New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-07
Mr.. Seymour had fallen he climbed over the fence
CORONER FLANAGAN's VIEWS.

On Friday morning the police professed to believe
that Mr.. Seymour had committed suicide. AlthQuRh
the theory of suicide shocked Mr. Seymours wife
and Bishop Seymour, and was declared by them TO
be absurd, Captain Ryan, OF the Sixteenth Precinct
and Others of the police chung 10 it. They made a
careful search for pistol in the long grass near
where the body had lain. During Friday and Sat
urday the grass was cut close to the ground for n
considerable distance about the place, but weapon
was found. The theory of suicide was abandoned
at length; Coroner Flanagan had not favored 1t
from the beginning of his investigations. TO
TRIBUNE reporter he gave the following reasons ior
believing that Mr.. Seymour could not have commit
ted suicide: In the first place, he said Mr. Sey-
mour had no motive for sclf-murdcr. lie was
enjoying good health, and his family and social re-
lations we're all that could be desired. His wife had
a comfortable income His daughters had married
and were happy in their homes. Even If pistol had
been found near his body the character of the
wound was such as to indicate murder instead OF
suicide. The bullet had struck Mr. Seymour in the
breast and lts course was downward and toward
the right side Mr. Seymour was n rght-handed
man. He could not have inflicted such wound I'M
less he had held the weapon awkwardy and dis
charged it with his thumb. 1t was evident, too,
that the pistol had not been held close to the body
as tho clothing was not burned, and there was no
trace of powder where the bullet had passed n IL
the usual custom, the coroner said for persons
who committed suicide by shooting themselves, TO
press the weapon against the body III order to
steady it.
Coroner Flanagan said he believed that Mr.. Sey-
mour had been killed by some one who 'tood near
enough to take a good ann. The pistol ball was OF
22-caibre. This, he thought, indicated that tne
weapon used was too small to throw bullet more
than fifty feet with such deadly effect.
He was much interested in some information
which bad been gwen by the family OF Charles
Waun, at No. 432 West Twentieh-st Some members
of the family saw "A man and woman coming out OF
the seminary grounds about 10 o'clock on Thurs
day night. The woman wore "A white dress WIN a
black skirt. and the man carried a shawl over us
arm. They walked from the grounds as though
they were in haste and proceeded i'll the direction
of NintL-ayo. Mrs. Seymour informed the police
that she and her husband noticed this couple be
fore ho went out on Thursday night. 1t
was about haf-past o'clock, Mrs. Seymour
| said, when she noticed the man ana
woman sitting the corner OF the
West building about eighty feet from where Mr..
Seymour's body was found afterward. The couple
were sitting on tho grass IN a grove of young
locust trees. She took her opera glasses 80 as to
! get better view of them Soon after Mr.. Scy-
! mour put on his coat and went out rs he said To
look after the tTamps Mrs. Seymour believed That
he meant TO send the couple oil the grounds.
Police Inspector Dilks investigated this clew care
fully. FROM inquiries made of Mrs Seymour and
of the family of Mr.. Wann, he came To the couclu-
sion that the woman IN white and her companion
could not have taken any part in the killing Of Mr.
Seymour. He satisfied himself that the couple loft
ia, grounds before SIR. Seymour went out.
WHAT CAPTAIN RYAN THINK.
D,.,,, ,,1 S.tu rI flot bp lp-
loved the killing of Mr.. seymour not intention
AL He was inclined TO think that the bullet was tired
either from some house III the neighborhood or from
the street by some person who had begun carly to
celebrate the Fourth. In his judgment small
bullet might have been fired from rifle or air gun
at a distance Of several hundred feet with fata
effect The person who fired the shot might have
thought al open square the safest place to shoot
mo and I'M ght not have noticed Mr.. Seymour wan
dcrng about the grounds.
Captain Ryan said yesterday: " We are gong to
use a lawn mower the seminary grounds to-Inor-
row in order TO settle all doubts about the pistol
with which Mr.. Seymour was killed If we find
pistol on the grounds 1t viii not be proof of sui
eide. sut it may b. clcw to the
| per,on VINO fred the shot. think a man could
not well shoot himself in the breast without leaving
some traces of powder on his clothing. The bullet
hole through Mr.. ScymouIs clothing was clean cut
and there were no traces of burnt powder. am
| inclined to think that Mr.. Seymour was killed by
! some one who was shooting into the grounds from
! q distance and who did not notice Mr.. Seymour
! when the shot was fired. great many persons
were shooting from house tops and windows that
| night We are making inquiries at all the houses
in the ncghborhood, but thus far we have seen no
one who will say that they heard shot fired during
that night 1t looks now as if we should never
| I ,,.tl SeVmOuTlE
! than we know now have received some inforIna-
ton 70 the effect that the couple noticed coming
ont Of the grounds on Thursday night were a re-
spectable woman and her son. They left the
grounds before Mr.. Seymour came out TO
look after tramps Thus far we have re-
ceived no information which points to any per-
sons as the probable murderer of Mr.. Seymour. No
one so far as we know had any motive to kill him.
The most natural conclusion, therefore, is that Ne
was struck down by bullet careessly fired from
distance II that Is the right conclusion the man
who fred the shot VIII probably keep his secret to
himself, and we have small means of detecting
| him."
| OTHER POLICE OFFICIALS SILENT.
| "As for me-" said Superintendent Walling ycstoT-
| day, when questioned about his theory" Il shall
! give none nor will any reporter get another word
from me about the case Then shall sec rolling IN
| print as coming from me that ! never sad, nor
thought / made up my mind, after the Hull case,
that that was the best way, and shall not depart
| from IT, ! have no theory 10 make public, and II
| any /. unfinished nevertheless as NINE am not
Responsible Aud the superintendent gracefully
| dropped the subject 10 resume II no more.
! Inspector Dilks Tctreatcd bchiud q newspaper
| when approached upon the subject Of the murder.
| Don't, nowl please don't" he exclaimed with
| deprecatirg gesture "Don't ask me about it, II
You please. What can say that Will be of use or
interest 10 the public cert ainly shall not tell the
newspapers what will he Of use to us in woTkingup