riedr II should see HIM. Acdol dad not know when
removed from Boston Katie rif h0Nrr dif, nnd went
torhcrrytcwn on her return gsid Tor her ionrd IN
home and get q whipping vr running away from lirr
parents
With n flourish Coroner Dempsey handed to
/ W'lSpiel card. on which was written Mrs.
/ William Il. Wcl-pol, und Wel-picl said:
never saw my nam, in print h,terc such ga-f a.
furniture when needed them wonli die inr Katie II
sho VA, alive. She gave me mnny! when .lt the
clr 'o Staten island. went q, ian,ons with Katie
] She took ne there,
Joseph Hiclel. 'he father of 'hr murdered
/ grl. arrived in ia" city last night and took tho
/ late boat for stat "a Island. int uding to l." at
the inaucs tto-day. lir Rirdcl seemed worn
/ with the excitement undrr which il, has labured
since lie heard of his daughters death.