Morning journal and courier., 1886-08-11
wAL11NGFoRD,s MYSTERY.

stained Garments Found What |
Constable Austin Says-MfsS Cases |
Mysterious Visitor-Will There be |
A Murder Trial - Wallingford's |
Gossip.
WALLINGFoRD, Aug. 10.-To-day 1t looks
as though the authorities have a good clue to
the perpetrators of this horrible murder which
has been the all-absorbing topic of gossip
here since Sunday. It is believed that the
mysterious box in which the remains were
found will give evidence which will bring the
perpetrators to justice.
Constable Rod. Austin made a trip to
Cheshire last evening and it is claimed that
he found evidence enough to enable him to
trace the shoe box to that town. Early this
morning Constable Austin started for New
Haven where he had been summoned the
night before by Coroner Mix. By direction
of Coroner Mix, Constable Austin broke up
| the box in which the remains were found,
preserving only the sides and top on which
| the marking was discovered. Constable
Austin's trip to New Haven was for the pur-
| pose of trying to identify the box or to find
| any more marks upon the lid. The parts of
| the box were taken to Medical Examiner
| White, and he submitted them to thorough
| microscopioal examination. The microscope
| brought to light the letters Sch" on the
| box cover. 1t is said that other marks were
revealed, but as to this the authorities will
not say. 1t is supposed that the box came
to Butler & Tyler's, New Haven, and was then
| shipped to Cheshire firm. 1t is also
| said that the authorities know to whom the
| box was sold by the Cheshire dealer. The
| case now hinges on the marks on the box
| Constable Austin returned from New Haven
l this afternoon and was interviewed by
| COURIER reporter. He said: All can i'm
| part to the public is that the authorities by
diligent search and hard work have obtained
| a good clue; good one, remember. l can
l say nothing more regarding the case until it
| is worked up. To impart any more infor-
nation regarding it would but spoil the case.
| This morning visited Miss Case, daughter
| of Nathan Case, workman in Parker's spool
| shop at Yalesville, just this side of the Meri
| den line. She told me that week ago last
| Saturday, after her father had gone to work,
| a young man stopped at the house and in
/ quired for Days pond. He had on a short
| sack coat, the arms and breast of which was
| stained with what appeared to be blood.
and his face was covered with beard of sew
eral weeks growth. Under his arm he car
ried bundle that looked like rough clothing.
Miss Case directed him to pond near Mr..
Days house. He politely thanked her,
passed down to the DAILY house, went in the
rear of it and down to the river. Some
hours afterward she saw him on the turnpike
road headed toward Meriden. The coat had
been washed, the discolored shirt removed,
and in its place was a clean wrapper. Miss
Case told me, continued the constable, that
her brother, Henry Case, found pair of
pants, badly discolored, as if they had been
worn by butcher, and two white shirts all
smeared with blood, and a vest also covered
with blood, near the banks of the Quinnipiac
&c., H. Io4z
now in the keeping of the authorities, said
the constable.
Constable Austin also said that few days
work more on the part of the authorities
might bring to light the facts desired to ex-
plain the mystery. The tarred paper is an
important element in the case and inquiries
are being made to find out some additional
clue by means of it. 1t is said that this
quality of paper is used chiefly for lining be-
tween walls and not for roofing, as was at
first supposed. Miss Cases story is consid-
cred by the authorities as very important.
The saloon proprietors near the Case house
disclaim all stories about fights in their places
and don't remember having seen Miss Cases
visitor.
A story afoat here this morning was that
farmer named Chase living on the Cheshire
turnpike stated that he had heared
Saturday night in the direction of the
swamp. He also heard the team as
81 passed ON its return towards Cheshire.
Both times he heard distinctly the whip ap-
piled to the horse and a voice urging him on.
The business men here are talking about
reward of $500 or 81 900 which should be Of
fered for information that would lead to the
Identification of the remains.
The jar containing the dead mans stom-
ach, which was sent by DIR. McGaughey to
DR.. M. G. White of New Haven for analysis, |
arrived there this morning, and DR.. White |
Of y,nol1 of
the contents of the stomach. DIR. McGaughey |
told COURIER reporter to-day that he had /
already performed partial analysis of the |
stomach, but that he could form no opinion |
to the contents. He did not think that |
the dead man had any liquor in his stomach. |
The authorities are convinced that the |
person or persons, who carried the box con-
tanning the remains to the swamp, must /
have been well acquainted with the locality,
as hardly fifty persons in Wsllingford know
of the existence of the old back road near
which the body was found. The people of
Cheshire are known to be better acquainted
with the place, and the theory that the muir
der was committed in Cheshire is fast gain
ing ground. Very few Wallingford people |
believe that the deed was committed here.
They are of the opinion that the deed was /
either done in Cheshire, Yalesville, or some |
neighboring town, or else the CHASTITY re-
mains were brought here from Hartford,
Meriden, New Haven, or some other place /
in the State, Constable Austin in examin- |
ing the vicinity where the box was found,
discovered the spot where the team, which |
was used stopped, and where the carrier of |
the box had laid his CHASTITY freight on the |
top rail of the fence which skirts the swamp. |
The party stepped the under rail in |
getting over, and in doing 80 broke |
it in two in the center. The box must have |
tipped over. as blood was found on the rail |
and there was hole in the ground. The |
twigs and brambles beneath the fence were |
broken as though by heavy object falling |
upon them. The man must have been of |
pretty heavy weight to break the rail, as it
was fairly strong. Constable Austin thinks
it probable that one man could have handled |
the box. 1t weighed about hundred
pounds. Blood had trickled from the box
from the point where it had apparently fall
en- from the fence to where it was found.
Underneath where the box lay the ground
was saturated with blood to the depth of
several inches. Vermin had gathered on the
spot. From the fence to where the body
was found is about two hundred feet. The
lot where the remains were found is great
berry field, but has been avoided by the peo-
pie, as feeling of terror has fallen upon |
them.
There were many theories advanced yester-
day and to-day as to who the dead man was. |
Chief Ford, of Meriden, was here to see if |
the remains were those of Patrick Kinney, of
Meriden, who has been missing for some |
time. He decided that they could not be
his remains. Another theory advanced was
that the victim was Charles Hall, the man
SO much wanted in Wallingford for his con-
nection with incendiaries. His friends say
to-day that Halls whereabouts are known to
some and thai he has not been inside the
State for months. And Hall was altogether
too old a man, being So, while the victim
was only about 25. Cooley. the pensioner,
who was supposed to be the victim, has
turned up safe in Saybrook. The driver of
Strong, Barnes & Harris wagon, who has a
route through the neighboring towns, told
COURIER reporter that he saw and talked
with Mr.. Cooley at Saybrook Monday night.
The theory that the murdered party may |
have been Frederick G.. Gardner of Middle
town, who has been missing from his home
for the past week, is fast gaining ground.
Gardiner was twenty-five years of age and
weighed one hundred and forty pounds. His
weight and age corresponds with the dead
mans. There appears no motive for nur-
dering him.
Little else was talked about in the stores
and on the street corners to-day but the
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