The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-03
SEEKING TO SELL BODIES.
SOME STARTLING SEQUELS TO THE
MURDER or sTUTTERING JACK.
Other Grimes Hinted mt by Those who nre
Prosecuting VI RS. Ale xander-Hasa "a Bridge
port Young Man shared the same Fatet

port Young Man shared the same Fates
The Court had slept on it and given 1t the |
most calm and deliberate consideration but the |
unspeakablo conduct Of Jailer Wells, custodian
OF the nun held for the murder OF Suffering |
Jack appeared to the Court not less outrageous
after such consideration than it did at the mo-
ment Of its preparation. determination not
to be trined with rested upon the judicial coun-
tenance of the Court. and was noticeable to the
audience of short men in front slantinR up TO
long men against the wall when the inquest
was resumed yesterday morning.
The story OF DIR. Sanford was told In an inter-
esting way. and there was touch of tho dra-
matte in the episode in which the jailer figured
The mystery OF tho whole affair has been how
the Alexander woman could have made n mis-
take Of two months in the date OF her Offering
TO sell the dead body to the Yale professor. and
yet have been 80 accurate in the many other
points which have been verified. This mystery
IL beginning TO disappear before the light
thrown upon the affair by the evidence pro-
duced ut the inquest. and by illumination from
other sources. The woman now says that slut
terng Jack was not murdered on the night Of
May 10. but about two months later; and the
counsel for Basscit In the forthcoming trialwill
probably attempt 10 explain this singular blum
der in dates by showing that. when the woman
first told her story. she confounded Jack with
another victim who was murdered that night
in May.
II Is known that the woman and Bassett had
n male accomplice in the disposal OF Suffering
Jacks remains. He went with Bassett TO en-
gage the wagon. and aiterward to got the team.
but took care to keep whero his face could not
be seen by the owner OF the team. II Is sup
posed that Bassett's confession to Jailer Wells
involved this person.
I, ,,.II k. ,l,,f %, a lai
that Mrs. Alexander was thinking of getting
up a trade in subjects for the dissectng room
short time previous to the date she first mem
toned as that on which Jack was killed About
that time a young man in East Bridgeport mys-
terlously disappeared and has not reappeared.
| IL Is believed that witness can be procured
who will swear that Mrs. Alexander revealed to
him the story Of this missing mans murder
a story not less horrible in its details than that
| which has already come 10 light This witness
lives IN Bridgeport. and his nnne is known TO
| the detectives, II is understood that the coun-
gel for Frank Bassett will show that this woman
had matured a plan for the murder OF Basset
whom she lived with. ana the killing Of two other
| persons. and that these pros pectiye subjects"
| were to constitute the three which she informed
DR.. Sanford she could obtain by the aid OF y
competent resurrectonist' II Is also hinted
| that "A horrible crime was committed at a house
Of i'll fame which this woman kept in Water
| light in the forthcoming trial
Mrs. Aiexanders history Is varied. In 1872
/ city. and was known as Lena L. Cloyne. At an
! other time she WIS In Rivington street. and was
| there known rs Lorena Philips She has lived
| in East Fllty-iourth street and East FOrty-ninth
street in Red Bank. y. J =: in Auburn. y. y:
and in Plttsned Mass. Her effects comprise
the devices used by fortune telers and adopts
in hocus-p -pocus. and also picture in which she
appears as n variety actress. with tights. trunk.
and spaneles, In August. ls7s. she was de-
husband Of hers Il the far Wes! in order that
to the expression of. that desire another hus.
! band had written TO her advising that she and
still another man get married. and both 20
The forenoon. session. OF the inaues, was
n,ly manly 9eeSyisd with with S the testimony testimony q prs
| port DR.. Sanford said that some time about
the 10Th or l2th OF July. 1873. woman calling
proposed to sell him body for the dssecting
room. She was waiting for him TO return from
making his morning calls. and when he came
IN she gave Nun a sllp OF paper on when was
| written; / have a body TO sell for f25. He
the civil authorities Of Bridgeport authorizing
her TO dispose OF the body. and also If she had a
death certificate TO show that the person died
from natural causes. She answered that she
that he would have nothing to do
tell her story the coTpse She ddeRs ssd RSt
on the preceding evening several men who
were intoxicated and quarrelsome got into a
gave the other a tremendous blow upon the
head. at which he dropped upon the ground AS
picked up the body and threw il over the fence
into the yard. She went, out Immediately.
|
ting it in and heading up the barrel herself
without aid She had procured team and
that alter She had told him this story he told her
| that II she had committed any crime or was
cognizant OF any crime on the part Of others II
was her duty TO al once confess IL to the civil
| thorities. He told her that IL she had body in
the wagon. a. she said she had, 1t was her duty
to take i back to the place from which
tor-and Tor what purpose he does
not know-that she had put his name on the
/ barrn He said TO her that If evidence
came to him that she had committed any
| crime. or If any crime in which she WAS par
| ticipant came to his knowledge. he should re-
! port all he knew about il, The woman stated to
! him that she had incurred an expense OF IS for
port and, when speaking Of this outlay, she
| showed the first signs OF emotion. He told her
that if she had got into trouble IN that wav she
must get out the best way she could. and If she
| had done anything wrong or was partieipator
n any wrong act II was her duty 10 get back 10
Bridgeport and max, ne whole matter known
As soon rs possible. He then said 10 the woman
that he was N haste 10 attend to other things.
and she had better start upon.her way, where
upon she took her departure. This closed the
Witness account OF her visit TO him.
DR.. Sanford then said that he would like to
explain TO the Jury his Impressions derived
| from ner visit. He was told TO proceed and he
said that In thinking OF the woman's, story it
! seemed altogether Incredible. and he didn't be-
/ lieve worn OF il. because 1t didn't seem possi-
/ bic that such row, with murder MS the result,
/ could happen IN the streets Of Bridgeport and
/ not he known to tho authorities at Once nor
| that she could pack the body in the barrel with
Oul NsS lSliltf. llt luOuElll Sut Itl sliltn lilt
! hody-t indeed sh" had one in her wAgon-Or
| was in collusion with sOme poor person 10 sell
| the body Of relative or friend, or that perhaps
! the barrel contained sticks or something that
| would make il weigh about what II barrel with u
corpse in il would weigh. such swlndles are
| sometimes perpetratri on medical institutions
| The witnesss watched tht daily newspapers
/ closely for the report OF a murder or crime
| which would explain the mysteries of this case;
| but he found nothing. and reached the conclu-
| sion that there was no body in the case.
Dr. Sanford then proceeded 10 nArrate the
| incidents Of Il call which he received from the
| same woman early IN the month Of the preced-
ing April. She was with another woman.
! younger than She whose nane was given as
! Pelkry or Kelpy. or something Of similar
| sound. III is thought that this woman Mas
| Lizzie Cavanagh of East Bridgeport. Rrp.l The
| Alexander woman said she had been told IN
! Bridgeport that there was medical college in
| New Haven whose ',subircts" were sometimes
| purchased She had been told that the witness
| was professor in such collage and was the
proper person to see about the business she
! had come on. She wished 70 sell her body. as
did her friend, to the medical college. When
coursr." Witness asked what had brought her
| to such desperate purpose. and sha answered
! a life full of trouble She said she had been
| deserted by her husband, and she kept board