Morning journal and courier., 1885-05-21
A GHAsTLY MIDNIGHT ERRAND

A GHASTLY MIDNIGHT ERRAND.
 A New York Policeman Meets A
 Man Carrying The Body Of His
 Murdered Wife En A Bag To Throw
 1t Into The River.
 NEW YORK, May 20.-This morning about
 2:3O Officer Mccormick stood talking with a MT. Brown, who keeps store on Twenty eighth street, at the 1atter's door, when stealthy steps were heard leading down the opposite sidewalk, and the form of man carrying 8 heavy burden could be made out.
 The policeman and the citizen stood in the shade and were not observed by the stranger,
 who seemed to be looking neither to the right nor to the left Almost opposite the
 watchful pair he stopped and placed his bur
 den on 8 coal-box in front of a grocer's shop.
 It was canvas bag, stuffed to repletion with
 something that weighed heavily, for the man
 breathed hard as if overworked. From the
 open end of the bag on which he kept grip
 something protruded. The officer watched
 him in silence till he began
 to make ready to resume his
 walk. Just as he shouldered the
 bag once more Mccormick stepped acr6ss
 the street and laid heavy hand on his
 shoulder. ''What have you got in the bags'
 he said. The fellow turned without start
 and replied calmly: sI got my wife in the
 bag" As he said so he swung the bag from
 his shoulder to the sidewalk with jerk, as
 one would throw bag of corn on wagon
 from No. BOT Tenth avenue to where Office,
 Ko(1, o1aIxr r4r F. o1 h1oA1 from the river. "Where are you taking
 her and how came she to die?' asked the officer, managing to get { grip on the man which he could not shake off. He did not attempt it, but answered quietly: gro the river. I found her deao
 and thought might bury her that way. can't pay for a funeral" The man spoke with French accent, but without excite
 ment. He was evidently neither drunk nol
 crazy. The policeman rapped for assistance Officer Derring replied, and when handear had been procured the body was placed on i and taken toward the police station in Thir ty-seventh street.
 Around the neck of the dead woman was silk handkerchief, twisted and tied in dou ble knot. There were marks on the throa which indicated that it had been used tt strangle her. An autopsy, however, was or dered to determine the actual cause of death The prisoner gave his name as Louis Fran cois, thirty sevan years old, 8 Frenchmal and by trade marble polisher. He said h. had found his wife dead on the floor wher he came in at midnight and decided t. throw her into the river rather than incu the expense and trouble of a funeral. Hi wife, he said, was a native of Pittsfeld Mass, her parents being French Canadians and her maiden name Selina Fehot. She was married in Pittsfeld to one Francois Oliver and she left Oliver and came to New York with him Francois). fI never lived happily with her." he continued, land a few days ago found dog which I thought very val uable and brought the animal to the house expecting reward would be offered for it My wife lost the dog and I reproached he1 for it. Last night she sent me out fol beer, and when I came back I found William Walsh, shopmate, in the room with her. Soon after I had seated myself she sat on my lap and kissed me and after wards threw glass and can at me. Ther Walsh and I walked out and when I re- turned found her on the floor dead. That's all know" From the neighbo1s of the couple it was learned that they quarreled constantly and last night at 10 o'clock Fran cois came home and made much noice by his loud and angry talk. MT. Mcbride, who lives in the rear house over the Frenchman heard it, but paid little attention to it, the thing being of common occurrence. Half al hour later Francois was heard to go out and in several times through the hall. WheI the tenements were quiet he went out. Il was midnight when Mcbride heard him re turn and heard noise as of heavy fall il his room. Then all was quiet. Two hours | later Policeman Mccormick met him carrying ! the body through the street. The rooms o1 ! the pair showed no evidence of struggle. An enormous crowd of excited people fol | lowed the prisoner to the Yorkville police | court this morning shouting Lynch himp and a cfroner ouard of Do1ice was raul1irad tf
 Ieep zea it tl in o6eeE % Justice % We1de ramandet the Frenchman until tomorrow. He stuck
 to his story, and had not changed it on hi: return to the station handcuHed. Francoi. is thin, wiry man, with scowl on his face He is meanly dressed.
 The coroner's physician this evening made post-mortem examination of the body O the woman. Four scalp wounds were found and fracture of the trachea, but death hac resulted from strangulation. Francois wa' committed to the Tombs pending the verdic l of the coroner's jury.