Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-22
NEW CLUES AT sTRArrOnD.
The Latest Development In the Rose
Amber Murder Case.

LOOKING FOR CREAM-COLORED SLOOP WITH
GILDED EAGLE ON HER STERN THAT AN
CHORED IN sTRATFORD HARBOR ON THE DAY
OF THE MURDER.
telegram from Stratford. Sept. 20, says
The coroner's inquest i'm the Rose Amber case
was adjourned to-day until Saturday next
Beyond doubt the adjournment was to accom-
nodate the detectives who are working on
several new clues or alleged clues. Much con-
fldence is placed in the report duplicating the
captain of cream-colored oyster soop The
report that one of the Fuller detectives is look
ing up this craft in New York is erroneous No
Fuller mel are at work on the case One of the
regular detectives is looking after this particular
clue. and has taken the fullest memoranda of
her description from the old fisherman here who
saw the craft. Coroner Holt, was seen in
Bridgeport this afternoon. and enough was
gained from him to show that he places much
Importance upon the connection OF this sloOp
with the crime although he refuses to make
puhiic anything concerning her. He admitted
that he knew of the existence of the story ON
Tuesday last. but would not tell what detective
he has put on the case. The hearing. he says.
VIII last into next week. or until the vessel can
be heard from. He knows the name of the mys-
FERROUS craft. but will not divulge it. None of
OF the vessel around which so much interest now
centers. but she was Of Long Island build, and
evidently hailed from one of the ports on that
shore of the Sound 1t is said that VIM. Lewis
family are also Investigating the theory inyolv-
ing the vessel, as it eflectually clears him from
all suspicion.
The slOOp arrived at the mouth of the HOusa-
tonic river and sculled up the tOrtuOus channel
to point abreast the Stratford wharyes about
half mile away, just before O'Clock on Sun
day afternoon. September 2, the day of the
murder. She was of a greenish cream color,
with high bow and a low stern. gold eagle
Ornamented her stern, and the paint was
knocked off her sides in several places She
had a tall tOpmast, surmOunted bv gilt ball
and broad red fly. on which was white letter
which could not be decipbered from the shore
The trunk of the cabin was white. The boat
was evidently of twenty tons burden Her
sails were nearly new and her topsail barged
in the wind in its seat on the masthead cap.
where it was clewed down as the vessel came
into the river Her captain and crew consisted
OF one man only-a tall. broad-shouldered,
bronzed fellow, with large hands. As he round
ed his boat to for anchOring he hauled down his
lib. around which he carelessly tied a rope to
hold 1t in place. Then he let his mansail run
.,all standing" 1t was suffered to remain on
the deck rs it fell, the mans object (now that
the Stratford people have thought it over, being
to get into his cabin as quickly as possible He
went down below at once. after throwing a
small white sharple overheard and dropping her
astern. The SHAREHOLDERS think that the strange
man wore suit OF dark blue cloth of yachting
cut and make, and slOuchy white FELT hat No
one took particular notice of the craft that after
noon, as it was by no means an unusual cir
cumstance for vessels OF her class to drop anchor
in the harDOr.
Night came on. 1t was dark and rainv. At9
O'Clock that evening it was as black as ink.
Oystermen who came up the harbOr past the
strange SlOOp early in the evening say that the
sharpe was gone. The theory is that the
strange man had gone ashore to intercept Rose
Amber ON her return home from her evening
with her lover; that the stranger knew of this
practice. and, in fact, that he was acquainted
with her. although married man. and was paw
Ing attention to her unknown to Lewis that he
met Rose Amber at about 800 or soon after
she left Lewis house. and that the reason she
always walked alone from Lewis was because
she had this lover and did not wish Lewis to
know OF him; that the pair met on Paradise
Green and talked for while under the
rustic shelter there during the rain which
accounts for the absence of dampness
on Roses shoes and clothing. and then.
the rain being over they strolled together up
the broad Clayey walk under the Main street
elms toward the Raven Stream bridge and
Rose Ambler's home 1t Is half mile from the
green to the bridge. On their way they quar-.
relied. He pinched her OF slapped her, and she
threatened to scream This scared the man.
and he seized her roughly, Not until then did
she scream Murder" which was heard by the
family in the house to the south of where the
body lay the next morning not 200 rods
away. Thoroughly aroused to the scan
dial that would be created were he detected
with the woman. who bore the reputa-
ton for being fond Of the men, he choked her
to insensibility in his mad fright The shock
and the unfortunately long time he held her
by sloop on this occasion because he wished
TO avoid detection in passing over the road
leading through the village early in the evening
Six persons testified before the coroner's iury
last week to hearing him or some one else run
violently down the hard road to the harbor on
the night OF the murder Several belated STRAIT
ford Oystermen will testify to seeing the sloOp
go out OF the narbOr at about midnight under
the head OF her mainsal and 'bObbed" lib in
the brisk gale. She had no lights set
This slOop is the talk of Stratford to-day.
AS the case now stands. every other suspicion
has been set at rest except that against the
mysterious and eccentric stranger and that
against VIM Lewis. Belief in the former is con-
fined to narrow circle, and. belief in the latter
is almost as general in Fairfield county "a the
conviction that Rose Amber is dead This will
ingness to believe Lewis guilty is due almost az
much to his personal unpOpularity as to the
circumstances which surround him. Since
the murder all the points in Lewis connection
with the dead woman have been brought out
and exaggerated by gOssiping tongues The
bare story without any elaboration. puts Lewis
in a most unfavOrable light As has been told
before, he and Norman Amber, the dead
woman's divorced husband, were once partners
In business and warm personal friends Amber
has the reputation of being a whole-souled
generous fellow; who is his own worst enemy
Lewis is knownas cold, cOwardy and utterly
devoid OF any of the points that 90 to make
up cOmpaniOnable man. Amber had no
secrets from Lewis. and he talked to him of his
joys and sorrows as freely as he did to his own
wife. Rose noted the confidence Of her hus-
band; and similar feeling of trust grew in her
breast. Lewis and Amber were in the habit of
going together TO Bridgeport in the evenings.
For time they returned together, and then
Lewis began to come home alone When Mrs.
Ambler inquired after Norman Lewis limited
If he did not openly assert it, that Nor
man was going to the dogs. and that he was
giving to other women the attentions that be-
lOnged to his wife. The suspicion awakened
by William Lewis remarks grew stronger day
by day under his careful nursing and at length
1t eliminated in the betrayal of the wife of the
man whose friend he protested to be. and who
had shared with him all that he had in the
world. When Amber learned that his wife had
procured divorce through the cOnnivance OF
Lewis and with the help of Lewis money lie
was indignant and talked of what he would do
to both of them. but he never did it, and went