New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-09
4 BROKERS' SHOCKING END.
X ". +. HATCRs SKULL CRUSHED BY A
FALL

N. W.
FALL
nr.n IN THE RACK YARD or Mr.. AND MRS
sror,rrn,s HoUsE-TuE TWO ARRESTED AMI
RELEASED.
The oldfashioned dwelling house No. GA West
Tu,enfieth-st. was the scene Of remarkable death
..rlv Yesterday morning when Nathaniel w. L.
Hatch. q broker we'll known in Wall Street. ac-
cideutagly killed himself by jumping from the
so0s Of a rear extension and falling upon the
stone tagging of the yard. Charles W. Scofeld,
:. sneculstor who has been president of the Mont
,,or,erv and Florida Railroad, lives in the house
I,h his wife Lillian. He is a mild-mannered
youtberner more than fifty years old, and his wife,
10 &c an Enclishwoman by birth. is not yet thirty
peocntlv they have been lodging in rooms on the
.ond story Of tie house and taking their meals at
,.s,aurants while painters have been at work
-, the parlor floor. The house is at the corner
~ sixthrsve., opposite the Church of the Holy
Corrmunion high brick wall separates the
.,a Of the house from the sidewalk in Sixth-ave.
end continues On past the yard of the house No..
60 West Nineteenth-st
Mr. Hatch's death was not discovered until
r-.-lv a. m. yesterday, when H. Geenen, hair
drexser. who occupies the Ninetecnth-st house,
Looked out OF rear window and saw mans body
wing in the adjoining yard. MIR. Goenen looked
a. the body several minutes before he was con-
x1nced that the man was dead No person was
,5sible AZ the rear windows Of the house in
Tventieth-st. At length Mr.. Geencn put on his
hat and walked around to that house to make
an inquiry. The wstibule door was ajar, but he
aid not choose to enter. As he was about to ring
The bell he was accosted by Charles Benspeck,
one Of the painters who had been employed there,
and who had Just arrived to begin his work.
DO you know that there is man lying dead
IN the back yard Pr Mr.. Geenen inquired
aNol That can't be possible" said the painter
Banspeck rang the bell, and in few minutes
MIS-. Scofeld opened the front door She wore
loose wrapper and looked as if she had not slept
much during the night.
This man says there is dead man in the
back yard Benspeck remarked, indicating MIR.
Geenen by nod
MRS scoFTELD STARTLED.
startled look in Mrs. Scoields eyes was the
only reply She looked at the men for a moment,
and then went upstairs without a word.
The two men walked through the hall to bal
eony window in the Of the one-story extension
and looked down into the yard. There they saw the
body of q man of middle age, well dressed, lying
fat On the fagstones, face upward. His features
were regular almost handsome, and set of by
heavy brown mustache A pool Of blood was on
the stone where his head lay. The back Of his
skull had been crushed in, and his right eye was
discolored His high silk hat lay few feet away
from the body. Close beside it was a broker
branch Of a tree which stood only few feet from
the rear wall Of the extension
While the men stood gazing at the body they
were Joined by Mrs. Scofeld. She went TO the
window and looked down into the yard Her
face paled and she trembled visibly as she recog-
nized the dead face. An exclamation of horror
escaped from her bps
Do you know the man ?" inquired Mr.. Geenen.
Mrs. Scofeld looked at her questioner moment
with a despairing expression. Then she drew her
handsome figure up to its fullest height and with
tragic gesture she replied: "No!' moment later
she was running back to her room upstairs, wiring
ing her hands, and crying " Oh! oh!'
Mr.. Geenen did not see her again. but he said
TO the painter: She surely knows that man"
Benspeck went out on the sidewalk and called in
Policeman Reardon, of the Nineteenth Precinct,
who began an investigation. Mr. Geenen left the
house after telling the policeman that Mrs SEQ
field was the person who was best able TO give
information. Reardon found Mrs. Scofeld in her
room on the second floor. She had become calm
by that time.
HER FIRST STATEMENT.
sThe dead man is Nathaniel w. L. Hatcn
broker, who called here last night she said.
q" He wished to leave the house without encounter
ing my husband, and he must have fallen from
the roof Of the extension. Ny husband Is here
in the house, and he will confirm what l say,
but neither Of US knew Of this terrible misfortune
until few minutes ago. MIR. Scofeld had gone
down to the yard to look at the body. Re&rdon
found him there, and heard his brief statement,
"a hat h xvifp One
Of the painters sent to call another policeman,
who was placed in charge of the body. heardon
arrested Mr.. and Mrs. Scofeld, and they accom-
panied him to the West Thirtieth-St police station
They were not locked up, but sat in Captain
Reillys private ROOM while the captain and ms
detectives followed up. the investl legation when
Reardon had begun Mrs. Scofield was talkatlve,
and when reporters went to the station she was
permitted to tell her story at length She said
that she and her husband had speculated IN
Wall Street and had known Mr.. Hatch long time e
they had dealt in stocks at the Office Of W. t.
Hatch q Sons, at No. IA NasSau-st., and also at
The Office of 81 s Wormser.
went down town yesterday afternoon sue
went on, and called at the office Of w. L. Hatch
Sons where transacted some business in STOCKS
Then / went TO the office OF l. q D. MormSer
After leaving that office / met MIR. Hatch IN
Broad-st, and he walked with me TO the Norman
restaurant, where we had luncheon. told nm
l was going to see my brother-ln-law, IL. ~
Ferns, in the Welles Building. AT p. m. MI
Hatch met me in the office of MIR. Ferris, and we
three arranged to take dinner together in ONeiPs
restaurant, at Sixth-ave. and Twenty-second-st.,
at p. m. Mr.. Hatch accompanied me up town
and we met Mr.. Ferris at the restaurant at 6 80
p. m. Mr.. Ferris had dined By that time, and I.
said wished TO have regular French dinner
So Mr. Hatch and / went TO Madame Fannys, IN
Twenty-seventh-St. We had wine for dinner and
sat a long time over the meal Afterward we had
some champagne and talked with Madame Fanny
about stocks and horses 1t was nearly midnight
when we left the place and rode down SiXth-ave
TO Twentieth-st in coach l opened the door
of the house with my latch key and lighted the
gas in the hall, apologizing to Mr.. Hatch for the
appearance Of the parlor floor where the painters
had been at work He made some inquiry about
the house. and invited him TO go up stairs and
see the rooms where we lodged. The rooms in
the second story were kept locked
CALLING FOR HER HUSBAND.
Il called my husbands name, but there was
no reply Then l opened the door TO tn, rooms
nnstairs and lighted the gas As MIR. Hatch and