Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-05-07

circle was illimitable. The man had
been most cruelty beaten and mauled.
] One blow was enough, but the old
Jew was hammered and pounded as
/ though his carcass was tough as 4
| rhInoceros, and his head as solid as a
block of lignum vitae. What sneak
thief or burglar would have done this
There were no marks of violence
about the house; no one had been
seen lurking there. No Jimmy
marks were found on the windows.
nor was there an imprint of the burg
lars foot or bloody hand, or a piece OF
| his clothing torn in the death-strug-
gle. Efectually were his tracks cover
ed up. The police on his part declared
that when he passed tie house at 4 80
A. M. he tried both front doors and
they were fastened, and when he passed
little before 6 the hall-door was
closed. The house and stables were
thoroughly examined.
Sleeping in the house at the time
were Washington and Fred Nathan,
his sons, Mrs. Kelley, the housekeeper,
and her son, and none of them heard
any suspicious sound in the night.
The night gown of Frederick Nath-
an had blotches of blood upon 1t, his
stockings were blood soaked, but it
was evident these resulted from CON
tact with the corpse after his brother
had discovered the murder. The pawn
shops all over the city were searched,
but the assassin was too prudent to
thus give himself away. For ten days
the thieves of The city were severely
| overhauled. Ten thousand dollars re-
ward was offered by the New York
stock exchange, besides large rewards
| by the mayor, huge placards We're
posted and every city IN the union
notified; but from that day to this not
the slightest tangible clew has been
offered. Hundreds of letters were
written by would~be wiseacres offer
ing advice, many of them evidently
jobs put up to direct suspicion to the
Nathan boys. The theory of the po-
lice, who followed up every clew, and
spared neither time, pains, nor money
to unravel this murder, was what it
had been from the first-viz. that it
was committed by an outsider, some
fellow known as ''duffer," who fol-
lows an honest calling by day, and at
night sallies forth to rob and house
break. Nobody, they argued, but
such one would have carried such a
weapon, nor used it so cruelty. A
regular thief would not have carried
off watches and medals which would
give him away through some of the
numerous detective agencies. The
Nathan. murder is to-day, as it was
thirteen years ago, a murder that Will
not out.
BART BURKE.
Early on the morning Of July Is,
1856, clerk of Lane Joyce, tailor,
whose shop was on the second floor Of
No. 378 Broadway, in trying to open
the establishment, found the door
locked. Bartholomew Burke, the
porter, had slept ia the store for many
years, and he had never before failed
to open up at the proper time. The
clerk stood wondering, when he spied
blood stains On the handle. He hast
lily called policeman, who kicked
in the door and found the body of
Burke weltering in gore. 1t was a
sickening sight even for 9 policeman.
Beside the dead man were pair of
shears, and further off a short keen
edged sword bloody to the hit, which
the murderer had dropped close by.
The struggle must have been 8 fear
full one. Yet, though the windows
were open and people passing IN the
street below. though a family slept in
the room above, none heard the noise
of the struggle. The assassin went
from the building unseen. He had
washed lis hands and face at the
washstand, and had received q slight
cut in the hand, which persisted ia
bleeding, and hence the mark on the
stairs and stain on the door knob. At
the foot of the stairs he had bound up
his wound, for no more spots were
found on the pavement by which to
to trace the direction he took. He had
been cool enough to lock the door,
and all that was ever found of him
was that belated citizen had met
man walking leisurely and whistling
whose face he did not see. but whose
hand was bandaged. George w.
Matsell was then chief of police, and
the best detectives were put upon the
track of the criminal, 1t was sus-
pected that the porter was slain in
endeavoring to protect the property
from thieves, but an examination
showed that not a dollars worth of
stock had been taken, Burke had
been IN a saloon in the basement of
the building about half past 9 o'clock
with a strange man, with whom he
had drank. They had gone out to-
gether, Burke carrying a pot of beer
he had purchased, and about 10 o'clock
citizen passing on the opposite side
of the. street had seen two men sitting
in the front window of Joyce's shop
with two empty beer mugs on the
window sill before them. The sword,
it was thought would furnish clew,
but no one had ever seen one like it
and nothing came of the labor of the
detectives. The coroner's jury long
ago brought in the verdict, murder
ed by unknown party or parties, " and
there it rests to~day, and probably viii
forovo~ &c o murder that will not