The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-10
LIGHT ON A MYSTERY.
A LAWYER NAMES Mr.. NATHAN'S
- PROBABLE MURDERER.


Justly Suspectedq-Remarka Rev.
Citations OF a Convict in Sing Sing
Now Published for the First Time-A
Professional Secret.
Copyrighted 1897
NEW YORK, Nov. 9-Almost twenty
years have passed since Benjamin Nathan
was murdered. AT the time of his sudden
and distressful taking off, some people re-
ceived, through what hereafter allude to.
the impression that somebody in the Nathan
household was responsible for the sad death
of this humanitarian.
Almost as revolving as the the murder
itself came this shocking suggestion. Think
of it-that one of his own flesh and blood
had perpetrated the foul deed.
Notwithstanding that the widow, the
the brothers and sisters of young
Washington Nathan, knew in their hearts
that Washington Nathan was no more
guilty of the murder of his father than his
father was guilty of the murder of his muir
derer, and 50 manifestly expressed them
selves in the strongest terms, yet some
newspapers from time to time continue to
make some allusion to this unwar-
Iauu6u charge, anu IL Is Tor THIS
reason that think the time at present the
best to stamp as absolutely false in concep-
ton and equally false in fact, the story that
was so cruelty invented at the time. do
this from the standpoint of actual knowl
edge, and this is my sole excuse for what
follows.
The Nathan family lived in handsome
brownstone house on Twenty-tlird street,
next to the corner of Fifth avenue. The
extension TO the parlor was used for Sleep
ing room, while In the back parlor join
ing il, stood tine safe in which were kept not
only the family silver and jewels, but also
a large sum OF money and many valuable
securities, for there were no safe deposit
Companies in those days. 1t was in the
month of August, 1870, that the murder
was committed. The family were out
Of town then-at Long Branch, believe
but old Mr.. Nathan had RETURNED to New
York to take part in some Jewish ceremo-
NAL, which required his presence. He re-
tired at his customary hour to his bed in
the extension which / have described and
early the next morning his body was found
lying close beside the great safe in the mid
ole parlor. lie had been murdered during
the night for the body was quite cold, and
the carpet was stained with blood which
flowed from CHASTITY wound in his head
Beside him lay an iron dog, an instrument
used by carpenters, heavy III the middle and
tapering Off to a sort of prong at either
end. 1t was covered with blood and had
been used to crush the old gentleman's
skull
The police were notified at once, and, as
the news spread through the city that the
well-known, wealthy and highly respected
Hebrew Benjamin Nathan had been found
brutally murdered IN his own house, the
street was almost Immediately besieged by
q crowd Of eager sight-seekers vino tried in
vain to pass through the Gordon of police
men who were stationed on the sidewalk to
guard the door. Superintendent Jourdan
was summoned and came at once He
made careful inspection of the body
and its surroundings, and indeed Of the
whole house, and subjected each one of
the domestics to searching and rigid
cross-examination as TO his or her
whereabouts on the night of the murder.
AT the coroner's inquest very little could
be learned. Washington Nathan, the sou
of the murdered gentleman, testified that
he had not been at home at all that night.
and then admitted that he had been at a
disreputable house kept by a certain Irene
McCready at 104 East Fourteenth street. a
house in which two or three hideous TRACE
dies had already occurred. Young Nathan
was at this time one of the best known
young men about town. He had an ex-
tremely handsome face of the Hebraic type.
soulful eyes, and was eIjoying life with ali
the zest of youth.
In accordance with the old established
Jewish custom, all the members of the
family and their connections were sum-
moned to the house Of death, and, as is the
custom with orthodox Hebrews, they liter
ally rent their garments and for three DAYS
sat in sackcloth and IN ashes in token of
their sorrow and abject condition. 1t was
during this period Of self-ab 1sement that
a certain reporter called at the house and
was. of course, denied admission. When
he endeavored to force his way in, the door
was unceremoniously slammed in
his face. He went back to his office,
and the next issue of the paper
he represented contained long
and sensational article which
sought to prove that Benjamin Nathan
had been killed by his son, Washington.
The fact that the young man had spent the
night in question at a notorious house of ill
fame had already excited strong prejudice
against him, so that great many people
were only too ready to accept this theory
as the correct one. There were others, how
ever, who argued that his being there at thu
time was merely an accident which might
have happened to many another young man
In the city, and f.i, II he had been
aware of the fact that he was liable to
be called upon to prove an alibi, he would
have taken particular pains to be found in
good company and in some place of unques-
toned responsibility. Nevertheless, the
story spread as il it wore the seven league
boots attributed by tradition to scandal,
and in spite of all that could be done by Mrs.
Nathan and the other members of the family
who knew the young man to be innocent,
and in the absence of any proof-positive to
the contrary, young Wash Nathan was by
very many believed to be his fathers muir.
derer. 1t is more for the purpose of right
ing an innocent man than for ANYTHING
else, that have consented to give this mar
ration to the public.
OF course, every effort was made to find
the real murder. Superintendent Jourdan
took the case in hand, but although innu.
nlerable arrests were made and innumerable
clews followed up. the affair remained a
complete mystery. Indeed, the anxiety
and trouble incident to this murder were
the cause of Superintendent Jourdan's
death, in October of that year. 1t was
perhaps fortnight after the murder that
Mr.. Jourdan walked into our office and
handed me letter which he had received
in his mornings mail 1t was from con-
yict named George Ellis, who was then in
Sing Sing, and who declared that If he
could be brought to the city he would estab-
lish the identity of the Nathan
murderer. To do this it was neces-
sary to act with the greatest Sc