The New York herald., 1879-07-14
Mr.. SEYMOUR'S DEATH.


DID THE CORONER sHIEK HIS DUTy!-IN-
vEsrIGATIoN PRACTICALLY CLosED-UNusED
EyIDENcE-THE STORY OF COLLEGE RIVALRY
The finding of the verdict in the Seymour case has
practically closed the investigation of the police 1t
is thought by many and some of those most deeply
Interested supposed to be included that the in-
quest was not nearly searching the occasion re-
quired nor as was promised by the police. The Cor
in appointing the time of the inquest for Sat-
urday, said that he considered the time allowed the
police to be amply sufficient for all reasonable inves
tigation. The police while acknowledging this to
be true to a certain extent. nasmuch the thousand
and cews and theories could only be fully made
clear the inquest, claimed that the examination of
witnesses should be searching and complete OF
it entirely within the power OF the Coroner
to conduct the proceedings of the inqusition he
it and it is claimed that in doing he utterly
disregarded the advice and wishes of some of the
police who. it is reasonable to suppose knew more
of the than he did. The entire bias of the
animation seemed to be to fix the responsibility
of the death upon an accidental shot fired by Paul
Stucke He swore positively that he fired only tour
times with blank cartridges and the Rev. Mr. Frisby
and others fully and positively corroborated his
testimony From the evidence taken. the witnesses
being only ten dozen persons out of thirty or
w.
the tragedy. the jury could not do otherwise than
entirely exonerate the boy After doing that there
absolutely nothing left for them but verdict
OF accidental DEATH Taking out the evidence that
directly ON the acts of Stucke there was left
hardly anything upon which to base q theory or
clew.
UNUSED EVIDENCE.
The thought that Mr.. Seymour was murdered was
stronger the day of the inquest than it had
fba
morning of the killing. and there seemed to be
information in the hands of the police sustaining
that theory than at any other time. The photograph
which hal been found by Detective Hogan, which
was not that of any connected with the sem
mary, not explained. nor was any attempt made
at the inquest to eiucidatc facts concerning it,
Mr.. Montgomery, the son-in-law of the deceased.
who, it said, knew something about the face.
not even sworn. There were number OF per-
sons who ready to swear distinctly that they
heard shot about eleven O'Clock between eleven
and twelve o'clock. the hour at which, it is thought
| Mr.. Seymour killed. This shot came. they
thought from the northeast corner OF the seminary
building, which is the rest point to the spot
| where the unfortunate man was found. The evil
dence of Mrs. Stewart of Twenty-hrst street. would
nave shown. had neen taken. that sne heara re-
| port and saw the sparks fall from pistol among
the trees between this corner and the place where
| the body was found. The testimony of her son.
| which not taken, would, it is alleged, have
| shown that when the body was found Mrs. Seymour
| exclaimed, "They have taken his watch but not his
rings" This may have been mistake. OF course
| on the part OF Mrs. Seymour, and there may have
been absolutely nothing missing from the person Of
the dead man. but it a somewhat curious that
not a single question asked the inquest to
| whether there was any thing taken or not.
Mr. Elliott student of the seminary, said in the
| presence Of the Coroner and others that he would
swear that on the night OF the killing he had OBJ
served from his window in the west college a man
| skulking amid the trees and acting in highly sus
| picious manner. This about eleven o'clock
Shortly atterward he heard the report of pstol-a
strong pistol. His evidence not taken although
i was IN perfect accord with the testimony which
| OF Twentieth street might have given.
Ex-sTUDENrs STORY.
Assuming the testimony of all these witnesses to
be immaterial and unnecessary it is thought some
what curious fact that no allusion whatever
made to the story published in the HERALD OF Satur
day morning. exclusively. and which in the
hands the police, the effect that the deceased
had been killed in mistake for the Right Rev. Dr.
Seymour, Bishop of Springfield and recently dean Of
the seminary. OF course this story was highly i'm
probable. and its being told the stand
to the students and others connected with
the institution, well as to DR.. Seymour himself
but that was hardly reason why public officer in
the discharge OF important trust should have de-
lberately ignored it. as he apparently did. The
person who just told it said that there had been for
time the most intense rivalry between the grad
yates of Racine college and those Of Amadae. This
led in time to a most intensely bitter feeling. in
which, it Is alleged, the Bishop was III some way
concerned. official investi CATION made by the
faculty and the discipning of some students the
result The state or AFFAIRS nad now reached climax
and, stated by person who at that time
member OF the institution. some of the students
would not hesitate to do the Bishop personal vo
lence IL the occasion offered This story the detec-
tives promised to thoroughly unrave at the inquest
but not aquestion of kind was put referring to
it in the very remotest way. 1t is thought that it
| was duo the institution that the rawlings of this
| 'person of unsound mind" as the informing
student is termed by some should have been denied
and certainly better opportunity could have been
| offered than public examination under oath. The
story, improbable and painful it is. will go down
to posterity as possible cew to the death OF Mr..
| Seymour which Investigated.
The condition OF Mrs. Seymour yesterday re-
ported to somewhat better than when she left the
| city.