The New York herald., 1878-12-17
FOUND IN THE MORGUE.

THE MYSTERY OF REV. MR. wRAy's DISAPPEAR
ANcE CLEARED AT IAsT-HE DIES IN BELLE
vUE HOSPITAL FROM DOSE OF PoIsoN-THE
STORY OF HIS wANDERINGs.
The mystery attending the disappearance Of
Rev. John II. Wray from his home In
New Brunswick, N j., has at last been
cleared. paragraph appeared in last Satur-
days telegram which drew attention to the fact
that man answering the description given Of the
missing clergyman dying from laudanum poison
ing al Bellevue Hospital This announcement at
traced the attention of the friends and parshoners
Of Mr. Wray. and they made arrangements to visit the
city and ascertain if there was any truth in
the supposed identity. They tc.egraphed to the
officials at Bellevue Hospital 10 Keep the body until
they could come on, which they did yesterday. At
the Morgue they found the remains incased in a
rough pine coffin. A Mr.. Van Kirk and
few friends. who refused to give their
names, ushered into the charneA house
by Keeper White and his assistant. Joseph
Fogarty. When the lid OF the collin was
removed they gazed ntcntly on the face OF the dead
Already decomposition had set in and the features
were dishgured and bloated. One glance. however.
satisfied Mr.. Van Kirk that the face and form he
looked upon, although sadly changed. were those of
his friend and late pastor Rev. Mr.. Wray. Having
satisfied himself that the body was that OF the Rev
Mr. Wray he gave notice of his intention to have 1t
removed for intcrment to New Brunswick.
4 DERANGED MIND.
The story of Mr.. wray's wanderinss from home
and the subsequent finding OF his memorandum book
in the Central Park has already been told in the
HERALD. He pastor OF the Methodist Epis-
copal Church and president OF the Methodist
Local Preaching Association of New Brunswick,
n. J. Tor some time previous to his sudden
departure from home he betrayed certain mental
deranged These pecularities however, did not at
tract sny particular attention, as they were
day previous to his disappearance he bor-
rowed small sums of money from several
Of his parishoners on the plea that he required the
cash TO make some household purchases. On the 5th
inst. he missing. and after the lapse of few
days. no tidngs of his whereabouts having been as
certaned in the meante his friends became alarmed
and made diligcnt inquiries for him in all directions.
MISSING MAN.
The publication IN the HERALD OF Mr.. Wrays
strange disappearance and prolonged absence from
home drew the attention Of police officials to his
case. and every strange and unknown person
account of himself, in the hope that in this
way the clergyman would tall into the
Of investigation became apparent when. on the sth
inst. committed suicide in the Central Park by
shooting himself in the head with pistol 1t was At
the time supposed that he was Mr.. Wray but it was
subsequently asecrtaincd that this theory was
roneous, the suicide being a Mr.. Kuhn. of West
Twenty seventh street.
Then again, man. who was taken to be a vagrant.
found in a supposed intoxicated condition in the
lower part Of the city He was taken into custody
18th inst. and committed by Judge Kibreth
for ten days. After being locked mp it was
discovered that he was breathing heavily. and
he seemed to be lapsng into unconscousness.
He wae therefore removed ambulance to Belle
vue Hospital, where he treated by DR.. Mckenzie,
and sufficiently revived to be able to talk. He
said he was an Englishman that his name was John
Thompson, that he was q shoemaker by trade and
only few days in the country He further stated
that he had been disappointed in procuring employ
ment and had taken a dose Of poison to put an end
to his troubles.
srrSptcyoSs THAI PROVED coRRycr
Dr. Mckenzie regarded this statement as unworthy
OF crcdcnce for the reason that the mans appearance
belied the account he had given Of himself. Acting
upon sudden impulse. DR.. Mckenzie askcd
the patient II he was not Mr.. Wrsy. The
latter at first was confused when this
gaining his composurc. no yehemcntly denied
that such was his name. He reiterated the
statement that he shoemaker by
trade and that his name Thompson. Observing
McKcnzs asked the patient il he had ever worked
at his trade in this country. He replied that he had
not but that he had followed that calling in the old
country Curious to ascertain IL the mans state
ments were correct Dr. Nc cKenzie brought from ad-
Joining ward patient who fast becoming conval-
escent and who shoemaker This man the Doctor
requested to examine Thompson's hands and judge
for himself if he thought il possible for one with
such clean palms and soft skin to follow
the laborious calling OF shoemaker. The con-
valescent patient. after making the desired
Thompson not a shoemake-. a. it wond he i'm
possible for him 20 work ut that trade and preserve
the delicate comnieyion OF his hands. This confirmed
the Doctor in his suspicious and he again asked the
patient III his not Wray. but the
only smiled and shortly a.tcrward relapsed into
unconsciousness. from which he never rallied he
died Last saturday and yesterday his body iden
tilted 81 that Of the missing cergym
IL il supposed that the deceased. having deter
mined TO commit suicide had recourse TO the above
stratagem in order to conceal his identity.