New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-19
EVANS WAS WRIGHT.
NOW, WHO KILLED RUTTINGERi
CLEARING UP ONE SUICIDE ONLY MAKES TIE
OTHER DEATH THE MORE MYSTERIOUS.

CLEARING UP ONE SUICIDE ONLY MAKES TIE
OTHER DEATH THE. MORE MYSTERIOUS
The last doubts concerning the identity OF thc Astor
House suicide Evans" and the man william Wright,
The friend of Carl +. Ruttnger whose body found
coating of Tottenvine oil March H. removed
Yesterday afternoon when the body OF Evans was
identified by Gustav 5. Neu, Daniel Hamilton ana
several other men who had known the man as the
body OF Wright
10 Harris Island yesterday morning on the small
steamboat Mnnehannock, belonging TO the Depart
ment of Charities and Correction, had the body OF
Evans taken up and brought 1t to the Morgue III
this city where Mr.. Neu and the others were waiting
Each was taken separately INTO 'i7
autopsy room where the body was lying
and asked il he recognized the features
Mr. Men. the man with whom Ruttnger and Wright
boarded for several weeks, said There is no doubt
about IL at all That is certainly Wright recognize
the shape Of the nose particularly"
The body was well preserved. One of the assist
ants at the Morgue said it had changed little Ill ap
pearance since he had seen it first.
Daniel Hamilton, the proprietor OF the Warmers
Arms No 81 Clarkson-st, at which house Rutihser
and Wright stayed when they first came TO TINS eouh
said without hesitation as soon as he looked at '7
body "That is Wright. There can be no douO'
about it," ,
Richard Simmons. who boarded at Hamiltons house
q
Justice F. Grove, the clerk OF the Mariners ''"'''
were also sure the body was Wrights.
g. c. Harrison who lived at Mr.. Neu's mouse anu
remembered the two men WELL recOghizeu ''0 INV
of the dead man at once. Frederick biuihene'''
caneseat manufacturer at No. 140 Fourthave.' WHO
knew Mr. and Mrs Ruttinger and wright III "el"an''
said the features Of the dead were the same as "'s
District Attorney Fitzgerald was jubilant over 'o
substantiation of his belief that evans anu "iis'
were tho same He said he "ouiu ASH '
English Consul today to communicate by cdoio WIN
Wriphts brother in England to inform nm Vi u"
Identification He intended TO see COroner %o's 'N'
about reopening the case
Mr. FITZGERALD does not believe in the theory Vi
the suicide of both the men, which mas la'e'E UGH
advanced. He thinks that Wright may ha'o oeon
murdered He did not explain now IL couu na,o
been done. but limited something about trlnK. lie
thinks that Ruttinger must have been killed. oS "re"
perhaps with accomphce.
The theory that Wright murdered his brofherin-iaw
in order to secure for his sister the $4,000 insurance
on Ruttingers life and the theory that the myS'
was scheme to swinde insurance companies ana thas
the body found off Tottenville was not the BODY OF
Ruttinger have been shown TO be false by the hqaoc
Life Assurance Society, which carries 100000 OF the
coo ooo Insurance on Ruttincer's life. William F..
Johnson the manager OF the death claim department.
has explained that there was mistake made Ill inc
translation of the policy issued from the Berh oIhco
of the company and that the name OF the behehcary
named in the policy was Rutungers mother anu ho'
his wife.
The theory that Wright killed his friend for the
benefit of his sister based solely on the statee
that the policy was made out in favor of the VIC
Mr. Johnson also said that the description OF hut
finger in the insurance papers issued 10 MN pS .o
Equitable Company had been carefully compared WIN
the description of the body found OIL IOtehVlhe WIFI
the result that the company was Of the opihoh' Dc
at present advised, that the body was Kutthger .
all the facts.
The Identification OF Wrights body does not throw
any mol0 light the mystery of his and Ruttheer
deaths unless the theory of double suicide is correct
No motive whatever has been discovered for INC
assassination of Ruttinger. He had no great wealth.
and apparently no enemies 1t seems incredible that
Wright the friend and companion Of Ruttinger, who
had left his family and partially estranged himself from
his sister and had TO America with his bro'her
inaw should have conspred to murder his companion
What could have been his object7 What would nc
san by d. how comd he have accomplished his pur
posel He was small, slight man not having hai
t tne IN herbt and Of athletic build II he had
accomplice who able to help him overpower Kut,
'astS The slender cords which bound Ruttingers
wrists could easily have been broken by MN II nc
been dead or unconscious when his arms were bound
The way in which the handkerchief was stuheu III o ls
throat would to indicate that 1t must haIS Re-
placed there after life was extinct IT Is saH una
fnttinger was a fast man. and IT Is known thS ~
had domestic troubles No plausible reason mas pccl
given for his carrying large an amount OF NE IN
snrance lie may have become disguised at his MODE
OF living. heavily insured his iS ana come fny ,D II
make away with himself lie knew Of the clause II
the insurance policy which nuied the pohcy III , H.
Of suicide and therefore was aware that II ne Te co
GmseIf his mother would not benefit by MS deaIl Sc
he ged with the help OF his intimate fIlend
m Make II appear beyond question that he had been
murdered $1,000. H., .Lo. be AID not believe that
.be men went to Boston on January 20 - IL
inc rb he srIcide az Wright might be explained by his
horror and fright the crime he had aSssueu u yum
nit 1890. 20 ha tho only plausible
theory.