The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-18
STATEN ISLANDS MYSTERY.
PrZzLING FACTS THAT HITE FAILED
10 GIVE ANY CERTAIN CUE
Joscph Ucincr's Strange story OF Seeing
Grave Dag the spot Where the Body
Was Found-Enen Murphys search for
her Lover Coroner Dcmpscy's Threats.

wa. round-Enen Nurphy's search for
her Lover Coroner Dcmpscy's Threats.
Although Capt Blake and his men Of the
Htatcn Island Police have gathered additional
,ues that may prove Of importance they have
mus fat inilcd ~ clear up the mystery surround
Ink tho finding II young womans body in n
barrel buried in the woods near Silver Lake on
Sunday last.
The failure TO identify the body Mt Mondays
Inquest left the police. Coroner Dempsey. and
everybody disc completely at sea. Tho Coroner
was muddcd yesterday morning by receiving
the following letter mailed at the General Post
once in New York at q, o'clock =. NJ. ON
Monlay:
ashort way fom silver Lake Please have h,r buried
And have her cl.thing in good Place.
Her name Is Miss fanncs St Clair
There WINS no signature to tho pnper The
police attached little importance o. the letter
and attributed It's authorship TO some lille mis-
chief maker Coroner Dampsoy'- inquiries in
New York failed To- bring him nny information.
AMI he turned his energies upon the Ellen Mul-
ply story again.
Capt Blakc's forces worked In two directions.
They sought for tidings - Elem Murphy. the
Irish servant girl and endeavored 10 trace the
murderer. through the CARPET socks. chcmisc.
and bag found in the barrel md 10y means II
bits II scattering evidence tint they Lad S.
cured The hunt for Ellen Murphy was not
successful VI to a late hour. \ reporter for THE
kvN obtained somc points in the case from, Mr..
liOlo. from whose house half u mile below
Vanderbilt Landing. In New York avenue Ellen
started on the morning Of her disappearance.
The Hazlcs. husband and wife live ia the Soc
ond story Of small frame building opposite
me handsome residence Of Mr.. Cuihhorson.
whore Ellen worked until three weeks ago TO-
DAY In the third story Of the Halle house lives
Mary Ann Kenrney. Mrs kearney wn- Eli"n's
gn9 ' oS FehEs s ncw f ran 1t' tT S
weeks ago last Thursday.
The trunk from New York. whore she hal
bought d. On that afternoon she walked over
{ 90. house - Mrs. Condren. near Quarantine
idniinei and made arrangements imr leaving
her trunk for two months or more. There WIS
-.iue tax about the price of storage. anl Ellen.
without taylnE IT, went ba"k 70 Mis- Ha1l"'s,
promising ~ return 10y 9 o'clock that evening.
Su" '.Il nut Keep her promise. AMI Mrs. Con-
tr-r never saw her again. The next afternoon
IAen'- trunk WAS packed and ready. The *
loss wagon came Tor II the sumo evening.
Len went up stair, from Mrs Hn7les room t.
Nlfs. h"alney's on the top floor. She could not
write an wanted Mrs. Krnrney 20 pen a letter
."r ihe note. Hs Mrs hearney remembers
Il WAS as follows
Mas Cosnss.y lam .epins ihc ,raoS .a'e sia. st
,,,aus si,s sss9 ,s liza" be s lex S,srar Go
The'1-morrow came. I'm. Mrs. G n iren did
1T -e. hIl'u Murphy. According 10 tie story
~. ii..1 ,lr ssa,I', Is. ~. Il ii"
beg pre-. lI4iions ior going g. New lorkop Ter
H. s,.n o'rl".k bost from Vanierl'ii, fa,5..
T.; m .,nriS D Do, ito. ssfil'vt. l's A- .l
fi, , - -. - IL - -, -, = &C., ~. IT,
ro. ,-i,nn,aG VIM whi,s anu ''14 e'"o
., IA ."9 "',h7t I,HRd t nr r.lVS. yLn u h,hr
.rs vri,, sL. new '''' '''''' '''
Ms. Halo walked hall block toward the
IN LIE "a ne : 9."IoeS o0at and meet her
81 . .. N , " g. ~. a., nS
NJ ,r 49, r. ~ - 30, a. l., ~. ~. 49,, WV.
H. Ii,i ~, -, ~" ~ w In, i Ia, a. I ,
Al The place 81 parting with Mrs Hslls MI trace
~ Tlnn ras III IN" r"si il,,n,s Hi0nr NV
lre sy,,,,' ana an 49,. ~ 40, a., e 49,
1 fns f fai n ram n wSS .n ", Fg m
,hat morning. The f.rrymen did hot notice
nj ar ' Hn M, Tt nt,r tHorousb ,lnilty s
KIN ,in ,Niice Ecyon h. s',.'. ar M
through Tho various nsylums. ratr-nts. b. ;.
ff,is an tui Nh. h.V'.os ., thn islaf'l '''' 9
nm vras ~ Id tbat - Fusn NWrniv Tim,
W. tho question that nobody could answer.
+ 5 her Gsdy. hui The Has and other from Is
ihinE n.t F1en wes sfrut and r,.i.v an i Yer
iatfs ,v.ro Lnri.r,d hy t0il Holm Britt,r tha
keenan, who knew Ellen we'll and saw the BODY
when il was first found said The face was 40
hair Too dark for Ellen W1man Who hal
once comhcd Ellcns HAIR said il was lieht
i % fl H1 \ d.
Tho hair on Tie body fell seven inches below
the shoulders Mrs Cuthhart.on. Tor whom
Ellen last worked gives tho same i.-tiul,l y
These facts In view 81 the total 0bliteration II
features. uerplexed and bafllel tile uol. Sc " no
worked on the case.
Yesterday afternoon tho friends - Mary
DNeu a missing tfrocnpoint girl came ire
TAr-d 10 claim the body, but went away ui.sat.
ls.-d.
While the curious throngs were going and
r. frl- from ~ r.,.e - ,y'7,,lL ,yh.re ~, ia,
va una N Monday. nan m,tJo,eph M
mr. d half-witted old German who lives 10y
gathering mushrooms and Watercress Is. " This
l. where the girl was found. the man said.
80" Hdmer answered There was a dog
buried there" and he went on % say that two.
three. or four weeks ago. he could notremembrr
W long while gathering dresses about midi
6Ay lie saw an Old man a German with gray
har and beard, digging a hole near the
Brighton road Drawing near he asked
H. man what he was doing He rerlied
hit he was digging a grave Tor a dog
Heiuor suggested that he would ind il -of,,.r
dlss'rg in lie rnyius $50 feet dista1t and he
nm t71k his spaie ana began an excayati"n
where fhe grave was found Heiiner saws The
u.an ail nj look Tx. "A laborrr md h- never
tsty MIN In me rhn,I f.f1re he ,v,i,I
kl " him II he saw him again. Heimers t4sti-