New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-09-21
MISSING FOR NINE MONTHS.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ANNIE HoMMELL-IE1

MISSING FOR NINE MONTHS.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ANNIE HoMMELL-LETTERs
| INTENDED TO DECEIVE HER PARENTs-HER
FATHERS JOURNEY TO STATEN ISLAND.
| Through the developments of yesterday the
mystery that has surrounded the woman whose body
was found Staten Island Sunday, has been almost
entirely cleared no. In yesterdays TRIBUNE dispatch
from saugertles NY, was published stating that 1t
believed throughout the town that the body Of the
man found on Staten Island was that OF Annie Hon.
NELL who disappeared from home some months ago
under suspicious circumstances. The complete story
was learned yesterday, and is as follows:
Seven years ago George Hommell, his wife and six
children, TO America from Wiirtemburg and after
ayear settled in Saugertes. At that time Annie, OF
Mr. HommePs daughters. was thirteen years old, and
fine looking girl The family secured house aud about
two Of land just out OF the town and lived quietly
| Mr. HOmmel supporting his family by work at farming.
shortly after Annie secured position servant In the
family of wealthy Hebrew, OF saugertes, married
man. Appearances indicated that the employer
rather familiar terms with his servant but alarm
felt until the middle OF last December-the fifteenth
when early in the morning the girl disappeared, and
| until yesterday, no trace OF her has been found.
Suspicion Immediately aroused that the man by
whom Annie had been employed, and with whom it was
Thought she had been intimate had been instrumental
IN her disappearance. SO strong has this impression
become that the Hebrews business has been greatly in
| ured. He has endCavored TO remove suspicion from
! ing girl Last March he came 10 New-YOrk with the
Rev. Mr. Lchtenberg. who the pastor OF the family
has especially interested himself In the case, and while
here spent $40 in and about York osensiby trying
| TO nud some trace OF Annie Hommcl. His manner,
however. Mr. Lichtenberg noticed, suspicious. The
two boarded at the Occidental Hotel, in the Bowery,
and the Hebrew let his friend out OF his sight
The search unsuccessful and the two returned
| TO Saugerties.
The Homme family, meanwhile, received several
letters from unknown explaining purpOrting
explain. the disappearance OF the girl Three days
after her departure, that Is on December 49, 1871
letter received in a disguised masculine hand, Civ
ing plausible explanation Of the girls absence. The
letter putported be from the girl and in 1t she said
hat met her In the and told her that her
husband was good physician for women and that she
was with him, The members OF the Hommell family,
we're sure. however, that the handwriting not that
OF their Annie, and their suspicious still directed
! toward the man who had employed her.
Aetter received serward saying that the girl had
gone with the physicians wife 20 certain number
ThirdsL New York, but the information learned TO
be false the numbers that street did not
high Letters continued TO be received from the vicinity
OF New-York, but definite information obtained
until the following one, in German, received post
marked Philadephia August 20i
DEAREST MRS HUAEL: am very sorry not 10 have
told you before about your daughter who was suffering
| her TO be dropsicalj but now as 10 Is pos
YSH2 dsaehe q wo seized With a nS and as m hr
left her, couldn't find out her address. But
when the woman who attended your dear daughter came
back from the country, learned your address, but
sorry have tell you that your dear daughter In
Her last words were Dear mother don't forget your
Aunie." Respectfully your friend, Nd.
Since the receipt OF this letter the suspected has
stoutly maintained that the girl died OF dropsy
lated by the unknown NJ. d." Furthermore he has
paraded his attempts TO find the girl and sought in every
way TO turn suspicion away from himself Hommell
and his friends, however, confident that the alleged
cause OF her death pure fiction The family physi
clan testified the fact that the girl was not drcpsical
In the least The direction the envelope Of this letter
and the writing inside in different hands. and
strongly resombed the handwriting in the other letters
that had been received including the first which
purported to be from the gir herself
These observations and the conduct OF the suspected
man pursuaded the friends OF the Homme family that
desperate attempt was being made 70 stop all further
re arch for the girl. Thursday the town in fever
OF excitement the description Of the girl whose body
had been found on Staten Island last Sunday Annie
Hommell was known to be fine looking well-deyeloped
GIRL twenty years old with small hands aud feet per-
feet set OF teeth and long black hair This exactly
the description OF the girl whose body was so recently
found Added TO the fact that she had been be-
tryed aud had evidently been abducted or persuaded
70 GO away until she could get over her trouble. The
villagers rushed up 70 the Rev. Mr. Lichtenberg and
told him OF the strange coincidence between the appear
ance OF tho missing Annie Hommell aud the
body or the girl found on Staten Island. Mr..
Idchtenberg was attending funeral when the news
VIVA brought TO him. and its close he made arrange
ments 10 come 70 Eew-York. accompanied by Mr. Hon.
mel Taking che Escort the Catskill freght-boat they
came TO Hew-York early yesterday morning and took
the O'Clock boat for staten Island Intending TO ma
Coroner Dempsey and TO view the body BY mistake
they went 10 Sapleton thence to west brighton ana
finally 10 New-Brghton, lwhere they found Coroner
dempsey who brought them back to stapleton to view
the ohemse. which Is at Police Headquarters ms they
failed to recognize Captain BAKE P0k of of
her disappearance, and promised to try to nnd heF'
THE FATHER RECOGNIZING THE BODY.
About half-past o'clock Coroner Dempsey and two
| ge,tlemen drove up 20 the PoOrhouse at the Four
Corners near West Brighton and alighed One OF the
Coroner's companions was slightly bent slender man,
dressed In black and carrying small bag and umbrella
His face looked haggard thin and carewOrn. This was
the father OF the missing Annie HommelL The other
| Mr. Homme's pastor the Rev Mr. Lichtenberg, was
stoutly-built, cleanshaven man. WIN golu spectAces
| and a duster and cane.
| These three men walked slowly down the Poorhouse
| burying ground, where two or three workmen with
spades In their hands, stood around the grave that had
hcan filled "A short time before. consultation was held
and Il WAS decided TO go back the superntendents
hnuse and look AZ the small braid OF hair that had been
from the head IRIS mar was 9IOugnI oS ao me
"T6at hair is like my daughters hair" said he, look
inc up sadly 1T ia exactly like IT, the color and every
| thing are the Same. / could swear that that
| was NV daughters hair. L want to see the
| eTi The Rev Mr.. Lichtenberg confirmed hts friends
INSERTION and said the black glossy hair was exactly IKE
dh,t of the Annie whom he knew Men we're sent mmed
atcly to raise the body and while this was being done
| Mn Ilchenberg related 70 TRIBUNE reporter the MS
tarv Of the glr and family told above. Mr. HON.
nell. who Ia poor farmer, and for whom MT MSnten
hcrg mas great sympathy, speaks English with extreme
| dificuIty and meanwhile sat with dOwnoast eyes
Becolnng impatient the party proceeded 10 the grave
and the great box fully eight feet long by twoand
ahnlf wide was raised The lid was removed, ana AFTER
carefully examining the body teeth, and braid OF long
| hIack hair Hommell stepped back aud said;
| "That IL the body OF my daughter. Her mouth ana
teeth Ie me so the and length OF her hair tell me
o her whole figure tells yes, she used 90 braid
her hair lust like this" pointing 10 the braid OF long
hlnck hair; and turning sadly away I'm sure that IL