The New York herald., 1879-11-22
THE RIVERS. SECRET.
Strange Whispers Around The Battery Regarding
the South Americans Death
A FRUITLEsS + POsT-MoRTEM.
Police Officials Still Groping for clew
to the Mystery. IS -,

's'ySsS'J'tt@ ~ f'~f
.I think he died from drowning said Deputy
Coroner DR.. Mi yesterday at the Morgue. after
making careful examination Of the body of the
South American which wss thrown up by The water
on the Battery wall the day before yesterday II see
no evidences Of il-ussge ON the man and
there is abundant proof of how he died.
What preceded that is of course q mystery and
one am much Interested in solving The stomach
was completely empty, showing he had not eaten
for several hours before he got into tha water but
the body is in good condition. don't think the
man suffered much from want Of food 81.
"Is there anything to show that he passed through
q struggle while living?" -.
"No> And yet such a struggle might have occurred
1t is quite possible that he might been foully
dealt with and yet preserve NO marks OF what had
been done to him. blow on the back of the head
would not necessarily Leave impression behind it.,
nor would blows delivered on other parts Of the
body. IT, however. any blows, were administered
they did not kill; that man died from drowning.
Everyt thing proves that. Now, whether he drowned
himself was drowned by others cannot cay i
am inclined to think he went into the river of his
own Accord 1a.a .4
.'Blindfolded and with his hands pinioned behind
Eyes. as he was thrown up by the river. We have
similar record. While such 4 method Of
self-destructon IN not common 1t has occurred be-
fore several times. You see, man about to plunge
into the river and eternity at the same time may
want to shut out the sight of what he is doing and
where he is going as much as possible think
would adopt such precaution as tying up his eyes,
Now sensitive man or one who would commit
as much possible. That would in all probability
lead him to close his eyes, and to make doubly sure
Of their remaining closed he tied o handkerchief
round his head" ..s F.
WHO TIED HIS HANDS?
s.You think he also tied his own haudsp"
II think it is possible that he tied them, but
won't say that they were not tied for him. Both the
handkerchief and the cord were removed before the
body submitted to me. am told the handker-
chief was easily removed and the knot opened with
out difficulty. The cord shown is an ordinary
Rs fno woad easily ns am.
man inserting both his hands, putting
it first behind him. and then twisting them
that the cord became entangled and he could not
release himself in the water. think good swim
mer bent on suicide. would adopt this precaution
he was in the water. It is natural for man to make
effort to prolong his life. and 1t would be natural
knowledge of the art Of protecting his life in the
water who had made up his mind to die to take this
precaution against himself NsaH
"He was powerful manW
Remarkably SO. and II he has been murdered
there was more than one man concerned in the job.
The frame is one Of great strength. and the arms,
while not developed like those of in the habit
of rude exercise are large. shapely and powerful.
x an0 wHua tnay nos hss h easy
awares some of them have been hurt. An
other thing with relation to the binding o,
the wrists is that although the cord very thin 1t
left scarcely any marks upon the wrists, unless
such might nave been made after death. The i'm
and on Of
ing think, that the hands not turned back to
has been here yet to look after him. He has not
been Identified, nor does there seem to lmvsoeUn
any person OF that kind lost for there have been no
| inquiries at the Morgue am told"
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
| Superintendent walling gave the case good deal
Of attention during the day and sent several Of the
detectives out in search of information One or two
vessels lately arrived from South America were
hour last night nothing definite had been aseer.
taned One OF the first things to be estab ished is
the identify of the in.,nsS some
further trouble. One Of the most experienced Of
Central Office gave It as his Judgment yesterday that
the man had been murdered. ''He has never been in
among themselves. II he had been hard up and
wanted something to eat Or none, to buy i with
have had nothing to do but go to any merchant in
town trading with South American ports and obtain
The murder was slyly. done. They drussed and
Ss w.sr him n plunged s him him on eS
head or drive knife in him. No
to find murder. and If there two three In it
Of the lot will get frightened and then you
ent story. Here there is doubt about
the manner of death; and they chnckle
south Americans-haif Indian. half spanish--sre are
not like other people have to deal with UP here
They are slow sr,n Of speech and cool They don't
mapping. As soon a. we know who the man
we shall be able to tell whether he died through
at the whole bearing Of the case and you'll SEQ
Sunnas in tsss iss and
doctors. says foul play to tho practical man. The
idea of u man tying his own hands behind his own
back @ to to commit s susiSs whyh he stopped to do
they have had several like it before heard Of
one nor have read of one in the papers," .st
|. A BATTERY BoATMANs STORY.
"Well. think he got pitched over ships side.
that's what think; but don't put in the papers,
old bostman the Battery. .'There is all kinds
O. wild stories goin' round here, but don't take
his face Mem mostly lie % On her m face 1o n ss
water. When they're dead, moan. Women turn
''when they took him out were tho hands tied
| tightlvy'
! ''weli. don't think they could be tighter. Tho
weron't acrost at ALL but aat together. I do not not
think he could have tied them in that way himself"
Gamer
II think it como down the river. but then. 70 SEQ.
| II might have gone up the river hrst."
"what the stories going round here about
him?"
''Wcll. don't exactly know, but I've heard some
| o. tho men talking about = circus company coming
! up from somewhere down where that man belonged,
and there was something about stowswxy and Q
row. don't know the right ins and outs of It my
self. heard one o. the boys say there was a womsn
! walkin' up and down along the Battery wall there
last night after dark. crying as hard as ever she
! run on up TO State street." n ""''' 20