Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-09-15
Mysterious Grimes.

nFStcTlONS SElH2tS-
The recent murders in London, brutal and
mysterious, have brought forth many op:n.
ions as to the cause and operators Of the
tragedies, but the many think that the in.
human butcheries were by the band of q
single individual who is suffering from some
mania occasioned by his association with
dissoute characters The fact that his
movements have beer traced IL no instance
would lead to the belief that he operates
alone. With O companion il is hardly prob
able that he could have committed ali these
atrocious murders without dropping some
passing clew. 70 an experienced detective
it looks like the work OF % cuEriug rogue
made insane by his disabilities and seekiDga
mad revenge on sll woman kind foT his own
sufferings.
The records of crime cannot show paral-
lei case in this country, unless it be the mur.
der OF females by an unknown! ueer San An
tonic, Texas, several years ago. 1t is lees
than six years ago that woman was found
butchered in her home near San Antonio.
Her character was questionable and little
was known of her antecedents One morn.
ing she was found dead in her room with
her body mutilated and her heart, which
had been torn out Of her franz, resting on
her breast. The community had hardly
recovered from this shock when similar
tragedy occurred not mile distant This
time it was woman who was presumed to
bear an honorable reputation. Several 9TH
or murders committed in 6 like manner and
all OF female victims soon followed 10 San
Antonio aud adjacent cilies, and III 20 in
stance did the murderer leave trace. Just
like the London tragedies the crimes were
similarly executed In each instance The
bodies were mutieted and disfgured with a
malignity that showed u brutal. rovengefui
nature. The populace Of the whole sur
rounding country were aroused, aud the
vigilance committee and police officials
we're taxed to their utmost Yet no trace
of the perpetrator Of these terHbie crimes
was revealed. How like the Loodon mur-
ders!
In New York the police records show
similar crimea but of less magnitude. There
WAS the Helen Jewett case Of nearly fifty
years ago. She was found ,gith her skull
crushed in lying in bed iii house of ques-
tionable character in Thomas street. Her
murderer was never punished Thirteen
years ago en- unknown woman was found
banging in furnished room in house on
streets. At first it was supposed to be
case of suicide, buta triAing thing led to
change of this theory. 1t was found that
from tbs outside by g thiet's nipt ers Later
1t was found that the woman came from
Boston with notorious Crook and that
he secured the room for her where she was
found dead. He was seen in the house the
day she died, but he never returned. The
body was inferred as Mrs. John Doe. She
had been strsnged and then hung up with
O rope to lead to tho theory of suicide.
The case of Annie Downey, who was MUIR
dered in Prince street, was another noted
mysterious crime. She was found choked
to death and with three triangular wounds
on The top her head. Tho murderer must
have sought revenge, for no other motive
was apparent. "Annie" was long known
character, and nobody acquainted with the
facts suggested jealousy as q motive. 1t
must have been some one that the unfortu.
nate woman was formerly acquainted with,
for he got to her room unnoticed. Not con.
tent with choking her TO death, ha inflicted
the wounds on her head, which only the
more illustrated the murderer's reveDgeful
passion. He was never found.
The murder of Mary Rogers, the pretty
cigar girl, in Hoboken was never cleared
up. She attended in q cigar store under the
Astor House, and her beauty caused many
shekels to change hands over the little coun-
ter. There were many jealous suitors for
her smiles, until one day her dead body was
found on the banks OF the Elysian Fields.
The murderer was never discovered. Her
murder was somewhat similar to the Rah-
way mystery, with the exception of the iden-
of the body. The Railway tragedy
bids fair to rival all the mysteries on ac-
count of its many peculiarities. The Eagle
Rock tragedy, in the Orange Mountains Of
New Jersey, is also recalled in this instance.
Phoebe Paulin, pretty girl, was murdered
on November night in 1883. a mysterious
man disappeared from Orange Immediately
after the tragedy, but this is Us far as the
mystery was ever solved. The crime is still
unpunished.
The question of mysterious crimes also re.
calls case which received but meagre IL
yestigaton at the time. This was in Cam
den, n. j., on February 3D. 1856 1t was
case of murder and suicide under circuu-
stances of most peculiar Interest. a young
man and o woman few years younger
crossed the Delaware river from Pnlladel-
phia in carriage on one OF the terryboats,
and after leaving the carriage the couple
walked toward the City Hall in Camden.
Suddenly two pistol shots were heard and
second later the young couple lay dead on
the sidewalk. Not the slightest clew to
identity was found on either man Or woman,
and they were both buried as unknown"
in the paupers' burial ground. AS no one
appeared to claim the bodies, and as no one
was interested in the case no investigation
was ever instituted to determine the identi-
" of the murderer or his victim.--Neac York
Herald.