New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-13
THE MYSTERY THICKENS.
WAS A DRESDEN MERCHANT MURDERED? ?
THE MAN WHO WAS FOUND BOUND AND GAGGED
ON STATEN ISLAND DIED FROM
STRANGULATI0N.

STRANGULATIoN.
An autopsv made Yesterday on the body OF
the man found bound and gagged on the shore
| at Tottenyille s. L. the day before revealed me
fact that death was due to asphyXia caused ny
strangulation No water was found in the lungs,
which indicates that the man was not drowned
| The body is at Bedcl1s morGue Ill IottenVliIe.
| The dead man was six feet tall. ana weiSheu
over 300 pounds. The hands were tied bchlnd
the back at the wrists with common twlne. Inc
arms at the elbows were also tied in a similar
manner A white linen handkerchief was found
forced half way down the throat of the man.
II was removed with much difficulty. iherc
were no marks on the body not even az the
wrists where the hands had been secur'N 'icu'
Isaac Bedell, an undertaken, yesterday morning
examined the clothing of the man, ana iouhu III
the pockets coupons of two rapid transit tlcNe's
from New-York TO Perth Amboy over the o'd'e'
Island RAND Transit Railroad. The coupons were
issued on February in New-iork. Inc ,iche'S
had been taken I'D by the conductor. or other
wise disposed Of and the coupons were nunipelco
20.379 and 29,3s0 At the railroad Office 1t was
found that the tickets were purchaseu a' 'ie
same time and for two persons.
There was also found in the clothing OF the man
o. handkerchief on which the initial II
worked in red II was fine linen handkerchief.
There was also fob chain with gold ana SILVER
links The handkerchief which was found partly
down the throat of the man, and whlch had prem
used as a gag, had upon it the letters W. W.
worked in one corner. This is also fine linen
handkerchief
strict-Attorney Fitzgerald and Chief OF Police
RIake went TO Tottenve early in the day ana
had conference with Coroner Iiervey. The spot
where the body was washed ashore was examined
and n book which proved to be the constitution
and bylaws of Enterprise llarbor Association, NO
. of Philadelphia, and issued by Robert warren,
May, 1887, was found. The passport found IN
the mans clothing is dated Dresden uefmahS'
December 20, $780, and made out to Carl I'M
manuel Ruttcnger, merchant, forty-three years
old. black or brown hair, and medium height.
The passport which was numbered 2,1So, pears
the signature of c. T. Ruttinger, written in
fine hand.
Yesterday afternoon Coroner Hervey impan-
elled a Jury, who viewed the body at the
morcue The induest was set down for Saturday
night at Tottcnville. An autopsy was also held
by Drs. c. d. Lyons and +. \. lIervey. The
organs Of the body were all in healthy cond-
tion and the cause of death was found to be
asphyxia by strangulation. No water was found
in the lungs which indicated that the man was
not drowned. The doctors agreed that death
took place before the body was placed in the
water 1t was also the opinion of the physicians
that the body had not been in the water more
than four days
Careful inquiry made yesterday at Perth
Amhoy and Tottenvle but no one could he found
who remembered ever seeing man answering
the description of the dead man. II is the opn-
ion of the Staten Island authorities that the
man was not murdered on Staten Island, but
that his body was thrown upon the shore
by the tide or conveyed TO the place
where il was found by n small boat
The body was found on mud bank about 200
feet from the shore by Samuel Morton and Albert
c. Douglass. of the schooner Emily s. Beymore.
Those two men were placed under bonds by the
coroner TO appear at the inquest as witnesses
They live in Cape May. William c. Waldof, of
Port Richmond, secured the stomach of the mur-
dercd man and took ii u his office, where he VIII
make chemical analysis.
The Staten Island officials are puzzled over the
fact Of the railroad coupons issued February
being found on the body. Although those cou-
pons were good for any time il is reasonably sup
posed that the holder or purchaser Of the tickets
used them soon after they were purchased; II
the man travelled over the staten lsland kapi1
Transit Railroad early in February II is th"u2ht
strange that the body should he in such good
state of preservation il the man met his death
over a month ago. Again, II the man was not
murdered until few days ago, II Is regarded as
ruually strange that no one saw hlm on Staten
Island or al Perth Amboy from February ? unth
hi, body was found TIE police say II is possible
that the man might have been kept for a time IN
some nIacc of confinement before he WAS mur-
dercd II is plain that the dead nan was man
of refinement and possessed of means.
The authorities are pu7zled 10 fin II motive for
Tho crime They doubt that robbery was the
motive for the murder. as valuable jcwery was
found on the body II is also thought strange
that the muldcrcrS did not take tho prccluti1n 20
ro,'ovn fror, thr body every article that would b.
IiEcly f. lead to the Identification of the mur-
dcrci man. The body will be kept at tho Tot
tcnvillp Morcue until next Monday. ana II II is
NOT claimed hv that time il viii receive decent
burial in the Bethlehem Churchyard at the eA-
pense of the county.