The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-10-17
AN Old MURDER RECALLED.
How Mysterious Tragedy Was FORFEITED
Out at Brooklyn.


How " Mysterious Tragedy Was Ferrettei
Out at Brooklyn.
New YORK World.
III there were a few Brooklyn detectives
who had the insight into character the keen
intuition that the CHIEF possesses. there
would be some work done that would aston
ish folks"
This remark was make BY a prominent
Brooklyn official. who was not aware that
lac was addressing Il reporter of the World
detective work in Brooklyn is below that
Of other cities, is il not?" the reporter asked.
We'll, detectives are born and can not he
recruited from The rough police ranks" was
the answer. Policemen as a rule are not
logical. They have little intellectual direct
ness. except perhaps in the use OF the club
y detective must not only he able to see u
point but Ia hold on to il through all man
ner OF complications and the inevitable side
Issues which are so fatal to detective work
Policemen as rule are as garrulOus as old
women over their tea. There are notable
exceptions, OF course. but il is lamentabiy
true that these exceptions are rarely pro-
NOTED. But to return to the Chief; | shall
never forget how he got at the facts OF the
Goodrich murder. In all his intercourse
with the scum and settling OF society he had
never yet met man or woman vino had not
some redeeming quality.
at seemed next to impossible TO obtain
the proofs OF her guilt and the Chief was at
his wits ends To complIcate or rather TO
aggravate the case still more. the woman
confessed to him in confidence that she COM
mitted the murder. She said:
81 did il, Chief and | know you will not
give me away, but ii you should think proper
to do so, my oath will be worth az much as
yours. You will swear told you 50, and [
will swear didn't
Every endeavor to discover Hates local
habitation failed. 1t seemed an excellent
joke to this strange woman that she could
tell the story OF her crime to the Supern-
tendent of Police and not have it OF any
value to him as evidence.
aft l send for you. she said. her express
i've eyes dancing with fun, it will not be
necessary to communicate my address. for
you will not know where to find me-
The Chief had her in the Station House at
this time.
"'Yes. Kate. he said kindly, 4 shall know
where TO find you. and promise to come as
soon as you send.
Then calling him back she said: 81 have
told you the truth | killed Charlie Good.
rich, and when you find where [ live you
will find trunk in my room, and in that
trunk is the pistol that killed him with, a
watch, and a ring belonging to Charlie Good
rich. Besides these there is at least a pail
full of dirt in the trunk
Dirt" said the Chief. "Why. Kate. what
in the world did yOu put dirt in your trun k
ior?'
Because | loved the very ground that
Charlie Goodrich walked on" was the very
singular response
After mad killed him. Chief, and most
all the defiance and fun faded from the
wOman'S face. Il went ont where / had seen
him walk hundreds of times and ShOvelied
up the dirt and put il in my trunk"
the Chief, vino felt himself responsible Tor
the apprehension OF the murderer was still
of the track At last bold thought struck
him. The exhaustive and exhauSting talks
he had with Kate dcmouSt rated that Kate
had rOOn. and that the room was in Brook
lym. So lac issued an order that inquiry
should he made at every house in the city to
discover if any woman had been absent from
her home Tor the length of time that Kate
had been prisoner
Three hundred women, including servant
girls who had left their places. had been ab-
sent for the time stated Then the 800 were
sifted until il was found that only four had
been mysteriously absent during this period.
Kate was one OF the four, and in this way
was hunted down In her room was found
the trunk, and in this trunk the articles she
had mentioned. dirt and ali.
From first TO last Kate Stoddard had never
told the Chief lie.