The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-09-10

brought about by having almost as manv
seams in the front Of the dress as in the
back, and cutting the side pieces cross
wise.
ELLEN JEWETTs MURDERER.
The Mystery Explained After Forty.Tnre.
1t was nearly half century ago, or on
the 10th of April, 1916, that, Ellen Jewett
was murdered at No. Al Thomas street,
in New York. The only interest attaching
to the tragedy more than to scores Of
other hemicidal happenings in New York
which have marked it's history with blood
red letter days, was the fact that the per-
petrator Of the crime was never brought
to justice, and the circumstances were
such as to give the case q permanent
place among the unsolved murder mys-
teres of the metropolis.
After lapse Of forty three years, The
Star of Wednesday last, under the head of
Light on Murder Mystery" gave the
public briet statement to the effect that
Mr.. d. B. Sanford, a prominent citizen
and member of the Board of Education of
Bayonne, NJ, had disclosed the name
OF the murderer, and that the crime was
committed by one Richard P. Robinson,
alias Frank Rivers, who at the time was
q member of the old Columbia Engine
Company No. II, with which Mr.. Sand
ford was also connected in 1S41.
! A reporter called on Mr.. Sanford at
his home in Bayonne, and from the lips
OF that gentleman received full corrobo-
ration OF the statement, together with de-
tails OF the affair. On the morning after
the murder, MI. Sanford says, he was
passing along Thomas street, and saw a
crowd in front Of No. Al. He stopped to
inquire the cause, and then for the first
time heard that Ellen Jewett had been
killed the night before. Bill Harrington.
a boss butcher in Washington Market.
went into the house and saw the dead
body. The police were active in their
efforts to discover the perpetrator, and
soon after, probably the next day, Robin
son, alias Rivers, was arrested and charged
with the commission of the crime. When
the case came to trial female inmates of
the house swore positively that Ellen
Jewett had been Robinson's mistress; that
he had been with her on the night OF the
murder; that they had been heard quar-
rellng, and that after he left she was found
dead in her room. Robinson was defend
ed by Ogden Hoffman, one of the ablest
criminal lawyers OF the day, who after
ward died Of cholera during the epidemic
OF 1849. The defense established an aiibi
on the testimony of reputable witnesses
which outweighed that Of the women of
the house, and the jury brought in a YER
dict of acquittal. Shortly after Robinson
left the town.
Some time after the trial, four OF five
months, Mr. Sanford thought, he was
discussing the case with an Acquaintance
OF his, who was also friend Of Robin
sons, one Carries Fountain, who then
lived at No. al Sullivan street. He told
Mr.. Sanford that had he cared to do it
he could have given evidence at the trial
which would have corroborated that of
the women, and secured the conviction
OF Robinson. Fountain said he was in
the house on the night OF the murder, and
In the next room he heard Robinson and
the Jewett woman quarrellng. He over
heard enough to know that Robinson in
tended to leave her, and came to demand
the return of ring which he had given
her. He was about to get married. She
refused to return the ring, and threatened
to expose his connection with he1 to
the girl whom he wished to we'd. Both
were very angry. Robinson was desper-
ate, and the result was the death of his
mistress. Aside from any desire Foun
tain might have to protect the life OF
Robinson, stronger and perfectly nat
ural motive for his silence during the
trial was the fact that he did not wish to
make public the fact that he himself had
been visitor at the same house.
When asked by the reporter why he
did not lnto1m the authorities at the
time OF what Fountain had told him, Mr..
Sandtord explained that as Robinson had
been tired and acquitted of the crime, he
could not be tried for the same offense
second time, and in any event Robin
son had disappeared, nobody knew where.
He subsequently heard that Robinson
went to Texas and died there. Fountain.
also, he believes, has been dead several
years. At the time Of the murder Mr..
Sandfo1d says Robinson was harum-
scarum young fellow, % or 90 years Of
age, and that he had the reputation OF
OClAS DdA udn Will WOuCu. lie was
| engaged to three or four at the same time.
The girl he wished to marry was the
| daughter of his uncle, Joseph Hoxie, and
among others he was engaged to Miss
Mary Chancellor of Long Island, whose
brother was & member of the Columbia
Engine Company along with Sandfocd
and Robinson. The only reason Mr..
Sanford had for breaking silence after
so many years as to the statements made
by Fountain, he said, was that the mat
ter had been brought freshly to mind by
reading review Of the Ellen Jewett
murder in some newspaper, and that he
thought it had been mystery long
enough.
The old adage running to the effect
that fortunes grow out of pennies, was
tolerably we'll eNemplifed in matter
that came under our notice recently.
During the summer of 1860 q resident 1T