New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-09

upstairs to awaken Mr. Scofeld, who had lain
| down to take nap. Then / went down and
| looked out OF window of the extension could
| not recognize the body in the yard then, but
Mr.. Scofeld looked at it and said it was that Of
| MIR. Hatch
| Mr.. Scoieh refused to make any statement TO
! reporters at the police station lie and his wife
were taken 10 the Jefferson Market Police Court,
| but they were not held there as the case was
clearly one for coroner TO dispose Of. At the
coroners Office little later, they made statements
under oath &c. Coroner Levy. Mrs; Scofeld said
| there about what she had previously said at the
| police station. jerome Buck, her counsel who
brought TO the coroDer's Office by her brother
| in-law, got her to say that Mr.. Hatch went up
| stairs In the Twentieth-st house to make sure
| that there were no burglars in the rooms
THE HUSBANDS STORY OF THE AFFAIR
Mr. Sco1eld gave the following testimony:
I reside at No. CA West TwcntIcth-st sm the hus
band OF Lillian seofeld got home TO my house about
10 p. m. yesterday. could get In my sleeping
sofa and fell asleep. Some voices swoke about
m listened moment and heard and recognized Mr.
Hatch's voice talking with my wife sat down in the
front parlor. In about half hour she came down.
She said she had company. said knew IL and rccog
nized Mr.. Hatch's voice. sad 1 would leave. She
said, All right 60" went to 90 up 10 get my coat
and she objected Ny vito said could not sleep in tho
house that night. 1 sad, ALI right, I'll Co." said
l would return for my things in the morning left the
house and went AMI remained the second soop Of the
adjoining house 1 think t was about or 2 80
kept company with the policeman the beat till about
80 a. About 0 80 m went TO my house 10 get
my coat Mrs Sconeld came from the parlor. said:
get my thipgs according 70 PROMISE and 60"
She replied Don't be foolish" and urged me to remain
and get sleep. 1t then about a. m finally
consented ami undressed and lay down and fell asleep
out About AS a. m. my wife woke me up
and said there dead In the yard looked over
the piazza extension and identified the body Of Mr.
Hatch I have met Mr.. Hatch occasionally in my apart
ments for the last six montha did not SEQ him last
night but 1 recognized his voice.
1t was ascertained that the policeman who
helped Mrs. Scofeld to get into her apartments,
and who afterward talked little with MI Scoteid
on the block, was Patrolman Mccormack, of
the West Ihirtieth-st squad. He was attending
drill at she Polo Grounds in the forenoon and had
the afternoon to himself and therefore he could
Levy yesterday, but he saw Captain Reilly before
6 p. m and corroborated the statements OF the
Scofelds. Deputy-Coroner Scholer had examined
the body of Mr.. Hatch and had caused it to be
removed to the shop Of Undertaken Roth. in
Seventh-ave., where it was embalmed in the after
noon Coroner Levy discharged Mr. scoiied from m
arrest and paroled Mrs. Scofeld lii the custody or
her counsel pending further inquiry.
IT WAS UNDOUBTEDLY AN ACCIDENT.
The police have no doubt that Mr. Hatch met
his death by accident. They thought he tried
10 escape from the roof Of the extension to the
yard OF the house by means Of the tree, dead
branch of which he had broken of and pulled
down with him in his fall The tree so close
to the edge of the roof that one would have to
Jump only about four feet to strike against the
branches. In his attempt to swing himself down,
decayed limb which snapped off in his grasp as
form for conjecture S Whether Mr. Hatch vent to his
death as soon as he could get out on the roof
Mccormack began to break open the bathroom
door. Mr.. Hatch fell a distance of only fifteen
against the stone flag of the yard. His body was
in the undertaker's shop late in the afternoon:
Mr.. Hatch was forty-four years old, and lived
with his wife and four children in the handsome
brownstone house No. 36 West Fifty-third-st.
That house was closed to all except intimate
friends of the family yesterday. The funeral
Mr.. and Mrs Scofield went from the Coroners
Office to some place other than the house in
Twentieth-st, as that house was in the care OF
strangers late in the afternoon.
POPULAR STOCK EXCHANGE MAN.
Mr.. Hatch was one Of the most popular MEM
bers of the Stock Exchange, and the news Of his
death was great shock to everybody in Wall
Street. His generous habits have been well known
for many years, but his best friends did not
expect tragic fate for him. They accepted
the popular views Of the affair with the greatest
reluctance and suggestions of murder were as
common those OF accident or suicide Mr..
Hatch had been member OF the Stock Exchange
for twenty-five years, and for short time he
was also member OF the Governing Committee.
He was devoted to his business, ana IN business
hours was never known to indulge
in many quarters that his death WINS the result Of
some circumstance which could only be explained
by the one man whose lips forever sealed.
On the other hand, there was no reason why Mr.
Hatch shold take his own life. His domestic life
was pleasant and he had no pecuniary embarrass-
ments His owl, position as well as the birth and
fortune Of his wife assured success 1t Is well
understood that nothing in his family or business
relations could explain the theory of suicide
Circumstances may point toward murder posi-
mately were contented in believing that his death
was an unhappy accident. He was not only
member of the Stock Exchange. but an agreeable
club man end the members of the Union League
and the New-York Clubs will be called to mourn
his absence.