The New York herald., 1878-09-18
THE HIDDEN CRIME.
No Solution Yet of the Staten
Island Mystery.
LOUIS RIEGE AT FAULT.
Ossip Hienan and the Man with
the Silver Beard.


Silver Lake, Staten Island, on Sunday last. seems to
thicken. Cews arc PLENTIFUL and theories to no end
annoy tho inquisitive minds OF the people OF tho
island. While rumors flying thick aud fast and
good sslips" for sharp detective work turn up IN
abundance OF their own accord tho authorities
aro as.far from n solution of the enigma as on the
dhy the body was found. Certain facts have tran
spred during tho twenty -four hours which seem
conclusivcly to prove tnot the body on which tho
Coroner holds Inquest Is not that OF Mary Ellen
Murphy, tho nflanccd OF Louis Riegc, who,
in order TO know tho fa,o OF his mistress,
went TO tho Coroner ana gave himself up
to the annoyances Of arrest, suspicion and notorcty
His not very irEsome however, Tor no goes
about the village Will and have desire
to leave until he Is ordered. Rege's mind, tor
mcptcd by long unxiety, disappointment and .
lovers socitudc. was rathcr unsettled and disposed
to accept anything in substitution OF the vexatous
uncertainty that had beon his for long
time, aud when no heard or tho finding
OF . body he jumped at tho conclusion that It was
that Of hts and only sought in everything
he hoard and for corroboraton OF his proposes
sion. lie acknowledged, wncn examined by the
Coroner, rat some things in the appearance Of Tho
dead woman he had never remarked in Mary Ellen,
but tnen again he found many points OF coincidence
md these wcro sufficient TO satisfy him that his m,s
trcss had been murdered.
Yesterday morning, having had good nights rest,
Ricgo prepared 10 contemplate tue Develop
SPOKEN 70 py q reporter during tie moroing he nc
knowedgcd that he did not tesi as iully satisfied
%uraered s"u I'''' AS the & day wore % on bis arss
convection gradually lost ground. but IL
was not until he had conversation with lady who
appeared In the vicinity of the Coroner's office,
shortly three O'Clock, that he openly discarded
the idea that Mary Ellen had been dons to doash.
The horrible conviction and bis sad manner loft him
hand In hand, and after the convorsation with
the lady IN question he seemed to be tn high
spirits. The puir while they talked looked earnestly
at something the young man hold in his hand, and
when tho lady had finished her inspection she shook
her head as II TO negative something tho youth had
SAID she then put hor hand to her shoulder II IN
dioatipg the length Of hair, and Rsgo, continuing
hi. Sc bis
woman looked a lit,o doubtful, and then. us
II to reassure herself, sho opened tho closed hand OF
the youth and again inspected It's contents. This
ond inspection decided hor and she shook her head
positive way. After her conference with Ricge, tho
her Dusinsss with him. When she departed
she had tho HERALD reporter for escort
turnod to tho all-abssrbug topic Of the hour. In
truth tho lady was very communicative, and tho
as o
who was spoken of by two witnesses on Monday
night before. tho Coroner. Tho effects Of
Nary Ellen Murphy arc now at her house In
Montgomery avenue. Tompklnsvillc, where ihoy were
loft by the nilssinggir Tor safe keeping. Mrs. Con.
Mary Eiiens HAIR when she ABOUT to go on little
SOCIAL expeditions. and In this way bccamo moro
familiar With lis color. length and general
could have boon. She haa inspected ,hs
little switch of hair cut from the head Of the corpse
which Reigo presented in her hand and positive
that Il was not Miss Murphy'a. IL was, she SAID,
tosr or 1.-Two shados TOO dork, and was also much
| longer than the hair OF tho missing girl. When she
sSNsss -. sa r "ay cam. 70 S'is
hor waist 10 indicate the length OF the hair ,hs
corpse. Mrs Condron says that II tho presented
| of Mary Ellen Murphy. Tho HERALD reporter add
little fragment Of evidence TO further deny the idcn
o. OF The woman who was tcund near Silver Lake wcre
pierced and, according 10 the testimony Of Ricgs,
/ Miss Murphy's ears werc not.
| TIE GRAvYDIGGER.
