The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-04-25
AN OLD STORY RETOLD.

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AN OLD STORY RETOLD.
Mysterious Murder of Beautiful WOman-ThC
Ida Richardson Mystery-A Case Of Mistaken
Identity-Reappearan Of the Supposed MUIR
dered Woman.
About five o'clock on the morning oi
April IA, 1860, Jonathan H. Baldwin
then watchman on the Cunard dock,
New York, on looking out of the window
of shed, discovered, as he thought, the
feet of a human being swaying back and
forth in the water. and upon closer in
spection found that his surmise was a
reality. Summoning his side partnert the
two attached rope to one of the limbs,
and attempted to draw the body to the
surface when they found that it was held
firm by some weight attached, They then
made it fast to the dock, and notified the
Coroner, Doctor Morris. The Coroner
soon after proceeded to the spot, and ups
on taking out the body, found it to be
that of female in a perfectly nude state,
with the exception ofthe yoke ofa chem
Use, and about three inches of the top of
a white stocking, One end Of the rope
was found passed around the neck and
drawn twice tightly through the mouth,
causing the tongue to protrude, The rope
was fastened by peculiar knot called
by boatmen climber hitch" The other
end of the rope was fastened to barrel
of pitch, which was considerably imbed-
ded in the mud, and is supposed could
not have moved any distance after hav>
ing been sunk. The remains which were
in good state of preservation, and were
ofremarkably symmetrical form were re.
moved to Mr.. Hopes the undertaken,
there to await Identification.
Coroner Morris impanelled jury ,and
an inquest was commenced that evening
in the Recorders Office, at which there
was a large assemblage present.
THE MYSTERIOUS CASE
Having caused much excitement in the
city. Hundreds of citizens had viewed
the body, but all failed to identify it.
District Attorney Isaac w. Skudder cons
Quoted the case for the State Jonathan
Baldwin testified to the finding of the
body as above stated,
There being no further evidence to of
fer, the investigation was adjourned un-
til the following Tuesday,in order to give
an opportunity foridentifcation. In the
mean time, people came from all sections
who had friends or relatives missing.
Among them was merchant doing bus
siness at No. las Chambers street, New
York, who stated to Coroner Morris that
A.GooD LOOKING IRISH GIRL,
In his employ as nurse, had been missing
ten days. She left his house to go to Jer-
sey City for the purpose OF seeing a man
with whom she had been corresponding
for some time, with the intention of dis.
continuing her correspondence and fur.
ther acquaintance with him. He stated
that the missing girl had scar behind
one of her ears, by which she could be
identified. DR.. Quidor subsequently
made an examination Of the head, and
found scar answering the description
given.
On the evening of the 18th of April,
the inquest was again resumed, the court.
room being densely crowded with per-
sons anxious tn learn if there were any
new developments.
Mr.. B. F. Woolsey testified to having
lost two barrels of pitch from the York
street dock on the I4th of January, and
another witness testified to having heard
screams, apparently those of woman,
about I a. m. on the 27th or 18th of
March.
DR.. Quidor. who made the b0st-mOys
tenn examination, found, on opening the
chest, large masses of coagulated blood,
between the muscles and ribs, the left
collar. bone was fractured, three bruises
on the left side, and the stomach showed
four or five spots, as though il had been
kicked. The lungs were congested and
filled with blood, as if death had been
produced in some very rapid manner bes
fore the body had been thrown into the
water. There was scar under the left
ear; the right eye-tooth was depressed
backward, and on the left side the tooth
back of the eye>tooth was broken off;
both ears were pierced for ear,rings, the
left one with the hole torn out. The in>
vestigation was postponed from time to
time to the goth of April, when it was
concluded.
THE HEAD WAS DECAPITATED
And placed in jar of alcohol, in DR..
Quidor's office, for identification, and the
body of the victim was buried.
About this time, "a young woman named
Kelly, who had come to New York, was
missing, and the mother came on, and up
on seeing the decapitated head, was posts
tive that twas that of her missing daugh-
ter, but the latter was found living with
family in Brooklyn.
THE BODY IDENTIFIED.
A few days after the discovery of the
body genteelappearing young man call.
ed upon Dr.. Quidor and requested to be
allowed to look at the head of the muir
1ered woman stating that the description
perfectly with that of his wife,
with the exception that instead of one
ear having been torn out, where they