New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-06
BUTCHERED IN COLD BLOOD.
A SHOCKING TRAGEDY AT KENsICo.

A SHOCKING TRAGEDY AT KENSICO.
THE KEEPER OF VILLAGE STORE FOUND pEAD
WITH HIS HEAD HACKED TO PTECEs-NO MO-
TIVE FOR THE CRIME BUT ROBBERY-EFFoRTs
TO FIND THE MURDERERs.
A deliberate and cOld-blOoded murder was perpe-
trated in the hamlet of Kensco, in the town of
North Castle, Westchester County, 1t is supposed
on Sunday afternoon evening. The crime was
not known, however. until about o'clock on Mon
day evening. The victim was Albert Montfort, who
had been doing business in Kensico as a dealer in
dry goods, groceries and other articles usually
kept for sale in a country store. He had also filled
the Office of Justice in the town for one or two
terms. He was a man of fine appearance, and was
about sixty years old. Last spring he built a new
store and dwelling, and only a few months ago took
possession of them. They are situated In central
part of he hamlet. Mr.. MOntfOrt was considered
to be a man of comfortable circumstances, but was
somewhat peculiar in his business matters
and social relations He always paid cash for every
article he purchased, and he gave credit to very
few PERSONS After he closed his store for the
night no person could induce hun to reopen the
doors, no matter how Important 1t might he.
1t seems to have been known among MS neighpors
and customers that Mr.. MOntfort intended 10 Vlslt
New-YOrk on Monday in order to purchase goods,
for the fact that the store remained closed on tlaI
day excited no surprise. About half past .; M
however, when George Ackerley, Daniel Myck0n,
William Robbins, Joseph Duryea and other young
men had assemb ed IN Squire Archer's store one OF
the party remarked that 40 one appeared 10 nave
seen Mr.. MOntfOrt about that day. II was then de-
clted bV them to 90 to the store and see wnat was
the matter. Mr.. " yckott was provided with a Ian
tern, and on ho dng 1t close to one OF the WINDOWS
of Air AoniOrts store 1t observed that the mon
ey-drawer was open and drawn about hall way out
This fact at aroused suspicious that something
was wrong. The men then went 10 rear uool'
which was unlocked. They pushed 1t open,
when q horrible sight met their gaze. Ol
the floor of small room used tor Kitchen ihy Ine
BODY OF Nj. MOntfort in pool OF blood. Ills Iore-
head split Opcn as If ny blow with an axe GI or
hatchet the cash being eight mcneS III iength. ll9
left ear was cut i'll two and the gash eXteh1eu
nearly to The back of the neck, while another OoW
with The axe or hatchet had cut cash from polnt
about an inch from the second cut To wltmh q shoIC
distance Of the right ear mus nearly seyGIlus wy
back part of the head from the body. DloW nau
also been struck the top OF the head WIN lhe
blunt portion of the axe. -, .1o
Drs Smid and Curtis, Of White rams WHO HIau9 9
the post-mortem examination yesterday, dccIaicn
that they had never before seen sucn u cdSo VI
butchery anu that any one OF the lOur WotluS dn
tcted was sufficient to cause instant oeatn' @ lno
walls doors and windows OF the room
were all bespattered with blood, ana the
blood had flowed through the creylces lcss
OF the floor to the cellar Mr MONITOR po"nvys nMn
were turned inside ou', and not cent OF mGhGy & y
could be found anywhere. Theeye glasses whIch ne
used were suspended from his neck, ana lIuu
pencil was picked up from the 100r near Where HIS
hand rested. I'LL,
The news of the murder spread in the nelshOor-
hood with great rapnlty, ana great cAolVciol'
prevailed tor the rest OF the nlGul Ooloucl 'Nnii
mcr, Of White Plans, was gwen lOuloc IpuuI -
o'clock p. IN. he at once proceeded TO hchS.Io,
took possession OF the premises ana spent we I
entire night in collecting all tnc llcls Ootdh@piO
from the excited crowd. Inc body was plactu on
ice until the friends OF the deceased man c0uu oo
Informed and make arrangements lor 'he pIlt'i.
Yesterday morning Coroner SchImer lulancHcu
iurv who viewed his body, after WHICH Tue
inquest was adjourned until tomorrow hVruiiB.
In the meantime Coroner Schrmer ana iue ,lSVllCV
Attorney, y. ii. Baker, Will OBTAIN al inc
tnu fhpN rs
If WAS stated Yesterday that for six or seven
years the SISTER OF Dr. FOwlers wife llytd Win Mr.
Moutioit and when they separated Mt. MoutlOIU
was married TO Emma Reynoli5, Nh0 was tleii nc
mother OF t"o children On lhur'd1y la,o ,o1ir{i Htr{i
Reynolds ol IarrytOwn, sister ol 9lIs. AIoNItot
and named liaIght pau NIst 10 Di I'm, 'tUit
tort at kensIcO. and on SATURDAY MS. Moh'lor1
went to larrvtOWn to Yist ler siSlSi ~ Hoon 70
terday Mrs. MOntfurt probably sun ignorant
Oh ner husbands murder, rs an olncer was lhcl Seht
to inform her o1 the iact ana I'qsy "Ia hos niSn
brother Charles Reynolds, VINO mas Dcch III
the IenIjcnjIaTy, ana on saturday Vi gun
day Deputy Sheriff Lawrence, Ol IarrytowH' "aS
looking for him at hcllSlcO, DaNlu4 tl"OhCu nm INN
there from TarrytONn, on account 0f some new
y arge against INN. Ihe Last seen Oi ME- SohlIor
alive WAS on sunday, about or p' III a i P'S W.
villagers vino hau Uccn attending oamr-meeilhg
M " ntc Paius say that on passing tnc uNclIiug
and store about $3.50 p. they saw lght carried
from the store to tne rooms upstdlis Inc ouli'iHs
Is situated the side OF NIL Inc nlsl HooI 0Yil
si,.s OF the general s,cre uOntlng the ROAD ahu
small back room used Tor the storage OF olIs soap,
vegetables, etc. Inc next HOOK Is divided INTO lour
rooms; the principal onc over the store, Is used ioI
dry gOod, notions, trimmings cic. Ihe d"Juih'Hg
room fronting the road, Is Is yet uhlhIoHcu anu
moccupied The room back of the dry-goOds room
is the Kitchen and the adjoining back room Is seu
for II dining room. Above these there Is one luT-
uished bedroom aud one small uutu!nlohed Dcd-
room and the rear portion of the iloor Is an open'
II finished attic i'll which there are a couple oil pe1-
,irads II was noticed yesterday tnat not single
article of female apparel was 10 he seen Ill the
bulldlug whllc Mr. MOutiOIts best clOtheS were
stored III trunk. " u, - cl =. l.,
Inc o,lcloth on the kitchen floor was found to be
cut IN three places each being a0out Tour inches
long and the door leading trOm the kllchel hIu
cut IN it as if made by Il sharp axe or hatchct'
After the inquest had been adjourned inc coroner
renewed the search for the murdereIs. On the llih
OF The murdered man, ABOUT quarter Ol lhle from
his house, an axe was louhu covered
with blood and gray hairs. O'ner persons
found SHIRT spotted wlth blood IN the uouse oI tno
fathrr-lu-law of Montf0rt, winch stands about
mil, M the road toward White Plains. Near the
barn on this farm another SHIRT was found torn and
COVERED with blood. These things were taken pos,
session of by the Coroner. who immediately ordered
tue nrrest of Mrs MOntOrt, her mother, MIS- sun
son her fathcr-In-law, ana her sister, Mary Key
nOldS.