The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-07-17
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
-FRoM OUR REGULAR coRREsPoNDEN

mystery Of the Hull murder shows that
there had been a much wilder dread o
the discovery Of some sinister domestic
tragedy in the affair than was super.
ficiallv evident from the average popu.
lar theory regarding il. The coroner's
inquest, so far AS il went, explained
none OF the seeming contradictions la
the appearances of the dead body and
the desecrated mansion, while It GER
tainly had the effect Of representing the
police as working upon occult suspicious
not revealed to the public. As the case
is now understood, the detective author
ities were misjudged in that respect,
from their very proper relicence as Ia
their private views, until their hunt for
the missing jewelry had progressed fur
ther, and so early as Friday Of last week
they were really working upon :hat
Boston clew to the latter which resulted
in the Identification OF the robber. The
confession OF the mulatto, Chastine
Cox, at once cOnfutes all the theories
previously ventilated by the press and
individuals, and yet agrees with some
Of the conjectures Of nearly all Of them.
While the fellows single design, as he
says, was robbery, he is no professional
house-breaker or burglar, aud though
murder ensued from his crime, il was
committed without intention on his
part. He did not belong inside the
house, yet from occasional employment
there and acquaintance with the cook,
Nancy Francis, was familiar with the
interior, and while he used no anes-
thetics upon the sleeping woman, the
strange quickness with which she died
OF sufiOcation from his compression of
her mouth and nostrils, to prevent her
outcry, caused the appearance OF her
having expired without a struggle.
There is plausibility in the explanation
Of his binding the poor victim to the
bedsiead with the bedclothing, under
the impression that she was only tenn
porarily unconscious, and, though
gagged with the quilt, might yet give
some kind Of alarm before he could get
away; and the remark that he threw
water and cologne over her at last, and
approached lighted candle to her eye
to facilitate her expected recovery Of
sensibility, when he finally became
alarmed at her deathly appearance, ac-
counts for some aspects Of the next
mornings scene, which at first made 10
seem as though a different professional
intelligence from that OF any vulgar
thief had been concerned in the tragedy.
Thus the crime was that Of an outside
amateur burglar, with inside advan-
tages; the murder was a CHASTITY acci-
dent of the lesser intentional wicked
ness, and variety of incidental circum-
stances conspired to produce appear
ances susceptible of widely varying
construction. But, though the yellow
scouudrel's prompt and concise confess
sion recouciles a number Of apparent in
congruities in this manner, it suggests
some perplexiug Inconsistencies be-
tween the seeming general shrewdness
Of the man and the fatuous temerity of
his conduct after the midnight murder
Presenting some Of the stolen jewelry to
disreputable female associates in this
city, and offering other pieces for pawn
right and left in Boston, he sowed his
own track with the surest possible
means Of his speedy identification and
capture. Iudeed, beyond going to Bos-
ton, he appears to have adopted no pre-
cautions whatever against discovery,
aud now tells tire frightful story OF his
deed with a cool, logical definition OF
detail implying an almost cheerful
resignation to the scafiold. Scarcely
can he avoid hanging, since that is the
legal penalty for his ofiense, even allow
ing, as is generally credited thus far,
that he did not intend to kill poor Mrs.
Hull. Such must be his fate, unless
something can be made Of plea Of in
sanity for him. Public curiosity remains
feverish as to the amplifications Of the
confession likely 10 be elected before
the whole shocking tale is told, aud the
case bids fair to take the precedence Of
all others in popular attention for at
least another fortnight Of the balmy
season its evil genius defiles.
II is probably in the nature of things
that a certain proportion Of our women
should grow up poor and remain un-
married, and it is also in the nature Oi
things that many OF them should, while
meekly accepting their condition, pro-
test against a dependent position, and
seek to carve out for themselves some
"paying'' career This laudable desire
on the part Of 50 many who have missed
the "perfect purple state" OF love and
happiness is at the bottom Of the mod
ern cry Of place dur danes and the
constant effort to open new fields Of ac-
tion to our unemployed, educated
women. BY this effort some effect must
be produced, and we see already how
much easier il is for women OF the
higher classes to support themselves
when necessity or choice leads them to
make the attempt. Indeed, it is left q
servants, sewing women aud the great
mass Of comparatively unskilled work
ers to find the real difficulties in the
way Of making both ends meet hon.
estly. Many things which were for.
merly considered mere young ladyisb
accomplishments have lately developed
into visible means Of support, and thi;
is largely due, Of course, to the present