New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-05
TRACING A SLENDER CLEW.

THE SILVER LAKE MYSTERY STILL DARK.
TIE TORN LETTER FOUND Al BRIDGEPORT, CONN.,
sUPPOslTION THAT MRS. ALEXANDER KNOWS
SOMETHING ABOUT THE BODY N THE BARREL
After the coroner's inquest at Bridgeport
Conn., on Thursday, in the Of the murder OF John
Rufus while the authorities OF the city and several state
officers were eating the OF Mrs Alexander
who had been found guilty of completely in the murder
clew was disclosed which it was thought might con-
meet This woman with the Staten Island mystery and
lead TO the identification OF the remains OF the young
woman found in the barrel al silver Lake Among Mrs
,loxoudcr,s effects we're found a well-wOrn diary,
revolver and part of torn letter. which read as fol-
lows:
DEAR COUSIN: Address Box 15i, stapleton, Staten
Island
An expressman Of BridgepOrt-John Harron-remetn-
hers thai one warm day last Summer Mrs Alexander
apred to him barrel or box from an old car
factory He called for the afternoon, but found
the place locked Several days after he met Mrs Alex
ander and inquired OF her about the matter. she re.
ued that she had sent the barrel by one else or
had not sent all, Harron does not remember which,
John Rufus was killed III the evening and his BODY re-
moved in the morning, but Mrs Alexander spoke 70
Harron in the afternoon 1t is stated i'll Bridgeport that
a Young woman disappeared mysterously about that
time last SUMMER and this report coupled with the
fact that the torn letter found among the possessions OF
Mrs Alexander had stapletOn, S. L." it, has led
some 10 believe that Mrs Alexander had accompccs on
staten Island and concerned IN some way with the
disp0lition Of the body found al silver Lake.
Yesterday morning the village OF StaplCton, y l..
grew excited these IumOrs spread, dud crowd OF
curious people gathered in front OF the small post ONCE
Box No "a the magnet for all eyes 1t contained
II letter lying fiat, with the supe,scflpuon dOwhWar!'
which Iemuined undistuTbed all day. Neither Post
master Bale nor his assistant, Van Duzer, would give
any information as to the of the box
I'm vain the pos reminded that there was no
law which compelled him 10 remain silent IN regard TO
people rented post-Ofce boxes he refused aD,o-
iutcly to mpaTt information iii the matter HIS
example was followed by the members Of the police
force who generally endravOred 10 throw every obstacle
in the way OF getting information. An attempt was
made 10 ascertain whether the barrel which contained
the BODY found at silver Lake had any marks upon II
which would identity it of those used by Mrs.
Alexander The barrel In which she had
placed the body OF j. Rufus had -. Ross"
marked on IT, Barrels Of this kind made IN Bridge
port But Captain Blake, Chlcf Of the Police of staten
Island, said there nothing lett OF the
barrel except few slaves, which he had
locked up in unOccupicd house near BY and
could not produce. He also declared that he
mad not had time to attend 10 the case and knew 81
nothing new about IL. At the time Captain Blake was
utterlng these statements two detectives from Bridge
pOrt with whom he had been investigating the case all
The morning, sat in his front room