The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-19
MYSTERIOUS MURDERS.
A BRIEF RESUME, ENDING WITH AN
ACCOUNT OF THE MURDER AND
ROBBERY OF ALEX. PIPER.
How Detectives DO Their but

ROBBERY OF ALEX. PIPER.
How Detectives DO Their Duty.
| During tho past two years there have been so
many dark and bloody deeds committed Ia this
city that she now stands not far behind some OF
| our Northern metropoli.
| The first on the list Is the old gray headed
man. name yet unknown. found about twenty
months ago lying along The bank OF the old
shell road that runs by the New basin. He was
discovered by some negroes and the facts re-
ported to the police.
| The coroner and city physician were notified
to hold an autopsy. They repaired to the scene
and upon examiDg the body found that the old
man had been murdered. as o hole made by
bullet was percepHble In the skull. and II was
also evident that the man had been killed sew
eral days beforeihe was found. as maggots and
birds OF prey had eaten his face to such an ex-
tent that he was beyond recognition. An In
specton of the body also showed that he had
been murdered and then robbed. or perhaps
robbed and then murdered by the assassins to
prevent detection. they who do such hellish
work knowing that dead men tell no tales.
It is as much OF mystery to this day as to
who the murderers we're as 1t was then. The
detectives wore the usual amount OF mystery
and said they were working up the case; yet 1t
can be said with safety that there was not an
officer of the detective force who went near the
scene TO take In the surroundings. And still
everything was plain that robbery was the rea-
son for the murder. and had there been
an aid who had wished to have made reputa-
ton for himself. he could with a little perse-
versnce have surmounted the obstacles and
perhaps brought the guilty party to Justice.
Yet time was allowed to blot out the bloody
deed and unless revengeful Heaven has pun
ished the murderer or murderers for this I'M
natural act. he or they are to-day as free as the
most respectable citizen.
SO much for the old man. who. robbed OF his
life. now lies N Potter's Field. But hardly had
his bones whitened than the population OF New
Orleans was startled by the mysterious Posey
tragedy On the morning Of the second OF
October W. T. Posey was found lying on Front
street. between Thalia and Erato. with bullet
hole through his skull.
The detective force OF the city was put to work
to investigate the case. On the fourteenth OF
the same month they were brought before the
| coroner and each one being called to give his
| testimony not one knew any more than one
who had never worked up the case. The jury
| In the case returned a verdict that In view OF
the conflicting testimony the deceased met
his death under circumstances unknown to
| LII.
afterward some police officers attempted to
prove that Posey committed suicide. bnt could
furnish no evidence to show the assertions true
Hardly had the coroner finished the inquest
In the Posey case than he was called upon to
hold an inquest ON the lamplighter who was
found In the front portion OF the city one morn
Ing In q ditch with his skull fractured. This
case did not at all bother the detectives. as the
coroner's jury returned verdict that the de-
ceased came to his death at the hands OF parties
unknown. When his body was quietly laid
under the sod In Potters Field the memories Of
the foul murder we're laid away with IL.
The facts OF this case had hardly passed out
OF the public mind than on the morning Of tn
twenty-second of March, 1873 the DKMocBA,
furnished them with the details OF another
mysterious and terrible murder committed IL
the two-story frame house at the corner
Gaiannie and Annunciation streets. 1t was tn
killing Of an old negro. Robert Isaac koane
A man without heart stole into his DOM at IN
dead Of night, and after Draining him In hi
bed with Ratchet. robbed him OF his none
3 and then fed from the scene.
When this case was reported at detectiv
: Headquarters there was the same amount {
mystery about the detectives. and the same oil
! answer. that they had clue and were workin
t wise as to who killed and robbed Roane as the
were the day he was found murdered.
r Not more than two weeks ago. In lagoo
/ five miles from the Fifth Precinct Station
1 another unknown man was found murdere
II and robbed The instrument OF death. oar
s iron. was found near the murdered man. "
2 a detective went to make an investigation befo
"a the body was removed, or to take In the 81
rounding circumstances which might give son
:. clue as to who the murderer was. NO oi
" visited the scene save police officer.
The detectives claim to be working ND 10
II case. and although two weeks have elapsed q
". the slightest ray Of light has been thrown
the murder.
Now we are called upon TO furnish the pub
," with still another mysterious murder. Ieslt
day morning at o'clock, some laborers. wn
IT. going to work. found an unknown man ON
We nature ON the levee. between Celeste and M
O.. streets. When they discovered him they lou
him sticking head downward in the mud III
pulled him out. and upon washing his II
identified him az Alex. Piper. aged sixty-f
- years. native OF Ireland. residing ON Full
ew street, between Felicity Road and ut. Mary.
u. n Coroner Marley and the city physician
MS an autopsy and found that the deceased
m been made the victim OF foul play. he nav
sre JON -. ptor r-oo Ioat q
no batture some say that I!poh "o0 i -
he at O'Clock on Monday at the corner OF 40
J. seau and St Mary streets. under the indue
so of LIQUOR, while others say that he was s.
~. sitting on hisfsteps Monday evening talking
is two unknown men. and at the time had
Isl, hundred dollars on his person.
he The deceased. it is said. collected MS rrn.3
all Monday, and the belief is that he Was o1e =
vii to the levee and there murdered. roooSa .
ras thrown into the batture. 1t Is said tna' ~
on TO the chief are working up this case. an
his thew have cew and they are
il. Time will develop what the cruz az
POLICE BOARD.