4 Had Coroner Dempsey continued the inquest las:
night an old man wouIi have oeen produced on tho
| star VINO would have narrated how, nve Or SIX
weeks ago. while ne was picking crssscs nesr silver
Lake, he saw an old man with gray beard fotlin
with shovel tho spot whore tho boy Callahan
found the bsred corpse on Sunday. Ossip IIeman
tho cress picker Is well known character OF Staten
Island and was ormcrly a florist Like a majority
Of the men who have followed Horticulture for years
| no Is mentaily eccentric and known to every one In
tho place. HIS acquaintanooship with the iacss and
persons of residents is extensive aod has been grow
ius he M never ~ saw the old % man on staten @
ognixs him II he could hear MIN
| speak again. Ossip will testify when prodused BY
tho Coroner that ne neSos.ed inc U,a man % Win sn:
digging for. the Old man responded In German, aud
said that hts deg had departed iifc and ms he had
| tender regard for tho animal, which had been
his companion for yours, he intended 10 give It
decent burial This explanation satisfied Ossp, and
hc wont hts way. In this Glow tue police think tney
have arrived tho beginning Of the ond Of tho mys
terry, and such thor Tor this new witness that
they refused TO produce HIM the inquest last night
IL IS supposed tnat the old with beard an
old offender against tho law IN New York, and keeps
m oiico on Inc east s,do OF the town with bs vlio
| who rs q monthly nurse.
MYSTERIOUS coMmuyicArrov.
Tho Coroner has recsved the following communi
h..u- halt ~
Monday september 10, but It bears on its face the
evidences OF practical Joke Tho hBnd Is evidently
discrcdit the lair fame OF some person named ST.
Cnir, against whom the anonymous writer. has
spito. Tho screcd Is gwen bercwith:-
Nav YoaK. Sept. is. 1878.
at short way from silver Lake. Please 6svo hor hurled
iier name Is SiS, Fanny So Clair. ''-''
There is WIN be seen, no namc attached 10 tht
note.
rug srArxS ISLAND OGRE
The sensational story TO the effect that woman
rested by the poiics, Is suthortasivsy denied Coz
seQucnty, tho minor lc tbat tue carpet found tho
barrel matched fabric in hcr!nonse. fails na, Tn,
they may hnd II ncccssary TO do so to-day An .nor
will DO made 10 couple this woman Meyers with The
man with the silver beard.
SEARCHING TIE sURsERrEs
Last night tho captain OF polico OF Richmond
the Island, in mo hope OF indIng Mary Ellen ur
ply, bat with what success Is not known.
Tho friends OF Mss Mary O'Nici. OF Grecupoint
L. L. cacd tho Coroucrs Office Ia search nfcrmn
tion concerning that young woman, who has beer
missing since Juno last. They went away sorrowng
Tor their uncertainty was not relieved by what they
learned concerning the woman found In tho wood
They fuilcd TO identity my OF tho thngs exhibited n
belonging to MISS O'Ncil.
ANOTHER TRAIL.
tclcgraphc communication was received by th'
| Coroner last evening as ioliows:
Nrw Yonx, Sept. :7. 1873
| ConoSEn DEMPSEY. New Brighton. n. L. !:
II tue c0psc Is identified that OF Ellen Murphy cal
| state facts that may be important
! DIR. ROSE. ~ West 23d st.
| A reporter called on Dr. Roso aud obtained his ex
panAtion OF the above. seems he has been sesfcn
ing TOR Ellen Murphy Tor some limo, as witness II
divorces suit he has begu against ms wife. In lSI
Ellen employed as domestic oy Mrs
Hose, ana in 1877, the doctor says, his wif
| sen, her TO ireland. lie says he loarnc
| that Ellen returned TO this country last juno
and he has been looking persitentiy for her with
| ont success When asked why be beIleyed lnis wa