New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-11
THE MYSTERY AT STRATFORD
A REWARD OF $1,000 OFFERED.

j
STAFFORD, Conn.,, Sept. 10.-The Stratford
Town Hall Is rather archaic pile of red brick with
pointed stone trimming which presents its bald front to
Man-st few yards above the railroad crossing. The
upper story devoted such few local entertainments
enlven 5raford society while In the lower portion.
which consists Of long with whitewashed walls,
vanished pine wainscong, two rows Of iron columns,
drum stove and an ntermuable length OF stovepipe
hung to the ceiling by wires, the village fathers are
wont to hold their weghty conclaves. At o'clock
to-day there wero twenty-seven townsmen hye
detectives, four newspaper men, thir.
teen dogs and three small boys gathered
thereD seated dogs and ALL the plain wooden benches
which iii the upper part Of the ROOM huge New
foundland dog stood in the centre aisle between the
benches and held himself though the audience were
assembled in his especial honor As O'Clock struck,
H. p Stage mounted the rOstrum and. after remarkng
that they had met devise for the convection
Rose Carks murderer murderers called the meeting
to order and asked f. j. Beardsey to act chairman
A short silence followed, during which the townsmen
shuled uneasly in their seats and the big dog wagged
his tail to return thanks. Stiles Judson thea rose
and in slow deliberate accents moved that the follow.
| ing be passed:
We the taxpayers of stratford hereby authorize and
instruct the selecmen OF stratfort TO pay $1,000 Tor
information leading to the arrest and convection OF the
party parties who assaulted and murdered hose
| Clark on Sunday ngnt September 2, 1888.
| This was promptly seconded by half dozen voices,
word "snd hanging" be inserted after conviction"
The big dog shook head contemptuOusy and walked
scornfly out OF the No oRe seconded the last
motion, and the Chairman about to put the original
motion to the meeting when A. j. Peck
asked leave 10 make few remarKs'
which to the effect that % the COrener
probably in possession OF important evidence, IL
would be advisable to wait until the reopening OF the III
quest before Offering pay for that which could be mad
for nothing Mr. Pecksingenlous argument was groaned
down and Mr.. Judsons motion put to the meeting "An
who of this motion say aye" roarcd the
Chairman, received storm OF twenty ayes
aud thirteen yeps from the thirteen dogs in reply.
"Contrary minded say no." continued the chairman,
but deep from the big dog on the doorstep was
the only response. and the motion declared to DO
carried.
motion was then made adjourn the meeting sine
| die and duly seconded, but when put by the chair
| man In the usual manner, was unanimously neg
| by the worthy taIpayers As the purpose for which
This special meeting had been called was fulfilled there
seemed every prospect OF the remainder OF the day
being spent In grim silence had U bold spirit yen-
tured remark apolOgcticaly that II no further BUSH
mes. remained be done he would respectfully move
the previous motion again. He found seconder. and
the chairman asked for those IN favor to say
| aye" which every In the room Immediately did
with much yigor
The four detectives then and salked soemnly
! each Que murmurug as he did so, only thousand
dollars" To the usual awesruck glsnees which fol-
lowed them added look OF expectation "a II the
villagers imagined they would presently return each
dragging with him suspected Strarfordian heavily
! manicled and crushed with the weight OF conscious
guilt But they didn't They spent the day as
they have every day the last week IN roaming about
the village questioning everybody they knew and every
now and then paying visit TO and iansackng the dwell
ling and personal effects Of sone suspect The usual
search along the road between the dead womans hone
and her lovers house also continued, and is said 10
have resulted rather proftahJ than has hitherto
been the case Tw detectives found broken and
bent slgnet ring far from where the Iody vas dis
covered They look this promising CLIO but de-
euen 10 give any detailed in OrnatiOn the subject
TO TnE Tribune correspondent, beyond admitting the
fact the finding OF the ring The discovery VAS made
between and O'Clock this afternoon, anu the detect
ives still pursuing the devious paths ot tner invest
| igatlOns
WILLIAM LEwiss STORY.
| With the exception elew which will be here
after referred to- the principal line followed mas been
the luyestg cation OF the Lewis theory Lewlss house
and barn subjected to thorough ekahllha-
ton and Lewis his mother and william Peck. mis- en-
| Mover have been questioned and ross-queson.d.
lewis himself sad to DAY THE TRIBUNE correspondent
| 81 know great many hard things have been said
about me by the papers, but am so satisfied OF my in
pocencc that ready to court the fullest lnvestga-
ton quite understand what bad LOOK my letting
| rose 90 home alone TO those mat didu't know
| everything. But when you come To thnk that WORK
rom o'clock morning To- o IN the evening" YOU
ins,s on nv seffing Nil the sleep could. Rose
| afraid o. nothing, and as she knew pretty nigh
every man, woman and cnild In SRA, sLratford
! 1t never occurred TO me that there was
cloudy Oh sunday uignt and had tue team up about
| O'clock asked her ~ shouldn't see her nome out
| ,ne refused saving IL TOO early When she sald
sue go her u the aTeor there near the gate
6ad her door ISS and I'd went ap 70
Ny mother, guess: was up for ! heard neT
moving about m Ne 1n s. np apd
harnessed the team and drove TO Birmingham didn't
The bad news I'll go. PACK a0IG. We s o o
with my work for must hve and besides no one can
serve a no ny m "eorrei lad fun faith in her,
and aid not and now believe that had any cause
irws ia a medium sized, not i'll looking man. with red.
dish side whskers and large fair mus ache whose rnds
sf,pd strai .uL out. He intelligent ana speaks
well aud to the point HIS companions seem TO agree
on the fact that be Is physically umld ag sl
new backed up ou1 talk by any display OF courage.
William Peck ia enpoyer sIia Una. Wseh nrU name
I've was Whstung loudy, was his custom ahd seemed
une0nesr%rI A he reTarned from Birmingham
and heard the sad news, he became a once downcast
psrk Lewis who was attached 10 hun. pre-
served "A stoid face at the funeral aud exhibited no
several tinss crying quietly By himself in The barn. lie
always got lulous wuon WORD vas sau hsI,aso no'G
| once spoke Of her as a light woman ,,. .
on the other mad a Is b 'ae :%i bs W Sudden m
firiou. rage winch die out leaving him as placid
| and cool AS ever.
ANOTHER NEGRO SUSPECTED.
Nodonbt IA now entertained that Rose Clark was muir
,d c,ose TO the spot where her body found. The
orrd and grass mt the side of the road hard and
ar, that a prolonged struggle might have
taken place without leaving any traces Inc
s,ngle scream was heard not only by Mr. Merrill.
MIR Hodges's son.n-law. but also by Guy 8 Hand, who
yes close by. He sick ana awake al nght' ana
- mot ne heard the scream between the showers,
n dr,t OF occurred about 94o p H. aud the sec
oud at a. III. , =. .h. Co,.o,,o, ho. ho.r
starred by them a new clew. frelght trah soppeu
~ Inc bridge which IA about thiee.quarters OF me
yron n, uepJ and there boarded 0y negro, WAC
iried to skuk OF at New'ilayen. Inc conductor >
desrrlutiou OF ms man applies exactly 10 JIM
pc.rss who formerly lived III Strat'ord, out who Tor
IN. last year has worked for Mr. Binsmeadt,