Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-14
MYSTERIOUS MURDER.
1t Looks Very Much Like Another
BirchaIl-Benwell Tragedy.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE BODY
Which Was Washed by the Waves on the
Staten Island Beach.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF A COMPANION
rrEcrAL rKLEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH,


NEW YORK, March 13.-It was Carl
Emanuel Ruttinger vino was murdered on
Staten Island, and whose body, gagged and
bound, was found in the water off Totem
vile Wednesday,. His body was positively
identified tonight. He was German
merchant. To-dav's developments in the
mystery surrounding his death, and the
identity of his murderer, makes the case
look like second Birchall- Benwe tragedy.
Briefly told. they are these: Ruttinger
sailed from Liverpool on the Inman Line
steamer City o; Chicago December 81. With
him was William Wright. his brothers.
brother-in-law. Wright is an Englishmau.
They went to board at fashionable Ger
man boarding house in West Fifty-eighth
street. Whey were together until February
l, when Wright went away, taking his lug
gage with him. He said be was going to
Boston. The following day Ruttinger went
out after breakfast He never returned.
His body was found in the water. He had
not been drowned.
Positive Proof of a Murder.
The proof as to how he met his death was
positive, His hands and arms were bound
behind him, and a handkerchief was
the air passage from both the mouth and
nose. On the corner of that handkerchief
were embroidered the letters "W. W." Do
they stand for William Wright? Is it
another Birchall. Benz well tragedy? Is Will
lam Wright the murderer? He has not been
seen since he went away on February 1.
A middle-aged man. fairly we'll dressed,
called at the German Consulate in Bowling
Green shortly before noon to-day. He told
one of the clerks there that he thought he
knew the man who had been murdered on
Staten Island.
81 think" he said, che is man who
boarded with me up town. He came to my
house with friend. His name was Rut-
stayed three weeks. Then he went away
leaving his baggage behind, and we have
not seen him since. There are lot of let
ters at the house waiting for him now"
The man refused to give his name or ad-
dress. He did not want any notoriety, he
said. The clerk called tine Consul and the
man repeated the story to him. The Consul
advised him to go and tell it to Inspector
Byrnes. and the man said he had already,
and he would go to the District Attorney.
He went away.
A Message Sent to Germany.
The Consul General has decided not to
cable to Germany about the finding OF the
body. He had not taken much stock in
what had been said about the man being a
German subject, but when his visitor had
gone he sat right down and wrote long
message inquiring as to the identity of the
dead man. Nothing more was learned of
the Consul Generals visitor until 6 o'clock
in the evening.
Then he left police headquarters by the
in natao
Gerichten and Titus and Chief of Police
Jackson and Assistant Attorney Fitzgerald,
of Richmond county. Half an hour later
Inspector Byrnes called the reporter into his
office and said: "I have Just sent a man
down to Tottenville to identify the body OF
Ruttinger. He is sure he can identify it.
He says that Ruttinger and an English
man named Wright came to his house,
which is respectable German boarding
house uptown early in January. From
their conversation it was judged by the
other folks In the house that Wright was
Ruttinger's brother-in-law. Wright was a
man OF slight frame, and had an English
accent. In the latter part of January both
went away. They
Said They Were Going to Boston
and would return. They did come back in
three days Then on February 1 Wright
went awav again. He said he was going to
Boston This time be took all his luggage
away with him. The day following Rut-.
finger left the house. He took nothing
with him. and it was thought ne would
return. He has not been seen since. Let
ters came from Germany to him. have
them in my possession now, and they go to
prove that the murdered man is
the man to whom they were ad-
dressed. Other things found on the body
besides the passport tally with the
things have found among the effects of the
man who went away from their boarding
house so don't think there is any doubt
that the man who have just sent down will
identify the body. This man is a thoroughly
reputable and honest citizen intent on see
ing justice done"
He is Gustav Neu, of 127 East Fifty
eighth street. He did identify the body
The news came to this city after midnight.
Neu thought that Ruttinger arrived here on
January 10, and he thought that Wright
came with him. In the list of second cabin
passengers who arrived on that date on the
City of Chicago are the names of Charles
Ruttinger and William Wright.