The New York herald., 1879-03-19
THE MERRIcK MYSTERY.

CURIOUS DOUBLE 1DENrIFIcATIoN OF THE DE-
cEAsED--THE BODY FINALLY REcoGNIzED AS
THAT OF PATRICK NJ. HUGHES, OF BRooKLYN.
The finding OF the dead body in Cedar Greek. near
Merricx L. l.. on Monday morning. snd its identif-
cation that Of John Clark the mi. sing witness
the O'Brien subornation of perjury case detailed
in yesterdays HEnALD attracted large crowd of
people to the premises OF Thomas Seaman where
the remains lay in the barn. People
there from q distance OF ten miles Probably fifty
people presen. from Rockville Centre. where
Clark formerly resided snd where O'Bren
Sides But of the party failed to identify
the body Clark's. and ho not entirely sure.
Clark's said that the body was not that OF his
father. but the jury not satisfied with his state
ment He said his father wore larger shoes No tens.
and those on the corpse were found to be OF that
size He admitted that the hair. eyes. and
teeth corresponded exactly with his fathers. There
was q remarkable resemblance between the face Of
the deceased and young Clark. He said 1t could not
be his fathers body because he had tuinor ON the
back left side OF the neck When the corpse was
turned over DR.. He2einan found scar where Clark
said the tuinor ana the doctor said that it was just
such ~ would be lett by tuinor after suppura
ton. Young Clark went away before being examined
by Coroner McCarty.. BENJAMIN Seaman was posi-
tive that the body Clark s. He had doctored
his horses and dinod ut his house. Henry Mott said
he could not be mistaken in his identification as
Clark had been customer vt his bar for three years
Arlington Bcdell and Henry Often were equally posi-
tlve.
The jury had made up their minds that it was
John Clark 8 body, but were unwilling to say what
caused death, and Foreman Jones was about to
ask that post-nortem be made when the
Coroner called from the room He returned
in few minutes, and stated that the body had been
identified that of Patrick NJ. Hughes. of No. 157
Ansley street. Brooklyn. L. D. The person who
identihedlthe remains refused to give his name, say
ing that il the sad came to the knowledge Of
the deceaseds daughter it would kill her. He had
thought previously OF not recognizing the body and
permitting it to 60 to the cemetery as that of
John Clark, but his emotion betrayed him.
When sworn he said his John
Hughes and that he the deccased's
The deceased wandered away from his home
last Saturday morning. 1t WAS a common thing for
him to stroll about, sometimes walking far
Coney Island, wi,hstanding he was scvcnty-one
years old. He never carried more than SO or $15
his son said. but only two cents were found on the
body The son made acomplete identification of the
body and effects Hisfather never drank liquor. was
hale and hearty, clear minded and not subject to fits
He quite positive that he did not commit sui
cide there reason why he should. as he lived
with his widowed daugh Ur happily and luxurously
The verdict OF the jury was death by drowning,
but whether accidentally or by his own act or the
act of some other person they would not undertake
was not all satisfied with the result of the inquest
There should have been," he thought, "a post
mortem."
"Why didn't the jury order it?''
"Well," eaid 1re 1.-The Coroner seemed against It,
and we didn't want to force it,
The absolute Identification of the corpse that of
John Clark had SO impressed the jury that Mr..
Hughes subjected to u most rigid examination
to satisfy them to the contrary.