The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-26
AN OLD MURDER MYSTERY.
DETAILS or a CRIME THAT HAVE BEEN
KEPT SECRET FIFTEEN YEARS.

| PORTSMOUTH. N H., May 25.-The details OF
| strange murder case which have been Kept
secret for fifteen years, which ranks with the
greatest murder mysteries In the country
| have Just been made public. few persons
| have for fifteen years carried the secret of the
crime in tho hope that their silence would lead
| the murderer to reveal, in some way his iden-
| tity. For that reason the story has mover been
| published. At this lato date n letter has come
| from man who arrived upon the scene OF the
| crime Just after tho murderer had fled, but
who has since then kept silent for fear of being
| implicated. The confession is given verbatim,
| as follows:
take my pen in hand to tell something that know
| that have had on my mind for many years and II
makes me feel bad 20 1 tell It now and got 1t OF my
mind doant know that 1t will do eny good to tell 1t
but to tell It so 1t wont bother me eny more
| Thare murder comitted in portsmouth, new
Hampshire long time that they never found out !
tile polise It was In 1873 for well recolect that
was thare that year. it was all old woman called
GOodner or Gardner near as can remember an SHE
was burnt Hut that did not Kill her for she was muir
dered. doRnt know Just how sho was murdered foro
dident her murdered ddent kill her fore II did
wodent say nothing or mover. It was saer that
was thare at the time fore him that mite but
ddent SEQ him kill or murder tho woman
but he the which killed her will tell You
what know about this terbel crime that neery froze
my blood. know my duty was to tell 1t then but was
afrade might be believed was the one which did the
teribol thing and dident want to DO locked up and
perhaps have my neck stretched for something ddent
do Ono night think 1t about $50 o'clock was
trying find my to wharo was Logging and turn
ed up ltte narrer but 1t the right
as was not we'll acquainted. Just Rsi got 70 Itte
house it was dark but saw man that looked like a
sailer out OF the house fast and cline over
fence thot that funny for aman to do seeing t
night and he could come into the street. he had
something under which bothered him but he
got the slick Just like saler used to elm
ing saw was on the ronR street aud turned to 10
around and 20 back when saw dash OF hro In the
litte house the sailor ont Of tho it was fire an
ran thinker put 1t out the OF the
moment my God wish hadent for | wouldent be rit.
ing thisnow. seen an old woman setting on bench
and she dead with her eyes sticking out and her
cloths burning II she was alive would have Put her ont
but she dead scared and ran out as quick
could home ali rite and cupple of days after
isaw in the paper that the woman WAS murdred and
her money stole got scared and went out west to
work and Just got bSck and hope sometime tho muir.
derer will get cot and get hung. This is all know so
help God wont sine my name or WHARF am but
hope the murderer will get cot but sess thare is not
much show
The tragedy to which the writer refers was
the mysterious murder OF Mrs. Louisa NJ. Pet
tigrew OF this city on the evening Of May 20.
1875 The victim was an aged woman who
lived alone. She was smothered with u pillow
by the murderer while in bed The body was
then placed upon a bench and her clothes set
on fire. The murderer secured 5000. which
was the motive for the deed. He made his
escape. leaving no clue behind Two men
were suspected OF the crime. both being neigh
bors. but no arrests were ever made.
g, Mrs: Pe!tigrew was known GENERALLY rs Old
at least hall century, although 1t is believed
that she originally came from Massachusetts.
as. after her death, relatives came here from
Cambridge. She was one Of tho quaint char
acters Of the city: and was widely known, The
through the habit OF using snuff although sho
may have done SOL but because she spoke half
mouth. For years, she kept school i2r small
chi s9Et Of e the
coro ner. John f. Rider Of this city had charge
o; the eaae ~ the e and made as thor2mgh
After holding an inquest. he was satisfied that
secret investg ation OF the case.
The facts in ibis m W!Ho we're mover made
Prick and myself agreed that 1t would be better
to keep them secret in the hope that something
might develop later which would prove SUM-
Gent TO convict the murderer. The general i'm
pressior; prevailed at the time that the old
lady had been murdered, but We were the only
ones, with the exception OF fey other OFFICIALS.
who were positively convinced Of It. Not Il
greatly Whether even now H Ought to ou Tnfoa
the secrets OF the inquest but, upon second
,thouGht 90, 90 net see what harm can come
OF this confession"
A few minutes after o'clock on the evening
here called at "Snuiry" Gardiner house aud
knocked at the front door. which was usually
but this was not strange. There was no an
swer to 0dions repeated knocks. whereup,on
Slightly aHr and was startled pushng
open TO be enyeoped n cloud OF smoke Of
most peculiar ro odOr instantly he rushed In
= SnuiIy" slept. llurriedly he felt over the bed
for the old lady: He found it al tumbied up,
and lighted a lamp which sat there. Then he
discovered the dead and badly burned body OF
near, tho stove. Following that she had been
accidentally burned to death, he ran out and
on Coroner er and y MaE
shal Mnrden appeared and took charge OF the
body and the PREMISES.
Coroner Rider and the City Marshal were salts.
fed OF this from what they discovered A few
rived at this opinion afterIooking thing. over:
The back door, usually kept bolted. was found
boots upon the fence Which separated the
rm ea An 6ov Effort fort %ss made
diately lost in the grass,
The examination made OF the remains was
mRieans but what was found went to show that
Mrs. Gardiner was dead before she was burned.
marks upon the throat &c, show that tho woman
had been strangled. and he did not examine
the body closely enough to say Just what
had caused death. DR.. .Osorio. however was
more positive about the matter. He twas
sure That death had not resulted from burning,
and that 1t might have. been caused By suIoca-
t1on. lie came TO this latter conclusion be-
cause he had founh the liver lapped over the
Stom9 q, which he had observed was tho case
plete autopsy they might have discovered tho
real cause Of death. but this they neglected to
do. Tor some unexplained reason.
inc motive OF the murder was robbery. No
doubt exists AS to that OF nearly $1,000
which II was known she had secretel in the |
house only about 81 was found, ana this was in
old family Bible, In which "Snuiry y was in the
habit OF keeping her money. was missing She
had an idea that by putting the bills between
the leave- IN certain portions Of the holy book
the lmighty would protect them. thorough
search WAS made for this Bible. but not trace
q it could be discovered. This. probably. il ,
the bundle referred to IN tho confession as
having been seen under the arm oi the stranger
who scaled the fence.
Two men were individually suspected Of hav- ,
ng committed the crime. These weTo George
" Bracket who lived on the same street and I
han In fha & 81 | .