The New York herald., 1877-02-28
THE KELSEY MURDER.
Tracing the Mutilators of the Hun
tington Victim.
A HERALD REPORTERS DISCOVERY.
What "Bill" Kirk Told Mrs. Schumacher US
10 His Share in the Crime.


which for nve long years has blackened the fair tame
OF this oldest loveiest village Long Island
coming 70 the surface Now that they at hand
fail 10 that II the original inquiry prop
elry conducted they would not have been long de-
fcrred. In the summer OF 1873 the writer went to
Oyster Bay to attend inquest the remains that
had been hshed out OF tho Sound by tho oysermcp,
Franklin and LudIam, and during It's progress he
ticcd, and stated the HERALD reports that was
much inquest into who the parties concerned
in the murder II an effort to prove that
certain parties had done tho deed An through tho
inquiry tho rulings of the and the questions OF
tho Jurvmen proved that they had what Dr. Carpenter
calls 'prcpossessions to the prejudice OF certain
OF the village Of Huntington. The Coroner, and In
fact of the community, had prcjudgcd tho
before the inquiry began and the only Efforts
made with view 10 proving the generally ac-
ccped theory OF how the unfortunate Kelsey had been
murdered. Tho readers OF the HERALD who
pcruscd the details OF the finding OF tho legs
may remember that 1t was then stated
that the fragments OF human remains
bore marks OF mutlaton, iuhuman and hidcous be-
yond relating. The theory of the HERALD the time
that this mutilation was tho result OF accident a
physician of high repue in Suffolk county was party
the tarring and ieatherins Of Kelsey whose only
crime seems 10 have been that no loved "a
woman VINO accepted his attentions, but
whose friends and gentlemen admirers thought
her too good tor him. and this fact would tend TO DIS
credit the opinion that the man was Intentionally
muta'cd. Tho wound gave evidence that It had been
inflicted hurry, and on TINS internal evidence, and
against the opinion of those VINO proicsscd TO know,
the HERALD held to tho theory OF accident 1t
u theory creditabc to manhood and one which now
appears to have been well founded or this mutila-
ton and tho new evidence in support of the ground
originally taken by the HERALD moro anon.
KELsEy's
A few lines above alluson Is made to Kelseys crime
ms II is called and this head attention should be
called to some facts cleaned at preliminary cxamina-
tion IN an for riotous conduct from the par
ties engaged in the arripg and ieathering. 1t has
been asserted, and generally accepted true that
Kelsey used " bother Miss Smhsnce married 10 Mr..
Royal Samr s one OF the masked men engaged IN the
tarrlng OF Kescy-by his attentions This assertion
| hardly corresponds with the evidence which
record 1t In black aud white that the parties who
tarred and ieathered Kelsey were IN waiting Tor him
several nights before he made his appearance, and.
the intimates OF Kelsey assert that he was
seduced to me scene OF his torture ny
DO from her 1t is also charged that Kelsey wrote
poetry to Miss Smith, and some stray stanzas found
expression In print IN the columns Of the HERALD.
| Exception might have been taken To the metre, but
hardly TO the sentiment OF these fluctuations Enough
II the rumors con,rasled with the evidence tue
topic OF annoyance a lew words more about the
preconceived OPINIONS OF the jury and
coroner who sat p; upon The remnants rants
| political capital manufactured from the public
sentiment aroused by the case there is no DOUBT
When the excitement at its height all previous
lines of SOCIAL religious political dcmarcaon were
oblueratcd, and one broad ISSUE divided the people
Tar So to speak was the touchs,one all discussions
on III, texts ''tar' aud "no tar" The
tar party, being in the majority; were
the time beng, orthodoxy Though tho people arc
still excited ths Kelsey case the warmth OF ieei-
once en- tertaired Is gone forever. lbe people Of
Huntington appreciate that the was botched and
are ANXIOUS to mend the errors that have been made
sturdy, enlightened sci.inlcrest, ana this last
crusade against the dsturbers of the pence
Iawessness of Suffolk county and especially that purt
OF u occupied by the town OF Huntington has become
byword and the material interests OF the town are
beginning suffer and depreclae under the onus ofa
bad reputation. Before the Kelsey affair was
brougn. TO public notice hun''nGon gS,s was
coupled with the recent invasion of a church BY
party OF ruianly young men, has delrac,ed from us
lavor. The people begin TO feel this and suffer er'a
loss. They ANXIOUS to clear themselves from all
responsibility, ana prove that the people, as whole
them to by bringing the lew guilty ones to justice
THE NEW pEvELopMgNrs
On Information obtained IRON reliable sources, tho
writer came here and Immediately began to invest
gate the cews in his possession During the early
hours OF last night the writer lett bis lodging the
! village aud wended his way along tho main road
toward Gaus Hill, tue home Of woman SAID TO
affair. The road skirts the cemetery whore
three years the limbs OF the un unato Kelsey
were buried in tho family plot, where his oreiathers
|
graveyard the home OF Royal Sammis, now dark and
deserted, throws It's shadow ahwart the wood.
sward, stained with the blood Of him who sleeps In
the churchyard and adjoining the scene Of Tragedy Is
the home oil tho proper deacon who witnessed the
''sporI" The from here to the end oil tho jour-
ney comparatively bare OF houses ana in the
progress but one human beng was met, and he the
object Of the inquiry. He was of towering stature
and brawny build, and as he slouchcd by had good
look at his face in the moonlight The face was not an
intelligent oue on the contrary 1t showed an absence
OF intellect After walking about half mile came to
the house Of Mr.. Schumaker and to the end OF my
journey
| WHAT WOMAN IN AN ORCHARD.
Mrs scbumaker is the woman above spoken OF as
knowing something Of the case. knock at the door
OF the house was answered by mlddleagcd woman
who had a child at her breast, and who SAID she was
| Mrs Schumacher Immediately alter entering told
my hostess in plain terms that know a certain man
| in the village had made Acknowledgements TO
her that he was concerned in the outrage
upon Kelsey. This PLAN announcer cment startled her
little: for moments she was much confused and
talked deal OF rambling nonsense. FINALLY she SAID
! ] had better her husband, but on being asked
rather sharply whether she had or had not the IN
formation imputed to hcr she threw herself INTO
! CHAIR drew long breath and sad -
"rhere's no uso IN saying no. for did hear some.
thing about II.
going 10 tell mes want you to DO as exact as posi-
BILE as to the timc."
~ cart tell you the exact date, but 1t was the day
| after Kelsey larred and fcathcred"
"Now, who was tho party VINO told you what you
| are about to relate? ?o
"Bi KIRK"
"Wnere we're you when the conversation took
| placcY'
.ln orchard the village"
'Was any one near at hand VINO heard him speaKT'
eyes! His vile was with me.
Snow tell me. as near as you can remember, the
exact words kirk made use OIL"
KIRK came the fence and leaned It, and some
thing was SAID don't know what Then KIRK said TO
us that they had tarrcd and lcathcrcd Kelsey. We
asked how nc knew, and he said he there. Then
he said hc carried tho scissors ana razor"
'.What did he say these things were forg
Here the woman became n ltilo confused, but !
pressed the question, ana finally, with great en-
barrassmcnt she said:-
HE told US tncy starved MIN, adding somo further
particulars
Hero tho woman's story ended; she would say no
moro. composuro returned, and she would only
repeat the words, "That's all know" 70 all subso.
qucnt inquiries
Kirk will not talk about the matter and no cxplapa-
ton is gwen OF why he not examined by the au-
thorites once he was summoned 10 Rverhead, but he