New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-07
TIE TRIGEDY At T1PPAN.


EVIDENCE AGAINST TIE VAN YALENS
TIE REPUTATION or THE TWO BROTHERS WHO
HAVE BEEN AEREsTED-THg MARKS On THE
MURDERED wONAN's NECK.
The examination Of the Van Yaieu bro hers, who
are charged wirh ,hc murder of Miss Helen Brewer.
which Will take place to-day at iappan, y. y,
+, looked forward 70 with much interest.
Since the murder IL July last the residents OF the
place have been ed ln 90 other subject. The
belief tnat some person living near ne Brewers
committed the crime li- Increased tLc frfIlIe Inc
Young men vino have been arrested are VOL
known IN the town, having Hv there
nearly all their lives. TIE Van Facn FAM
m maintains socai relations with OF the best
families i'm tine place. ihr father has been dead
some years. ana the mnther. an elderly woman, his
charge Of tue place. he family consists or ihlee
SON. and a daughter besides tAc mother The eioest
son il married, and Will MS VIE lives OF the
farm The daUQltor. Auuie. is young Grl OF
about fifteen. and lives wtl her mother. Siucc
fh4 death OF the Gather tie two younger s0us
Jacob and Francis. have been leading reckless
lives. They have been associated t0gef her IN rot
ous living, aHd are considered dangerous heighnor'
A. soon as the crime "as discovered su,pIcIOn
Unit could he Obtained. 1nrv have
been watched constantly since tic murder bat they
have saI4 absolutely nothing 10 CIiuiiuaie thcui-
selves. IWO electives have been employed, vino
now believe they have q complete cham OF evidence
showing tnal THESE men ne me Ffth@uS VINO COLI
uirtrd the murder. 10 ID believed also tAaf The
h ,-s il orr. hers Wno were discharged last week 10
r1 rerest of he DIS rIct-A r0ruey Know me secret
nI,,orv of the crime. It's known mat Que of tnem
that ngnt was nc the house Of the Nal kalous. amt
10 is I4ought tna' ne pOs5 sses slrneelt knowledge
to make uIm an imp rtult witness.
The farms of the Van Ya.ens and Brewers are adj
iaceut ami are situated on the man road, and the
BIOWer house Ia ees Il lane lradiug IRON TIE ma
road. The h0use of the Van Yalens q three-stOry
frame structure. winch has been improve, from an
old dwelling % one OF modern appearance. Ii l.
only a few hundred feet from the house occupied
by iar Brewer family. ibcTe Is sharp turi Ia The
ROAD betWee the TWO houses which forms almost
right auCle The DETECTIVES have been able 10
trace tne footsteps of two persons WHO walked on
the night IF the murder across the meadows between
the houses Of Brewer and Van Nacn, aut the IN
print OF the heel showed thar they had gone from
the Van llens 20 20 the Brewers. Tracks also
dicated thar the persons ,elC Brewers house Dy
another route
At the time the murder was committed Mr.
Brewer had a niece, a young woman about nineteen
yeaIs of age visiting him. she ia SAID to be a pre-
possessing person. ana II Is believed that the Mea
who committed tue murder thought that
they mad entered her room They
first went 10 David Brewers room
aud lighted match 10 see il he was awake.
Finding HIM asleep they went 20 the other room,
but 70 treIr surprise, instead of finding Young
woman, they found Miss Brewer, aye hfty-three.
On heI neck were the marks of tour bloody fingers
OF a left hand the middle finger was missing.
fraucis Van Valeu IL lefI-handed, and when he was
a boy accidentally shot off the middle finger OF the
left hand Clothing whICh was s0iled At the time
OF tne murder ha, been found. l. came from Van
Valen's house There are about forty witnesses 10
DE examined; out Mrs. JOAN Van Nalen WAL testify
that the prisoners were in their house all night