New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-19
THE PRINCE STREET MYSTERY.

THE POLICE INCLINED TO BELIEVE Thai ANNi'
MARTIN sTRANGLED HERsELF-THE CORONER
INQUIRIES.
All the indications at present favor the theory
that tho woman Annie Downey, alias Martin, VINO
was found dead on Saturday in tile low resort NO
III Prince-st. strangled herself Captain Melon
nell was engaged yesterday investigating the mat
ter From what he could learn 1t appears that the
woman on Friday evening had a call from man.
who left the house soon after 10 O'Clock. Presently
she entered the parlsr and partOok oil oysters anu
beer in company with Rcbecca Fredericks ana the
keeper of the house. About 1880 p. NJ. she with
drew saving she expected visitor. So far as can
he ascertaincd. however no one came III AFTER 'nai
time 81 ,Io
iutnates until a. M. on the following Day Inc
,vimdoy of fine room which is on the second story,
was raised about six inches but this is accounted
for on the ground of ventilation. there beng n ho'
fire In the room. Death was due directly 10 strangu-
lation The autopsy yesterday by Coroner Knox
and Deupty-C Coroner Donlln attests tiat tnere
were wounds the right and left side OF her heaI;
but these were superficial, and of themselves coulu
not cause death Mrs Smith, the wife OF The proprietor,
saws she WAS awake all night. Neither she nor any
of the other inmates of the house heard sounds OF
struggle in the room occupied by ANNE Martin. II
would be possible for the woman 10 nave hhicieu
the wounds herself by striking her head agaihsI
the side of tho bcdstead IN her convulsye slugsSs
after she had tied the pillow-case around her neck
Sine was possessed of q very quarreisome dlspos-
tjon when under the influence of liquor, and the pc
lice have several OCCASIONS found IL uilhCuiU 70
take her to the staton-hOuse when IN this c0nd-
ton on account of her furious resistance. chc nau
on several occasions, shown symptoms OF INSANITY
II was no uncommon thing for her to threaten 10
take her life and her violent end has caused no sur
prise to her associates Nevertheless, captain NC
Douncll, although inclined 10 accept the SUICIDE
theory as the correct one, was engaged yesleTuaY
until late hour in the endeavOr to clear up all the
suspicious circumstances connected with the case
That robbery was not contemplated is shown by the
fact that the wOman's valuable earrings ana oia-
mond ring were not taken. But gold watch
and chain belonging to her are miss
ing. These may have been pawned 10y her, how
day evening that she had no money. There was no
weapon found in the room, nor were there any
signs of struggle .,
driver and lives at No. 2S7 Elizabcth-St HIS Story
was brief Three years ago" he said, my sister
left her aunts house. in Elizabeth ST., wnere she
was living Ihere was no apparent cause iol TI
stress and never returned. / searched Tor her I'M
successfully until last July. when we met IN the
Bowery. | asked her to come home, but she re-,
fused nor would she tell where she llyed. 1 dld
not know with whom she associated, ana never
saw her since till she lay i'll the Morgue" 49,
Mary Downey, the sister, lives az NO. west
Twenfv-sxth-st. She too had looked for her miss
ing sister, and found her last Summer III the black
wells Island penitentiary. When she asked her
how she came there Annie told plausible story OF
having been arrested by mistake In the street and
sent to prison. Since then she has never seen her
alive but had heard that after leaving the Island
carriage accompanied by woman and man who,
she said had bailed her out. She did not wait to
see her sister, who happened to be Qut
Margaret Herman who lives with Mary Downev,
coach as very tall and SLENDER and with dark hair.
He was simply dressed.