The Republican journal., 1885-05-21
A Mystery Solved.

ED AND ROBBED CAPT. COLVOCORFSES AT
BRIDGEPORT. CONN. ONE OF THE TERRIBLE
CRIMES THAT REMAINED A MYSTERY FOR
MANY YEARS, ETC.
The deathbed confession of Baldwin Jansen,
Danish sailor, who died off Honolulu in Jan
uary, has unravelled the mystery of a murder
which for II years puzzled the Connecticut au-
thorities In the fall of 1873 Capt. j. NJ. Col
vocoreses of Ltchtield was found dying with a
bullet through his heart in public street in
Bridgeport. His satchel, containing valuable
bonds. was missing, and seal ring from his
finger was gone. He had over a quarter of a
million dollars insurance on his life and the
theory was vainly advanced by interested in
surance companies that he committed suicide
Capt. Donaldson arrived at Bridgeport Friday
with the stolen ring and the story of the mur-
der, as confessed by Jansen in his last hours.
The events leading up to the crime are briefly
these
THE MURDER IN 1878.
Capt. G. NJ. Colvocoreses lived In a hand
some residence in Lilchtitld, Conn. He was
Greek, was rich, and travelled constantly be-
tween Litchfeld and New York. He had a
great aversion to railroads and always went to
and from the city by the Bridgeport boat He
had peculiar hitch in his gait, the result of
having his heels cut off early in life as a punish
Greece. Another story is that he had been
hamstrung in an affair in Calcutta. His life
was insured for $275,000. He usually carried u
small hand-bal, and on the night of the murder
In Is -. as was afterwards proved this bag was
filled with bonds Capt. Colvocoreses arrived
in Bridgeport from Litchtied late in the after
noon of the fatal day and proceeded to his ho-
TEL He would not permit his bag to be check
ed or allow it to be left in the Office but carried
1t INTO the dlnng-room, and while ealing SUP
per held it between his feet. AT 10: 80 at night
he started to walk to the steamboat dock stop
ping at Mayne's drug store, on NJ ain street, to
buy cigar. He proceeded down Main street
and turned into Clinton. Fifteen minutes later
a shot was heard by Officer Bailey. He ran
down Clinton street and found Capt. Covo-
coreses gasping his last. His coat and shirt
We're on fire. Beside him lay his sword-cane
broken in two. Across the street 80 feet from
him under a plank, was found an old horse
pistol, and further on paper containing bul.
lets and some powder. AT IL O'Clock the
Bridgeport boat started. After she had gone
the captains handbag was found under a
freight car between Clinton street and the
steamboat dock. The bag cut open and
the bonds gone. 1t was proved later on that
the bonds We're Rochester water bonds and
railroad bonds.
Shortly after midnight three-masted schoon-
er sailed out of the harbor. Police Capt Ry-
lands and detective Taylor suspected that the
murderer might be aboard, they chartered
the steam tug Kate Miller, Capt. Hayse and set
chase. They overhauled her off Peptield Reef
light, and the pistol was shown the captain of
the schooner for identification. He failed to
recognize il as belonpiuu to anv of his nraw
The schooner was searched but nothing war
ranted the officers in OBTAINING any of the crew.
The passengers of the Bridgeport boat were
closely watched upon their arrival in Nrw York
without result, The coroner's iury hrouoht in
verdict that the deceased came 10 bis de.th
from causes unknown.
Inmates of the house in front of which the
shootinu was done tastitind th.t .,ftor ~, 49,
was fired "a rushing sound was heard as if
some one had dashed throuoh the door yard
Mrs. Alexander. who lived in the old STANLEY
house near the scene of the murder wa,
Swallowed for a Iono time she il nn,,, saryirn
ont a life sentence in state nrison for n,urdri,,9
..Stutterino lack" for The nnrnnsa Of saliing hi
body to the Yale medical school
The insurance nomnanies mt in tho oI.i,,
that the cautnin had kijIed himself onI , IAN
controversy ensupd between The heirs and tbt,
cumpanjps. DR. Hubbard testified tbat If wonId
be impossjble for a man to shoot bimsalf
throuGh tbp Near, and than hinr III ri.tni 90
feet And ranse il tn Io5oe nnrer tba nn,,nosi,o
end of , nl.nk a. i'm III ca.n pi,Iar,n,.