The New York herald., 1878-09-19
SHR0UDED IN MYSTERY.
Was Mr.. Wolf Adams a Victim of
Foul Play?
EVIDENCES OF MURDER.
The Police Unable to Throw Any Light
on the Tragedy.

Tho circumstances uuter which Mr. Wolf Adams, a
retired Hebrew merchant, whose sons engaged in
the cloak business at No. 36l Canal street, was az
saulted with eect Tuesday afterpoon, us ses
forth the HERALD of yesterday, stil remain
shroudcd Ia mystery. Tho case IT stands pre-
forciblc illustration OF how an aged and peace
iul citizen. in tho broad light OF day aud In what
might be termed the centre Of the metropolis, may
be struck his grave, leaving the representa-
tives and order utterly in the dark as 10 the
tanner IN which the death blows wero dealt, or to
the hands that nre jmbrued WITH thc blood OF fellow
being, as the result OF post-mortcm examination
cavos little or no room that the unfortunate
gentleman was murdered.
According 10 Mr. Juilus Adams, one OF the sons OF
the deceased his father lett their 10 .ct glass
OF beer shortly after three O'Clock 1u sdiy after
noon Previous 10 that time and between one and
two O'Clock Mr.. Adams asked his Ia,hcr to take
check Tor $ll the Pacific Bank. on
Broadway, near Grand strest, and hlv, It
cashod. Tho old gentleman did So and on returning
handed the full OF the check to his son II IS
not known that the deceased had auy money when
he left the about three O'Clock, and his sons
suppose that If he did have It could Only be very
email sum.
MYsrERIousLy INJURxD.
Somc timc between four and ive O'Clock in the
afternoon tho old gcntlem IN returned TO the store
having his coat buttoned about him ana holding
pockct handkerchief 70 his head, which was bleeding
He walked up light OF stairs to where the sewing
girls engaged, and tnere lay down on lounge.
AT this time conscious, as one OF the girls
asked him how he had been injured ana he
replied, leave alone Tor half an hour and let me
Sleep" The injured man lay In the store for little
while until his sons were apprised of his
dnion, and Mr. Emil Adams, another son, went
out and got a doctor The doctor then
tho wi tch q
on b ing asked by Mr. julius Adams whether he
thought the old gentleman dangerously mi ured,
the Doctor told him mo- that the BRAIN had not been
injured at all, and said that coach had better be
called and the patient taken home.
M DEATH FROM A FRACTURED SKULL
This was imm ediateiy done and the carriage con-
tainiug the UNCONSCIOUS man and his two sons left
Canal street about six O'Clock Tor the homo of the
family, a, No 35S East Fitieth street The old gen
tleman on beng carried up stairs was at first
laid on a sofa, aud when attempt
made 10 lit him on to bed shortly
aiterward he begged iuconcrently 70 be allowed to
rcst He then relapsed into unconsciousness. and
his family becoming alarmed. at once sent Tor DR..
heimer of Fifty street. who. on arriving,
found the man suffering from compression
skull. This the first time the sorrowiui nto'li-
iIne loved husband and parent was approaching
death. II was hai-past seven when the doctor as
certaned the hopeless condition OF the patient, who
A cLrw WORTH FOLLOWING UP.
Tho rcportcr asked Mr.. julius Adams, when he had
related tho above part cuars, II he knew what place
his lather usually drank beer In when he would 90
Piled tnat although his father was IN the habit OF
going out to take glass Of beer IN tho afternoon he
| cont,nued:--..A gentleman named Thomas, doing
| business ,u Canal street, called at our store THIS
are you son Of Tue man who had mead cut yes
terday .arternoonr My brotner said ne was and
through south Fltn avenue, between four
ana nve o'clock on Tuesday afternoon,
the purpose 'akS nome. tho no eleSs.rS Ss.rS
| loud talking and noise n saloon aud that when he
stopped aud tried 70 lock in aman came out ana shook
is fist nj him threatening manner Mr.. Thomas
said no 1t was Itaiian saloon. where there
were tour men aad a woman" Mr. Adams believes
| that his iathcr, after leaving the stere,
VAS seen by some parties VINO had earlier
in the day observed him TO 70 into tho bink and get
check cashed; that thee persons thinking the old
gentleman mad the money still In his possess lou,
dragged him Off the street INTO one OF the low places
with whicn the neghoornooI aoounds Tor tue pur
pose Of roDbing h i'm, and ihat whcn their victim
sisted they dubbed MIN without mercy
| ACTION PoLIC..
