The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-04-04
THE NATHAN MURDER.
The True Story Told at Last /" Billy" For
roster Committed the Crime

roster Committed the Crime.
The friends OF the late John Jourdan,
ex. superintendent Of police, are exceed
irgly indignant at some OF the statements
made in ex-Supt. Walling's book Of "Rscol.
lections," says the New York Tribune.
Without charging it directly, Mr.. Mailing
makes the broad Insinuation that J0urdAn
had guilty knowledge of the Nathan
murder, and that his death, which occurred
q few months after that fearful crime was
com mitted, was caused By mental excite
ment and nervousness. de gives a long
acc unit of the murder and of the subse
qusnt unsuccessful efforts to hunt down
and punish its perpetrators, and concludes
by leaving grave doubts upon the nane OF
Wash" Nathan, and by declaring MAT the
murder remains the greatest mystery of
the age" This is all very extraordinary
to come from Supt. Walling. 1t is true
that the public generally Goes not know
who murdered Ben amin Nathan, and |
doubt If the facts / shall relate, which
have never been in print before, are known
to more than a round dozen of men IN New
York, but ! certainly supposed that Supt.
Wslling was one OF the dozen. The fact
that he isn't simply shows how zsalously
that astue detective, Inspector Byrnes,
keeps his own counsel.
The Nathan murder occurred 10 July,
1870. a few weeks before George Ellis, a
burglar, was arrested by Sergt. McCullagh,
now the captain OF the Sixth precinct.
McCullsgh was a great favorite of Com mo-
dore Vanderbilt and mad especial charge of
the Grand Central depot. He charged
Ellis with some sort OF petty burglary. Az
this time Ellis was under sentence in Penn
sylvRnia for twenty years. He had escaped,
and when McCullagh caDtaTed him requlsi.
ton papers were got out for his return TO
that state and officers were sent out here
to arrest him and take him there in case
be was acquitted of the charge pending.
Ii was deemed best by his counsel to let
him take the shorter sentence, and accord
iDgly be was hustled of TO Sing Sing,
where he was in confinement when the
Nathan murder was accomplished.
Three DAYS after the murder he wrote
letter to Jourdan, stating that he knew
who had committed the crime and declsr-
irg that TO show he knew he could pick
out the dog with which Nathan was
tIuck. Judge Cardozo was a brother-iu-
Law of the murdered man and Jourdan
took the letter to him. he issued a
requisition for Ellis and the convict was
brought down from Sing Sing. He
promised TO pick out the dog" aud to tell
all be knew il JOurdan would use his
j. huence to secure for the burglar a par
don. Jcurdan promised. Then he col
ltcted about fifty dogs, new, old, blood
stained and battered, and among them he
placed the iron bar, besmeared with blood,
which was found by Fred Nathan the
morning after the murder at the front door
o. his fathers house. Ellis gave q glance
at the array before him and laid his finger
on that identical dog" This is the one, I"
he said.
Then he told his tale. He said that
Chilly" Forester Johnny" Irving, and
himself had arranged 10 crsck the safe in
Mr.. Nsthan's room. Young Kelly, the
son of the housekeeper, was to let them
into the house. Ellis arrest by Sergt.
McCullah had prevented his participation
in the job, but, of course, Forester aud
Irving had sube on Win lJ. JOUrdRn
made desperate Efforts to capture these
rsscals, but neither of them could be found
high or low. The SUPERINTENDENT was al
ready a sick man, and his work and worry
undoubtedly did much to hasten the end.
He died before either was caught.
Finally Irving was heard Of in California,
whence he went on a so-oalled confession.
But Irving was not the murderer, and his
confession simply served, as he meant that
1t Should, to protect him, while 1t impli-
Gated no one else. Nearly two years after
the crime Forester was found in Florida
II ie singular that in his account of the
affair Mr.. Walling makes no mention
whatever OF Forester. He was brought
on 10 New York. at that time he was
wearing mustache and goatee. The only
evidence against him was that of an honest,
sincere servent girl, who saw him come out
of the houte early on the morning Nsthan's
body Wss found. Forester was put among
a crowd Of men, and she was asked to
Identity the one she saw.
II should say" she replied, "that was
the man. But / cannot swear to 1t, for the
man ! saw had no beard at all.
The Identification being incomplete, he
was . owed TO 60, and he was promptly
taken 10 Joliet prison, where he was
want to serve an unexpired sentence,
and where, think, he died. 1t is known,
hoHev r, that he confessed his guilt to his
counsel. and none OF the Nathans suspect
wash" These facts are all in the pos
session Of Inspector Byrnes, to whom they
descended as legacy, and one would sup.
pose that MIR. Walling could not be ignor-
ant OF them.