New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-11
A CELLAR USED FOR A TOMB
THE FROZEN CORPSE OF A WOMAN FOUND
IN A COAL BIN.
EVIDENCES OF A TERRIBLE CRIME-LIKELIHooD
THAT THE VICTIM WAS THE WIFE OF
JACOB, THE MURDERER AND SUICIDE
NOTHING ON THE BODY BY WHICH.
IDENTIFY 1T.

TO IDENTIFY 1T.
The accidental discovery of a mysterious muir
der caused intense excitement in the Hebrew
quarter east of the Bowcry yesterday afternoon
A womans body, covered with bruises and with
the skull crushed in, found in the cellar Of
the old house No 3 Eldridge-st II was frozen
sth, and thus had been protected from decay Tor
several days, possibly for weeks The surround
lngs indicated that the corpse had been carried
into the cellar and hidden in an unused part OF
it by tie murderer. No one who saw the body
recognized it, and the woman had not been re-
ported missing.
The house No. 3 Eldrdge st. was tenement
house until about a year ago, when it was leased
to Moses Levy, who occupies the fancy goods
store on the ground floor. Levy sublet the upper
part Of the building TO wel-to-do Hebrews, who
started free school for boys there. The school.
supported by private contributions, is called the
Aitz Schaim Tree of Life and is intended for
tine instruction Of boys in the Hebrew lore. Since
the school started there nobody has slept in
the building at night except "A ianlior. For seven
months the iantor was Isaac Jacob, who occu-
pied little room on the top floor. He was sent
away on February - because he had made him
>cr disagrecab.c, and three days later he shot
hiinyf dead in front of Herman Rogozinskis
and wounding Mrs. Hogozinski in the neck. Jacob
had more than one wife living while he was jan
itor of the schooy but he had abandoned them In
turn His quarrel with Rogozinski grew out of
his attempt to marry iiulda Cohen, Rogozinslis
niece and the successful effort which RogOznski
made to prevent the marriage There was some
ground for the belief that the body found in the
cellar OF the Eldrdgc-st house was that of one
Of Jacobs wives and that he killed her and hid
her body before lie committed the double tragedy
in Ridge St
The cellar of the house is divided by par
tition into two parts. About two-thirds of the
space is on the south side Of the PARTITION and
is occupied by B.rnhardt Solan a coal and
wood store. tlight Of stone steps. usually COW
cred AT night hy double trap-door. leads to
Nolans place from the sidewalk The other
part Of The cellar il reached by flight of narrOw
stairs from the hall adjoining Leyy's store.
row of wood and coal lockers leaves a passage
way about TWO feet wide. which runs from the
foot of the stairs to the wall Of the cellar.
Since tie hous, ceased TO be a dwelling place
tie coal lockers have not been used except for
the storage of rubbish and that part Of the Gel
lar has been seldom visited. Cobwcbs hang
from tie low ceiling. and the walls and lockers
are covered tncky with layers of dust
Levy lad not been down in the cellar for
| months until Yesterday. His mother was in the
store In the afternoon and said she wished 10
gc' jar in which 10 prepare some pickles for
the coming Passover days He told her she might
find some such jar ms she wanted in the cellar.
I'D she ..c.l Il there With a candle TO
| search among the old rubbish. Pretty soon she
| returned to the store. pale with fright and de-
clared that She had found dead body in the
last coal locker al the nar of the cellar. Her
son laughed ai her and said She must be mistaken,
but She persisted III her statement. and he took
fl- candle 10 see for himself. In the locker next
fo the rear wall he saw what al first luoAcd like
a heap Of cast-on clothing. bat upon raising some
Of the coverings hc found the corpse of a woman.
Without Nai,in. to make any further e>amina-
ton he ran 10 tie Eidridgc ST police station and
| reported his discovery. Sergeant 'rcedcn sent
| Policeman Johnson 10 take charge Of the body, ana
| hc also sent an urgent message 10 the Coroner
| Office Detectives Reap and Mullanc were sent to
make an investigation with the Coroner
Al nightfall. VIXEN Coroner Levy and Deputy
| Coroner Conway arrived al tie house. the street
was blocked with excited Hebrews WHO were
anxious 10 get into tie cellar To look at the
cosp.e The services Of several policemen were
required to keep the crowd III check, and give The
| officials a chance 10 make an Investigation. There
was room for only few men ia the cellar al one
rirnc and it was with difficulty that Coroner Levy
and hi, assistant could sct to the place where the
body lay.
The brclcst examination showed that the
woman bad been murdered. Nhcn
tie body WAS found it Was covered by an old bed
tick a quilt and long strip OF light cloth. such
| a., Il used 10 cover "A counter or showcase III u
| store. About the head was securely tied an old
| brown ovcrcoat. which had been worn by a man
| If moderate size. The coat faded and ragged
| in places Evidently the coat had been tied about
| The woman's head to prevent the blood from leaV-
ing a trail when her body was carried into the
cellar The long countcr-covcr has also been
used TO conceal the body while it WAS being car
ricd to the hiding place
| An examination OF the body convinced DR.. Con-
way that the murder had been most brutal one.
| Death doubtless had been caused by fracture of
! thr sxuil Abovc the left ear was "A hole in the
! head almost large enough To admit mans hand.
! II had been made with hammer, Dr. conway
| thought On The incc, arms and other parts Ol
| hc body were marks oi savage KICKS OF dow.
| ro,t had kept the body from decay, but thG
| features had been so much disignrcd by violence
| that il was not easy 10 tell rhe wOmanS age
| Dr. Conway thought her age was between twenty
! five and thrty-iiVc years. She was a Hebrew
woman, Of average sire with black, curly hair
In her ears pair of gold earrings OF RUSSIAN
make and on one OF her iinscrs was paih soid
| ring. Her clothing consisted ol cil'" wrap
per over several Wcll-wOrn skirts, ana whlc under
clothing and shabby shoes The limbs were drawn
| i'm a position which indicated that the body had
been carried in a sack. The body lay on It's side
| on "A heap of cornhusks, which once had tlled the
| bcdtick
4 search disclosed nothing that might furnish
| a clew to the womans identity except small
| piece Of paper evidently the fragment OF lettcr
| In Hebrew There the date. February l6,
| 1890 in one corner. and all that could he read IN
| addition was translated as ITO my dear Frcda
| XXX with my.
Coroner Levy sent the body to the Morgue, and
| DR. Conway said he would make an autopsy there
at / a. N to-day Levy, the stoekeeper, Sali
| the door leading into the hall was not fastened
| at night and anybody could get into that part
| of the cellar where the body was found.
| The more the detectives pondered over thc
| murder last evening the more they were N
| cned to connect the unknown victim with
Isaac Jacob the murderer and suicide. The body
i .I.ul..i Ia. a nm nl