The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-12
A MYSTERY.
Whose Bones Are They, and How
Did They Get There!
IA Crime of the Past Brought to
Light.

Y'he police ard detective force OF the cit,
have been for some days past engaged upol
u case Of more than usual interest, one Ii
which all the circumstances which developed
n point to the preparation Of q terrible Grim,
YEARS ago.
On Thursday last, while the workmen 0
the Peoples Odorless Apparatus were en-
ragged In cleaning vault at the house at til,
corner OF Craps and Esplanade streets, they
found a few bones that they were satisfied
were those Of human being. They still con
Mnned working, however and after cleaning
the vault they sounded the place, to see /
their work had been well done. For sounding
m iron bar was used, and as 1t was strucl
against the bottom Of the vault 1t produced
shollow noise," as II there was an empty
apace below. The noise, taken in connection
With the finding Of the bones. aroused suspi
eaons, and IN examination was gone into. and
II was found that there was wooden floor al
the bottom Of the vault.
The flooring was removed and beneath It.
10 the great CONSERVATION Of the men, another
Lot. including a human skull, was discovered
They were eli taken out, and with the bones
FIRST found, went to make up q skeleton 81 q
human being.
Fsaanernin, commanding the Fifth Precinct,
who went Immediately TO work to investigate
THE MYSTERY. -
In the course OF his investigation he learned
That about four years ago the place where
khe bones were found had been occupied as
mineral water establishment, BY Erne y Hall.
and some time during the year 1876 the junior
partner, Mr. John L. Hall, had mysteriously
siigappeared and that his whereabouts had
never been learned. The captain, satisfied
that the bones found must be those OF the
A1g lost Hall, and knowing that Halls mys-
AarfOus disappearance coupled with the find
ang OF the bones In the vault, would be a
strong link In chain Of circumstantial evil
aiance, went immediately to work to have the
homes, If possible, identified.
But this has proved most unsatisfactory
undertaking. for there was not even one Of
Halls most intimate friends that could pick
MP the bleached skull that lay on the coro-
ner's table, and, like Hamlet at the grave OF
&aphelia say this ID falls skull.
The bones were taken to the Fifth Station
where an investigation WAS held and
AN INQUEST ORDERED.
The inquest commenced last night, and tho
FIRST witness placed on the stand was Mr.. c.
n. Ohlsen. He testified that IN 1874 Erne y
Hall rented from him the house at the corner
OF Craps and Esplanade streets.
some months; that he had never had the
vault cleaned; did not know the condition
III the vault when the lease WAS taken. He
knew that Hall had been missing four years. |
Mr. Christopher Erne was next called. He
stated that he was the father-in-laW and
partner OF Mr. Hall; that On September IS,
lS75 he disappeared from his house on Dau-
phine street. He had never heard from him
even to this day. He had heard rumors that
he was In Jersey City. but did not believe 1t.
f.
mess and his then partner. Hail. as a mineral
water factory. At that time witness resided
@n Dumaine street. The house where the
bones were recovered he occupied three years
and some months.
The day previous to the day Hail disap-
peared he gave him $10o5 to pay note and
purchase exchange on New York. The fol-
lowing day, which was the fifteenth Of Sep
tefnber, he saw him ut dinner, and since then
he has never laid eyes on him.
The day after Halls disappearance he was
called UPON by a man named COnantz, who
came to his house and asked Tor Hall, and
upon being informed that he was not at home,
remarked that he had gone up the Jackson
Railroad to raise some money to purchase his
tConantz) mineral factory. The next day he
called again. and stated that Hall had gone
TO Texas. When he (witness) found Hall had
gone he went to the bank and found that the |
note had been taken up and the exchange at |
tended to.
The next witness was John Kunutzan. He
said at the time of Mr.. Halls disappearance
he was driver for Erne & Hail, and the night |
ne disappeared he took drink with him at |
the corner OF Delord and Magazine streets. |
These being all the witnesses summoned
the investigation would in all probability, |
have ended here, save for the fact Of the name |
GonantA being brought forth by the cross ex- |
animation of Mr.. Erne.
CoDantz's persistent inquiries regarding |
Mr.. Hall and then young Halls whereabouts |
an two separate occasions, and both state |
znemts having been proven to be false, reused |
The suspicious Of not only the jury but the |
police, and, In consequence the inquest was !
continued until Thursday evening. Until that |
time every effort will be made to ferret out |
ahis mans whereabouts and have him before |
the jury.