New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-10
A NEGRO'S BRUTAL CRIME.
BEATING HIS WIFE TO DEATH.
TIE MURDER NOT DISCOVERED FOR TwENrY-FoUA
HOURS AFTFRWAPD.

TIE MURDER NOT DISCOVERED FOR TwENrY-PoUB
HOURS AFTERwAID.
Just below Grand-st on Sullivan is dark alleyway
leading into dirty courtyard which separates the
front tenements from row OF small
tumble down frame shantIcs which
are inhabited by the poorer class Of
negroes. In No. Is, silas Crook, a truck driver
and his wife Mary, good-ooking coloicd woman,
age thirty-three. lived Crook is "a hard-working
man and when he was sober he and his
wife lived together happily, but when
he got his pay on Saturday nights he in tho
habit of drinking and when drunk amused himself
by beating his wife. He came home drunk satur-
day night and commenced beating bis wife.
In the next house. No. 15l2. George Bolton,
his wife and Celia Thomas were sitting at o'clock
when they heard somebody groan. Bolton took
lamp and went out TO what was the
matter. On the steps OF No. 10 he found
Mrs. Crook bleeding from numerous cuts about the
head. She had only her night clothes on and was
almost insensbe. When he asked her what
the matter she only groaned. lie
was about to tako her into his house
when Crook came out and with an oath said, Oh,
you are there, you," and seized ms wife by the
shoulders and dragged her into the house.
Nothing heard from them and neither
were seen until about o'clock yesterday morning.
which was secured with padIocs the outside.
He did not come back again until last night lilo
was met by Bolton who asked him where he had
BEEN He replied "Oh. I didn't like 10 come home.
Ny wife IL lying inside dead" He then left tho
place and went mp to Grand and Sullivan SITS. Dol
ton followed him out, and met officer Barry. ~ tho
Eighth Precinct. to whom he told what tr,ok hal
said to him. Barry at unce arrested Crook who did
not seem at ali SURPRISED, and without resistance
accompanied the officer to his house. he room
.I n..sl a., nall. mt
II was clean, aud on tho walls hung nuulbor of
cheap prints. On he'd ~ ono corner was tho form
comforter. When the officer tduci down tho
countntpnnc Hrkcnug siEht mot hia view,
An ugly lookng wound on QUO aide OF the head
showed whcn lcr Alsnil had been fractured, aHi
there were number of other cuts on h't face and
head, and the upper pnft Of her bndt WA niaafo of
her head aud face, hut the nghiguNn winch slia
had on was covered with blood and The counter
pane was stlIl with clolied blood, On tha
wall hung check junpri which had been recently
washed, and which Tho dead woman was ~ tho
habit of wearing aud ~ the corner was a bnckeb
OF o"dv wafer he sleeves Of coat HANGING on
the wall were also covered with blood, aud there
Crook had evidently tried TO
wash of In one corner was an axe heive which
showed signs of recent cleaning. Officer barry
took both Crook aud Bolton 10 the Prince street
station House aud they were locked up-Crook on
a charge OF murder and Bolton as "a witness.
Bolton said last night that when he went out to
find out the of the groans saturday night
Mrs. Crook WAS covered with blood and could not
talk He suspected something was wrong when
Crook failed to come around the house as he very
seldom went ont on sunday lie made 1t a. prac;
icc of beating his wife whenever he got drunk, and
as he had Ived III the house for five or six
years he did not think anything of seeing
Mrs. Crook III the condition she was.
Mary Young lives at No. l3 Sullvan-st., and her
room is separated from that of the Crooks by
only thin PARTITION; She said that
she heard Crook beating his wife on SatLr-
day night before size was found by the Bo ,ons.
After Crook took her in be commenced beat
ing her again and lie knocked her
head AGAINST the wall SO that it shook tho
pictures on the wall in her room.
IL was nothing unusual for Crook to beat.
his wife, but she thought thea that, he was
beating her harder than usual. AT the second
beating she did not hear Mrs. Crook scream.
Crook took his arrest quietly. He said that nc
had whipped his wife but had only slapped her and
didn't hurt her much. lie accounts for the
wounds on her by saying that she fell down stairs
When asked why he did not report her death when
he found her dead, he said that, he was
under the influence OF liquor and yesterday he was
afraid to. He would say nothing else about the case
he coroner was informed of the death and
a policeman was left III charge of tke body. Crook
will be taken to court this morning