New-York tribune., 1891-05-02
TRACING TIE CRIME TO "FRENCHT,p
THE KNIFE WITH WHICH THE OLD WOMAN WAS
MURDERED SAID TO HAVE BELONGED


Further evidence to fix the ccime Of murder upon
the prisoner Frenchy7 was obtained by Inspector
Byrnes yesterday. Early in the day he received a
letter from Sheriff GodDt. OF Queens County saying
that Frenchy" was known 10 have lad knife con-
oeaed his person when lie was serving term OK
imprisonment H. the Queens County Jail. lie was sent
TO the jail for thirty days March 13 on charge
Of vagrancy. When he arrested for begging II
the streets he had one Of his encased I'm spnts
and pretended that the broken. He groaned,
squirmed and distorted his features when surgeon
removed the splnt>, but examination soon con-
vinced the surgeon that there nothing wrong WIN
the arm "Frcnchy" used the arm freely as soon as
he saw that his scheme to excite sympathy had failed
No knife was found about him when he was sent to the
JAIL but he was not searched carefully. Prisoners In
the Jail are not allowed TO knives if the oiclals
know 1t. They not even permitted 10 use knives
at their meals "Frenchy" had q hnfe, however, and
one day when he quarreled with another prisoner ne
suddenly drew the weapon from his pocket and made
vicious unge with It, The men lie tried to stab lodged
and ran away. Two othe prisoners saw the knife
before Frenchy" put it back in his pocket. Lut they
did not tell the jailors and tho Algerian was believed
70 have the weapon when he left the jail on April ID
On Thursday evening the prisoners in the jail were
talking about the murder of old Carie Brown in the
East River Hotel and the announcement that
"Frenchy" was believed to be the murderer. Iheh
the two prisoners who had seen Frenchy" try to stab
the information was conveyed to Sheriff Goldner
As soon as Inspector Byrnes received the sherlifS
communication yesterday morning he sent Detective
Serreants McNaught and AlulhOlland 10 the queens
County JAIL The detectives took With them the knife
which the murderer had used in mutilatng carrie
Browns body. They permitted TO talk with the
tvo prisoners who had seen FIenchy" drew the KNIFE
in the iail Each ma described the weapon Us taoio
knife with the end of the blade apparently broken OF
and sharpened. and with black handle The knlic
found with the murdered woman's body was shown to
the two prisoners They said it looked like the Knife
which they had seen In "Penchy's" hands but they
could not identify il positively Inspector Byrnes
thought that the testimony Of the two prisoners went
long way toward proving that Frenchy' had kniie
concealed about him just before the murder Inc
Algerian had no knife when he arrested, ana the
fheNy OF the police is that he forgot 70 carry tle
WeaDon away with him after he had committed the
murder. ,,.,, -. r,o,,oo Hood
ouarteIs Yesterday. The prisoner is a ,epulvc look
ing man with the swarthy skin and features 81 an
Arab on his right arm are figures OF woman in i
short Slrts and Of 2 man in Arab dress. prched IN
The skin with India ink. His fingers are long VIII
nails which suggest the claws VI whine lN eye
have peculiar glitter which indicates both CeprN,H
and cunning lie refused to speak English, ana Ills
French iargOn could not be understood.