The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-26
NEW Y0RK's mraDER MYSTERY.
Tho Strange Crime which Is naiIling the
Detectives.

The murder Of Mrs. Hull, well Ito do
woman and Il member ofSorosis, n stones
throw from Fifth avenue, New York, re-
mains the current metropolitan mystery,
partly because Mrs. Hull was very we'll
known woman, and partly because the
| murder was au extraordinary one to
whose perpetrator no clue has been dis
covered. The general opinion, both of
the police and the papers, is that the
| murder was not the work Of professional,
criminals, but was done by rome one
living III her house. Mrs. Hull was
found on her bed, tied and strangled the
knots were in one case such ~ only as n
surgeon would be likely to make, and the
examination Of her eyes by a lighted
candle, to find if she were still living,
was test also needing medical knowl-
edge. The pieces OIL her own clothing selec-
ted to bind her were apparently chosen by
some one familiar with her wardrobe,
and the act was done by those minutely
acquainted with her room. Her husband,
a doctor, is under close surveillance, but
many circumstances render it difficult to
believe that he can be the criminal.
WHO MRS. HULL Is.
Mrs. Hull, at the time of her death,
was So years Of age. Sl.1 was married mt
IL, and two years later went TO London
| with her husband, where they icd
number of years. She was described at
that time as most beautiful woman.
| Upon her return to this country she grew
very fieshy and lost mach Of he. beauty
She weighed nearly three hundred
pounds. She was descendant of the
old and well-known DcF,.rest family.
so proud was she Of her ancestry that in
making her sigl eture she invariably pre-
liked her full maiden name of Jane L..
DE Forrest to the name Of Hull.
Among the articles which the robbers
secured were the contents Of two purses,
q valuable gold watch and chain, tho
rings which were torn from her fingers,
and various other rings. Among these
were a soitnire diamond, cluster dia-
mond, All emerald set with diamonds,
aid very valuable cameo ring with q
mosaic setting. a pair of diamond soli-
talre earrings Is also missing, as well as
a pair of valuable cameo earrings and Il
diamond cross. In all not less than
$l,5OO or $4,000 worth of jcwelry WAS
taken.
| THE SrRANGENEsS OF TIE MURDER.
| Mrs. Hull when found was tied to the
| bed. There were undoubtedly two or
| three persons connected with the tragedy.
One theory is that they entered the room
for the purpose Of robbery, that the lady
! made strong resistance and they took
violent means to keep her quiet. A piece
OF the bed sheet WAS tied to one ankle
and then passed under the bed and tied
to tho other ankle. Her feet were thus
held at opposite sides of the bed Her
elbows were pinoned and her hands tied.
There was II bandage around her eyes,
aud some heavy cloth had been twisted
around hc7 neck and wound around her
mouth. Mrs. Hull was evidently smoth-
cred and pillow was used for this pur-
pose. One or two men held it tightly
over her face and mouth until che was
quiet. frightened ut ihr thought tilai
they. might have killed her, they held q
candle to her eyes, and 80 closely that
the eyebrows were singed. That a can
die was used il shown by a spot of tallow.
the lady was dead. and the robbers, leav.
ing much Of their booty behind them.
| fled. AT least this is the theory oc some
of the detectives. Mrs. Hull for wears
had been sleeping on the first floor, in
rear OF the parlor. Her husband occr-
pied a room in the fourth story. The
couple, to all appearances, were conten-
ted and lived happily. The house is o
handsome one, in the middle of the
block between Sixth avenue and Broad
| way on West Forty-second street. Sew
eral people occupied furnished rooms in
| the house.
WHO DIpIT7
The question which is now puzzling the
police is, Who did it? Some contend
that ut least three persons were engaged
IN the murder, rs it could not have taken
Tess than that number to overpower Mrs.
Hull and bind her in the way in which
she was bound. Everything about the
house was secure and there was no possi-
Bile way of gaining an entrance except
through the front door. There were no
signs of violent entry. 1t is known
that Mrs. Hull has changed servants
somewhat frequently, and that some of
those which she has had-all being color
ed-have had good many callers, and on
this account it has been suspected that
some OF these callers may have planned
and executed the robbery. at all events
there seems to be but two reasonable the
ores. One is that some persons in the
house did the deed, and the other that
some one opened the door and let the
murderers in. A few days ago Mrs. Hulls
pet dog died. 1t was vicious little thing
and a perfect watch dog. 1t is now
thought that the dog was poisoned. The
high police officials seem to have settled
down tc positive opinion as to how the
murder was committed. They also think
that they can point out ono at least of
the murderers. 1t ia certain that they no
longer consider tho case mystery i'm
possible of solution. They have, on the
contrary, made up their minds that the
murder was committed by one or more
persons in the house, and that the alb
straction of the jewels was not robbery
IN fact, but was simply intended to make
it appear that the crime was the work of
professional thieves. Superintendent
Walling and his assistants are now work
ing in accordance with this view of the
case, and are hopeful of proving the cor
rectness of it before very long. 1t is un-
derstood that the discovery OF The burn.
ing OF the dead woman's eyebrows was
one of the first incidents which set the
minds of the detectives working in this
direction: They argued that the expert
ment of holding g alighted candle close to
the eyes of q person supposed to be dead
Is scarcely one which would suggest itself
to the mind.of an ordinary thief or an
unprofessional person, and in following
up the train of thought s.,ygested by this
idea, it is said that they discovered sew.
eral pieces of strong circumstantial eyi.
denca which confirmed their theory Su.
Perintcndent Walling expects to find the