New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-09
MURDERED BY A TRAMP.
A CHASTITY ACT IN WEST PATERsoN-RoBBERY
SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN THE MOTIVE FOR THE

MIS- Hannah ,. Sunderlln, q widoW, age sixty,
living near the little village of West Paterson, IN
Putnam County. found on tho afternoon of
Wednesday, March 27, with one side of her skull
crushed in. She died on the following morning. The
village Is on the line of the New-York and New
England Railroad, and the house of Mrs. Sunderlin
Is about mile from the station. The old lady was
worth about S6 900 in real aud personal property.
Most of tins was in ready money which she loaned
to the farmers in the vicinity. Among the ignorant
people of the neighborhood there many who
believed that Mrs Sunderlin kept considerable sums
of money in the house. 1t known TO her friends
however. that this wac not true. She was last seen
alive about p. m. Tuesday, March 26
by Mrs. j. p. Rodgers, who lives opposite. Mrs
bunderlin was then rear her front door. About
D. m. on the following day Mrs. Rodgers went over
to Mrs. Sundern's to tell her that she had rented
shanty near by to colored family The curtains
OF the house were down and the front door was
locked. Going to the rear door she gained an en-
trance. Mrs. Sunderlin was not found either in the
kitchen sitting-room. Two cats ran from bed
room willie Mrs. Rodgers was in the house. Mrs.
Rodgers supposed that Mrs. Sunderin had gone to
call on neighbor and did not look further.
THE MURDER DISCOVERED.
Two hours later Mrs. Rodgers sent her daughter
in-law over to Mrs Sunderln's to acquant her with
what she herself had gone to tell Young Mrs Rod
gers finding Mrs. Sunderlin not about tho house
went to the bedroom. The cats which the elder
Mrs. Rodgers had seen ran out the visitor entered.
On the bed was the owner of the house bleeding
profusely and presenting CHASTITY appearance.
| Mrs Rolgerss first impression was that Mrs. sun
derlin had died during the night and that the cats
were eating the corpse. She ran to the door and
screamed. Her husband and mother-in-law ran to
her. An investigation showed that a burglary had
been committed and that the old lady had been
struck on the side of the head she lay in bed She
was breathing heavily when found, and was uncOn-
| scous. She WAS raised in bed and placed in
moro comfortable position, and while moving her
the visitors found that her hands were tied with
| piece of cord. The alarm at once gwen. end
| Dr. Wheeler was called. He found that one side of
tho woman's skull was crushed in, and that there
hope of saving her life She died on the fol-
lowing morning without having reganed con-
| sciousness.
TIE WORK OF THE DETECTIVES.
Meanwhile a meeting of the residents of the
neighborhood had been held. and it was resolved to
| procure the aid of an experienced detective TO
hunt down che murderer Supervisor Henry
Mabey sent James Towner United States rev.
enue officer, TO this city to call at Pnkeron'5 De-
tcctiye Agency aud procure tho aid of
detective. After hearing the particulars
of the murder Robert PInkerton was stuck
| with its resemblance TO the murder of Mrs.
| Hull in this city by Chastinc Cox. and thought it
very likely that il had been committed by a colored
man. An investigation by Pinkertons agent showed
| that the murder had been committed by some one
| who was acquainted with the house and its sur
ronndings. A pane of glass a rear window had
been fastened in place with tacks from the tsldc
These had been removed, the pane taken out, the
screens on the inside of the window pushed open
| and fbo linda ed Therp WE cEs n
mud outside, and these led directly to the window,
mentioned showing that the murderer kne that he
could more easily gain access TO the house this
way. lie had gone out by the kitchen door uufas.
| tenIng il from the inside. On the table
was a small portion of q mince pie. The
remainder had been eaten by the mur-
derer as Mrs. Sundcrlin. although she made mincc
pies for her visitors never ate any herself.
On the day Of the murder Peter Baldwin, nephew
Of Mrs. Sunderlin bad sent his daughter TO the old
lady with 81, interest due on a loan, anl ten
pounds of meat. IL was at first supposed that the
| murderer had taken this money but the roll of
bills and another dollar were found in worsted
bag concealed in a closet. There were evidences
that the villain had made most careful search
after beating his victim nsensible but 1t is believed
| that he failed to any money. Suspicion was
Grst directed against Frederick Denny, colored
farm hand, n rather shitlcss person, who lives
not far from the Sunderlin residence, and Patrick
| Murphy u trackmsn employed on the railroad.
There really evidence against either OF these
| men. PmkertOns agent had made various inquiries
| and found that q colored tramp had been
discovered by John w. Utter sleeping in the
barn of his employer, Augustus Birch. at p. m. on
! the day preceding the assault on Mrs. Sunderlin
He had with him an axe. Mrs. Helen Holmes had
| seen the game man carrying an axe. DIR. Wheeler
gave it his opinion that the injuries of Mrs. Sun
derlin could have been inflicted with A
farmer of whom inquiries were made was of the
opinion that the description of the tramp fitted one
James III. Riley, q worthless cOlored man, who at
one time with his wife occupied the shanty opposite
| Mrs Sunderljn's house-.he one which Mrs. Rodgers
had called to acquaint Mrs Sunderlin with the fact
| of its being rented. and which actually led to tho
discovery of the murder This clew was followed
| Inquiries were made, and finally on April the de-
tective discovered that the man sought for was
in the employ of Samuel Rundle, as stableman, at
| Danbury, Conn.
| AN ARREST MADE.
| Supervisor Mabey and Mr.. Towner went
to Danbury to see that Riley did not get
away before tho arrival of the detec-
tive, and the latter followed with Utter and
Mrs. Holmes. Sheriff Crots was also called on to
give his services. The two witnesses were sent to
the house of Mr. Turner. When everything was
IN readiness Riley was sent by his employer with a
note 10 MIS-. turner, He was rccoShlHou Wy ooVn
Utter and Mrs. Holmes. and was taken into custody
by Sheriff Crofts. He was questioned as to his
movement Is on the day preceding the assault on
Mrs Sunderlin He declared i'll the most positive
manner that he had not been in or near West Pat
| erson on that day. lie said that on March 26 he
was IN North Salem, and had been there for several
| days staying at the house of his brOther-ln-law,
| Francis Bowman, and from there he went directly
to Danbury and entered the service of Mr.. Rendel:
| Previous to the time mentioned he had lived at
| Greenhayen and left there on March 20 to go to
| Bowman's. On tho afternoon preceding tho
murder he went to visit Charles Bowman,
a brother of Francis, living between North
| through West Paterson, where Mrs. Suuder-
lin lived. He declared that he did not meet
any one on the road whom he knew that he did not
hlenn In Mr. Rirch,s ham and did not see Utter lie