New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-06-17
THE MURDER OF MRS. HULL.

FRANCIS.
To all appearances the murder of Mrs. Hull is en-
veOped in as profound mystery as on the morning
when it was discovered. The police Inde-
fatigable in their search, but bafled at the out
set, there being no foOtstep leading out of the
house at No. 40 West Forty-second-st. Superin-
tendent Walling, Captain Kealy, Captain Williams
and score of subordinate officers and detectives
are deyoting most of their time to this perpexing
case, while every member of the force is interested
in searching for the criminal. If the word of the
high police officials is TO be taken, the detectives
working on no theory as to the murderer ex-
cept such as Is forced upon them by the known
facts. The many theories which have been put forth
and credited to police officers and detectives, are
said to be the creations of the brains of newspaper
reporters more ingenious than veracOus They
cause only a smile when spoken of in the presence
Of the men to whom the alleged statements on
which they are based are attributed
ave are driven" SAID Superintendent Walling
yesterday, " to the conclusion that the crime was
committed by some occupant of the house, by some
who was let in by an occupant of the house, or
by some one who came in by means of a key pre-
viously taken from the house. 1t is possible that
some person may have entered during
tho day and remained concealed until
night; but 1t is hardly possbe-certainly
not probable. There was no room which was not
occupied and it is difficult to believe that thief
could have hidden in the basement or the sub-cellar
and come up during the night without being dis
covered 1t would be harder to account for his
getting in without being seen during the day than
during the night. The murderer could not have
entered by the back windows for l ex-
amined the back yard with great care.
and there was no mark of footstep on the soft
earth, not a blade of grass was crushed, and not
twig was broken of the bushes which hung
over the fence ON side nor of the grapevine
which overhung it on the other. If he entered the
house that night he went through the front doors,
with key made to fit the lock, for there was no
sign of violence anywhere. You see, so far as we
have any evidence, the thing Is narrowed down to
the house itself, and to the people in it, who had
been in it."
cit IL a remarkable feature of the casep con-
tiuued the Superintendent, "that there is sign
of anything having been taken into the house by
the murderer; no instrument, no rope-nothfng, in
fact He took nothing from his pocket to USE left
nothing behind him by accident The bandages
were all torn from bed-clothing belonging In
the room, Mrs. Hubs head was tied up
with her own clothing that had hung or lain near
by the match ends and the candle were such as
were used in the house. There was not fOotstep |
leading out from the house; that our attention
had to be confined, in the first instance, to the !
house itself and to those In it. 1t was not neces-
sary to form any theory We simply had those few |
facts to work upOn.'
Were the drops of spermaceti upon Mrs. HulPs |
night dress from the candle found in her room %
asked.
"No," replied the superintendent; " they were of |
a kind of which candles used in other parts of the
house were made; the candle in her room was of a
lighter material These candles had been bought |
only three days before. and were used in the
servants rooms and in DR.. Hulls room. The |
candle from which they dropped was not left in
Mrs. Hulps chamber. 1t is evident that they
dropped from the candle the night of the muir
der"
"What do you know of the movements of the
cooks husband-BristOw Francis" was asked.
ooh all you've seen abOut him is true enough.
The Mt. KscO paper has given a correct account OF
him but we have no evidence that he visited his
wife at Mrs. Iuls, aud special reason for beiey
ing that he did. OF course we want to know where
he is and shall find him if we can. Then he will
prove where he has been, and
where he was the night of the
murder and If he makes this clear there will be
an end of ali suspicion against him. 1t Is our duty
TO follow everything which may by any possibility |
prove to be a clew, and because we investigate
mans movements 1t does not necessarily follow |
him."
The Superintendent said that the search of DR..
IIulps house had been very thorough. but had not
resulted in bringing any evidence to light. All the
peope remained in the honse W no were there "a week
ago. The cook and chambermaid had not gone
away unless they had departed within few hours.
IL was suggested that they would not probably be |
permitted TO 90 away without his knowledge, and |
q significant smile the only response.
Superintendent Walling is receiving large num-
Der of letters and postal cards, the writers of which
offer to tell him where the stolen property is for
consideration, or suggest theories of the murder
and methods by which the criminal may be de-
tected He treats them all with indifference. If
a man had any information Of value TO give me. do |
Won suppose he wouldn't come and communicate |
it ?" he exclaimed, impaticntly. The theories have
all been published in some one of the newspapers
"As to the advice of the spirtualsts" he added, |
ait reminds me of incident connected with |
another great crime some time ago Some men
came TO me and urged that | should consult a GER
tain woman medium. | told them that she wouldn't |
60 into trance for me, but they insisted upon 1t
that she would so l went. Well, as soon as she !
saw me- she said she couldn't 60 into trance that
day and had no information TO give me- l knew
she wouldn't "-and the superintendent laughed. |
81 think she had seen you before" remarked a
gent enan present, and the superintendent laughed
again.
at IL astonishing how some newspaper reports
are got up" continued the superintendent. Com
missioner Wheeler came in here the other day, and
remarked in a joking way that - ought to be
put in the House of Detention. He didn't stay
three minutes and that was about all that said
on the subject and the next day of the
papers published a long report Of a CONVEX
sation between Mr.. Wheeler and myself.
which had nothing of truth in It except
TINT one iocnlnr remark. There's nothing new IN