New-York tribune., 1879-06-12
DISCOVERY OF THE CRIME

NO SUSPICION oF THE TRAGEDY UNTIL MANY HOURS
AFTER THE MURDER WAS CoMMITTED-INvEsTi-
CATIONS OF THE POLIcE-woRK OF THE COR
OVERFLOW The CRIMINALS PREPARED FOR THK
ROBBERY.
Mrs. Hull, whose murder was discovered yester-
Gay, lived with her husband, Dr. Alonzo 5. Hull In
a fine brown-stone house. No. 40 West Forty-sec-
ond-st the centre of the block between Sixth
ave and Broadway. Dr. Hull used the front base
ment room as his Office. and slept in the hall oed-
room on the fourth floor. Mrs. Hull slept
in q small room Mt the rear OF the
hall on the first floor opening into the back parlOr
and into buffers pantry, which connected with
the hall by n sliding door. Two cOlored servants
slept on the top hoor-Nancy Francis, the cook, and
Nellie West, the chambermaid. The rest OF the
house was rented furnished. A Mr.. Becker Occu-
pied the second floor with his wife and daughter;
John II. Coleman Mrs. Coleman and John II. Cole
man, it, occupied a part of the third floor and
Mr.. Ballard and wife the remainder; George ID.
HYDE had room on the fourth floor.
Tuesday evening there was a small whist party in
the paror the guests going away about half past 10
o'clock. DR.. Hull remained reading until within
few inmates of l l O'Clock, when he went up stairs
to bed asking his wife as he passed the hall light
whether he should turn it out Mrs Hull answered
that she would attend to it. AT half past IL o'clock
John II. Coleman, jr., entered the house with his
seemed quiet as he passed the parlOr doors. which
were closed. Five minutes later John H. Coleman
the elder entered the house and went TO his cham
Der. The horrible murder evidently COM
mitted between that hour and sunrise.
AT about five minutes before q. N. Nellie West
went down stairs ard found both the street doors on
the parlor floor standing open. She thought little
of the matter at the time and after closing them
went about her usual morning work. A little be-
fore O'clock she went to Mrs. HulPs room to get
some money with which to buy some bread for
breakfast. On entering the front parlor she found
the two doors between it and her mistress's sleep
ing-room wide open, as also the windows open
ing into the back yard. Going into Mrs. HulPs
room. she found her bound and gagged on the bed
The chambermaid rushed out and told the cook
what she had seen the cook called the elder Mr.
Coleman, who went to the Twenty-ninth Precinct
Police Station and made report to Captain
Williams. Another lodger in the house went to the
residence of DR.. Robert NJ. Fuller, at No. 1876. two
doors above, and told him that a murder
had been committed at DR.. HulPs. DR..
Fuller started at once; but realizing the
importance of the case and not wishing
to 60 alone he went up the street and called DR..
Henche to accompany him. The two physicians
found that Mrs. Hull was dead, and had evidently
been dead for some hours, her limbs per-
fectly rigid She was lying on her back clothed in
q
made from strip torn from the bedding was bound
tightly over her mouth, and another over her eyes
aud knotted under her head. Aback serge dress and
a shawl were also tightly wound around her neck
and over her face Her elbows were piniOned be-
hind her back and her wrists bound together in
front Strong strips of sheetng had been tied to the
side-pieces of the bedstead on each side and wound
securely about her ankles. pillow, slightly
stained with blood, under her head, and another
The position of the body was such that If she had
been alive it was plain that she could not have
moved limb nor made any outcry. 1t was evident,
after brief examination, that all efforts to restore
animation would be useless.
THE POLICE COME UPON THE SCENE.
Captain Williams of the Twenty-ninth Precinct,
arrived without delay, accompanied by Detectives
Schmittberger and Dunlap. They examined the
room in which the murder had been committed and
found it in great disorder. A trunk standing by
the bed had been emptled of its contents, and
everything of value had been carried away There
were marks upon the fingers of the body which in
dcated that rings had been violently torn off, and
upon inquiry it ascertained that Mrs. Hull
had been accustomed to wear rings of considerable
value. A gold watch and chain which she was
known 10 possess were not to be found
CAPTAIN Williams teleUaphed to the Police Cen
tra Office: Coroner wanted at No. 140 West
Forty-second-st very important case" and Coroner
WOltman at once fastened to the scene. Captain
Kealy of the detective force also went to the house
with Detectives Golden. Lyon and King. The house
was put in charge of the police, and orders
issued that none of the inmates should be allowed
10 90 out until after the inquest, and that no one
should he admitted without authority from Cap
tain Williams. Coroner WOltman unbound the
body of the murdered woman. and after
he had made a careful plan of the room as he had
found it, the body was taken into temporary charge
q b. an undertaken. DR.. Hull, the servants, and
others in the house were examined, and list was
made out of the property supposed to have been
stolen. This sent to the police station, and
policemen detailed TO search for the articles In
the pawnshops of the city and the houses of re-
cevers of stolen goods. Captain Williams and the
Coroner then went to the Central Office and con-
suited with Superintendent Walling and Inspector
Dnks.
IHE HUSBAND OVERWHELMED By THE STOCK.
EDr Hull seemed completely overcome by the hOr-
ilDie tragedy aud wapdered about the house In
puTpOseless manner. he said that he was seventy
four years of age and his wife fty-eght they had
been married about thirty years, and had always
hYod happily together; they had had no children.
che was Miss De Forrest before her marriage and
had always lived in New-Yorl her Inotherrecently
oied at Planfeld. n j. He had been educated as
aphysician in Europe, and had formerly had a
large practice as allopathc physician but for
tle i1st ten years had practced a homepathist
lie had lived at his present residence tor three
Sear'' moving there from No. "a West Twenty
IithsI., where he bad lived for seven years.
III nun could not account for the murder on any
touhds except the enpdity Of brutal thieves who
were led to rob her of her iewelry and who posi-