The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-11-10
ROUND ABOUT GOTHAM.
MATTERS OF RECENT INTEREST
IN THE METROPOLIS.

Y
Nathan Murder Fan Fashions In TurnI
'urc-Icsi,ai Of the Classic Agents
Winnie Davis on Broadway.
NEW YORK. November s.-(Specia
Correspondence Almost twenty year
have passed since Benjamin Nathan wa
found murdered IN hls elegant mansion
on Twenty street. near the corner
of Fifth avenue This case has beer
perhaps The most famous mystery il
The criminal annals OF New York. 4
was m the course Of a long interview
with \. II. Hummel. the distinguished
criminal lawyer. that ! learned som,
facts I'M regard TO this mystery which
believe have never been published be
fore.
Every effort was made TO lind the
real murderer. said Mr.. llummel.
but, although innumerable arrests
were made. the affair remained a com.
plcto mystery. IL vas. perhaps. fort
night after the murder that S1perin-
ten1eni Joufdan walked into our Office
and handed me letter. which he had
received M his morning mail Il was
from a conyic. named George Ellis.
who w,s then IN Sing Sing and who
declared that If he coulf bc brought to
the city be- would establish the idcutity
of the Nathan murderer. To do this IL
was necessary ID act with the greatest
secrecy So as no. TO allow the criminal
or any at the reporters do find out
what Ne were about. To petition
the Governor wOnld bring the matter
directly before the public, and any
action takou by TIE District AttOrneys
Office would have the same effect.
Therefore. m Mr J)urdans request, /
applied for writ OF hgJcos corpus on
the grounds of some informally ia his
commitment. Ellis was brought TO
the city AID lodged in The basement Of
the Sixth Precinct station. at No. 81
franklin street.
Ellis told ui that if we would show
hun The carpenter dog with which
the murder was committed he thought
ne could identify the criminal. Jour
dan then sent Go the different hardware
Stores aud junk shops aud procured
about twenty five from dogs Of all shapes
and sz s These ne smcafed with blood
and threw them on the table where the
real instrument las. Ellis was brought
into the room. aud without an instant
hesitation picked OUT the one with
which Mr.. Nathan had been killed.
Then he said that some tim before his
commitment to Sing sing hc and GER
tain burglar. named George FORESTER,
had planned TO rob ihe Nathan mansion.
Murder was no part AZ their scheme.
for they had intended To commit the
crime IN tine summer. duiing the ab-
scnce Of che family. ard 10 was a mere
accident. he sail. which led his pal to
select "A night on which The old gentle
man happened to b. at home. His the
ory was that Forester. finding himself
surprised at his work by Nj. Nathan.
and fearing that he would give the
alarm, had killed him With one vigorous
blow of the Dog. He knew the dog. be
said. because IT was one with which
they had often worked before. Mr.
JOurdan 40 once pat TWO expert detec-
tiv,s on F0rreacr's tracks but ne was
now here TO be found. lie had not been
seen IN any Of his accustomed haunts /
Ancc the night OF toe murder. and for
two years his whereabouts remained an
impeneilable mystery. but the. auihori-
ties never relaxed the vigilance OF their
search. and 40 lGs'-it was sometime in
1sl9-he WIS hunted down ia remote
part Of Texas. and brought back to this
city by Detective PM Farley. lie was
taken 10 police headquarters and held
Tor idcntfc dion.
Now. ON the morning succel ding the
night of the Nathan murder, a Young
Catholic sereant-girl. while on her way
O. ..II la
mass, saw two men come hurIie lily !
down the Steps of tie Nathan mansion,
and disappeared with "a fapidity which !
excited her suspicion. OfcJurse. when !
the news a. the murder was made |
known. she communicated this cucum. |
stance 90 superintendent Jourdan- |
The cf0re sine Was brought forward at /
this iIncture o. identify the criminal. |
/ was standing directly by Forester |
i'm the courtroom. when she was /
brought no.. and asked II he Was the man /
that she had seen running down the steps /
of the Nathan house ON that Au-
ea-t morning in 1870. I haye never
seen greater agony depicted on hu-
man face than was shown IN his as he
stood mp iu the crowded court room
and subjected himself to her searching /
gaz'. Toe perspuanon s'ocd ont on
his forehead in great beads. and his
hands clas,td The back Of chair before
him with "a force that almost shattered
the fran bars. The gIl looked at BIN
for fully ten minutes. and then snook |
her head Boo q hesiaiiug way, and SAID /
that. although sbe believed him To be
the man. still. as two years had elapsed
since the moraing that She saw him. she
could not be- positive. = s soon a6 thi-
ordeal was over. Forrest sent for me
and confessed that lac owed fifteen years
IN Joliet. III. lie begged me 10 send /
him back there, and So. at his insiiga-
lion, | notified the authorities of that /
prison. and hc wa, brought 10 Illinois
ON a reQuisitiou from the Governor OF
that Safe. 10 WIS the first time I'M all
my criminal experience that had ever
seen nan 80 WIKI absolute relief add |
contentmtnt % ti'l fifteen years sen
tence in State prison.
II have never heard Of either him or
Ellis sigce that Time. Washington
Nathan Is still alive. though | under
stand that he has never been quite the
same man that he was before the terri
bic shock OF bis father s Geath aud the
fal.e accusation under which he has
suffered La regard TO Forester. can
not speak fully without violating pro-
fe-sional honor, for the man was
client OF my Office; bu. | cal say this.
that from what | learned from hlm.
Washington Nathan had 40 more 10 do
with The killing of his father than /.
FASHIONS ~ FURNITURE.
Az appr. cable part of our furniture
this wiuttr is fc.caed from tie brio a
brac dealers. and the more closely one
Of these establishments succeed IN
mcdeliug itself aftar the time-worn and
wOrmreateu counters OF those dingy |
but fascinating shops in the side streets
OF foreign cities. where the tourist
feast, her eyes on musty treasures. the
more likely will the fashionable woman
be 10 appreciate the bras, candlesIicks
and salsers. the vases and tee old fancy
OH lamps the ivory miniatures OF an
citnt court danes, The sweet little bon
bonnieies ia pink enamel and pearls.
4