When a despatch was from the Central ONCE
to the Eighth police precinct station house on iaes
day night, asking II they mad any account oi man
havlpg had his SIX u fractured In the vicinity Of Canal
| ana Wooster streets, Captain Mcdonnell called The
patrolman who had covered that post during the
day and asked hun whether he had heard OF any
| accident or assault while on duty The patroiman
replied in the negative, and accordingly similar
before one O'Clock yesterday morning. despa,cn was
sout to the Eighth precinct from the Nineteenth.
setting fortn that Mr.. Adams had died from irac-
ture OF tho skull, supposed to nave been re-
ccived 10 the ncghborhood above mentioned
Captain Mop,nne q. oa 'peo %s son v,.e gu" s m. me
saloons and other places that ho iound open at thtt
hour IN the lowor portion OF tue precinct aud en-
dcsvor 10 get iuiormaion aOout the occurrence
Laier tue day tue detective mentioned ana three or
our officers OF the E,.htn precinct were pai upon tue
case agaiu. Captain McDoDncIi ihstructi"g tnem TO
make irquirtcs all the saloons and nnc out possible
what places the deceased had been N tue habit oil
! frcauent,ng. whne prosecuting tncir search the
det,c,ives ouud N boptuack at the northeast
ner Of Canal street ana Soutn Fiith avenue, who
! tod them tnul he saw old Mr. Adams pass ug
that way on Tuesday afternoon. and asked MN
it he waited .'shiue, ana tho old gentleman sad
Nou He was then 20 ng through Canal street toward
me Norn river In hall an nonr aitcrward, the boot
black states he saw Mr.. Adams coming oack, having
his coat Du,toned up and ho'dine handkerchief 10
hts mead. He was walking the boy say, very rapidly
| IN the direction oi his store.
Mary Dondrow, living at No 2l9 South Fifth ave.
! nuc, between Canal and Grand streets, ana Mary
Caulau, also residing In the samo house, informed
Detective shcriaan that they saw man coming
! through South Filth avenue ON Tuesday afternoon
Win his head out aud bleeding. The mans cIothes,
they say, were dirty Hs tnough he nad ia'icn down.
CONFLICTING srATkMENfs.
Here II may Du stated that Mr. Emil Adams tells a
somewhat different story TO tbat OF hs brother Inc
Iormer gentleman called at the Eighth precinct station
| house yesterday and informed Captain Mcdonnell.
tnat when MS ather returned to the store injured
no asked him how he had been nurt, ana tha. the
old gentleman SAID he mad "sippcd under
tho norses and got up and Tell back again
under The wagon" Tho captain asked h'n II his father
had said where had occurred and he replied IN the
negative He also I'D that before his ater died his
brother asKed the old gentleman u any one struck
| MIN, ana no answered yes. Mr.. Adams, In
| addition. stated 10 the captain that when
| his iather urned injured to the store
his coat was torn under the sleeve
and that there whItewash on his shoulder
Now, when tho bootblack ana The two xomen named
saw the man walking toward his store aud within
200 yards oil H. none OF them saw an signs OF white
wash on ms ciothcs Ino women say ms coat
muddy, though hc had fallsn or
been Knocked down. Captain McDonnsll says
that where tue Messrs. Adams do business on Canal
street tho houses formerly dwellings, ana the
hall being whitewashed II ~ not unreasonapie to sup
pose that the Old gentleman might have brushed
against tho wall IN going in and this way got the
wnItewash on his coat
MoRTKM.
Coroner Woltmun and Dr. Cushman visited the
late resdonce OF the deceased yesterday afternoon,
when the latter MADE a post -moricm examination o
the body. He found abrasons over both eyes, acer-