The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-06
THE MYSTERY OF THE KILLS.
THEORIES ACCOUNTING FOR WHIT
M4N'S DISiPpE iRfNCE.
The Mtssing Mans Game Of Poker -His sand
Fiued Hat ana Coat with Turned Sleeves
chief Whitney's What story Heard.


by his friends at Bergen Point, n. j. carly on
Friday morning and whose coat and hat were
found on the shore. has not yet been heard
from. nor has HIS body been found in the Kills.
Graphing for the body was continued ycstcr-
day. and Chief Stephen Whitney, OF the
Bayonne police. offered n reward Of s2j to
stimulate boatmen to watch for the body. A
member OF the firm OF Mnford. Thompson 4
Co.. "a Wall street. whore Whitman was em-
ployed as confidential clerk. says that his ac-
counts are all right His father. Capt Stephen
Whitman. OF the firm OF Whitman 4 Fisher. ca
Beaver street s unable to account for his alb
sence on any other theory than that he met with
foul play.
He lives with his mother-n-law. Mrs. Curric,
at Sailors Snug Harbor. Staten Island. She is
wealthy lady. A story was current in Port
Richmond. Staten Island yesterday that he had
drawn 500 of Mrs. Currie's money from a
bank in this city on Thursday. Mrs. Currie
says this is not SO. Instead Of this. he drew
5000 of his own money for household expenses
She says hc was n model and husband
His business prospects were very bright. He
had Just formed plan to 80 into business for
himself next January with Mr. Blair. n fellow
clerk. He was never absent from home for an
evening hefore without tecgrnphing 10 his
VIE. On Thursday evening he did not tele-
EfhlN. ana Slt argues. therefore. that ne IN
t'nied To com" home. He was five feet eleven
inches in height. very strong. and an expert
swimmer, His habits. she says. were excellent
When Whitman left the Office on Thursday
evening It WAS o'clock The train on the
Central Railroad OF New Jersey that took him
To bergen Point opposite TO Port RICHMOND
arrived too late for the steam ferry, which
makes its last trip nt o'clock. This route was
convenient one for him To- take to reach his
home in sailors Snug HarbOr. and he fire.
quently took II rather than whit for the White
hall street boats MIR. Nolan keeps SKIN ferry
which Whitman had often patronzed. Nolan
and his two men knew him well. because when
ever he ratron2ed his ferry he always paid
extra, His men were sleeping in small house
near the shore. but neither saw nor heard any
thing of Whitman at any time during the night
They did not hear any noise the next morning.
1t is not believed, therefore, that Whitman
sought to 20 over the Kills by the skin ferry
During the evening until about 10, o'clock.
he Is known 70 have played pool in the billiard
room of IN" Stringnam Hotel. near the Bergen
Point station AT that time Chief Whitney hap
pencd in, and u set OF four. including Mr.
Strnsham. was formed to play what they called
family game u drqw uokcr.. Chief Whitney
says it was the. blind game. the ante being
quarter 3t q du,llar No large bets were nude.
At o'clock Whitman. being square with the
tabc. dropped ont. The Captain himself was
in 81 Strincham had lost ~. and the rest of the
0nplins 81 came from the fourth man. Mr..
marked that as he Wa neither n winner nor a
loser and felt very sle ny, H. would lie down,
So he made him n bed q some chairs in thc
harroOm and went 20 slccp. requesting To be
called NJ O'Clock. The Cuptnn says that the
party did not drink much. lie hims II took
only ginger ale with little lemon squeezed
into i. lie thinks it might have been TINT
Whitman had drunk II great deal IN the early
part oi the evening while playing pool. which
times he was very sleepy. The oply time Whit
man. who is described as n very discreet man.
showed any large sum Of money during the
evening. WIS while he was playing poker. The
players were in n room 10y Themselves. and no.
body saw ne money except themselves. These
are all w'N-known men. and nobody suspects
tnpm ti ulNtlinE wrong.
Mr.. James Strlnghnm is the proprietor Of the
hotel and Mr. jasper is employed in the Tax
once in this city H. Is we'll known in Bayonnr
y the mid,llr man n the Argonauta, Amateur
Min-tr"l Ironp'. ne was obliged &" wat for q
O'Clock. and to nr'nmmodnt" him the gamr was
kept up until about that time. Then the Chirf
Muliman a littc miote oclo X. Bvth lri the
hotel together. whitman and thl"i Whitney
won't away tYsttherf me former tnk lng large
bundlt WIN MN. ms nun u" ne had brought
l. me Stringham Hot'l on Oct z. lie mad told
Mr. Stringham that u contained an overcoat
During IN" evening Mr.. Stringham says he had
taken from nus pocket SOFT irlt hat. and shown
IT, WIN thls bundle under his arm and the hat
IN ms ppcke, ne walked down Avenue toward
blocks the rain besan 70 fall ip torrents. He
stopped ana told the Chlei that he would not 10
IN met Received IN" IMPRESSION that Whit
man wanted to get rid oi his company, though
they had known .arh other very well and had
been good friends, whitman had asked him
where ~ lived. and, on being told that IT WIS
only block or two down Avenue II. but that the
Ch.f would accompany him To the Kills, And
see him safe in the boat, he seemed 10 hesitate:
and then when the rain came on he went back
This wns the last that Chief Whitney saw of
him. The storm was the beginning Of the terri
BILE cyclone OF Friday, few minutes after they
parted the sky Suddenly cleared up and tho
rain ceased. just before this cessation OF lhc
storm patrulman on his beat passed the Chief
walking in the same direction that Whitmnn
had taken. This man did not see him. Chief
Nhin"y'S theory is that Whitman went back to
TIE depot swait for the q O'Clock train 70 New
York. a. he sand he would do but when the RAIN
ceased he changed his mind and again sought
to 20 nome taking his way down Avenue r. ns
before. after the patrolman had passed the de-
pot. 1t was his habit To- take thu middle of the
street He once told Chief Whitney that If n
man walked there nobody could hit him from
behind fence.
The pier where the kills lay IL exactly at tho
foot II the avenue. The Chief thinks that he
walked right down IA" middle Of this pier un-
able tl -ft where he was, and Atrupel of inf,
the water. Tho storm that came ON nitrr the
lull mad" the morning binding dark. II is
also pos. .hl". he thinks that Whitman fell into
the water Whlo he Wn- irving to get into "A bont
ON previous GO 'nsions he HAD taken b. ais nj
thH pl'r without tho knowcdgo Of the boatn,n
and had rnWed himself across On eurh n.,n.
siOn- he was accustomed to row back aral
in the morning and pay tho boat own
ar we'll for its use. Tho ohlnction ia this
theory is that the ovcrcoat found Ind
the sleeves turned completely wrong side ont
The wind WAS blowing strong in towurd m"
NpW ,Jorsry shore and the snut VIVA f,.n,,l t..