New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-07
uER IDENTITY NOW KNOWN.
HANNAH ROBERTSON. THE MURDERED
GIRLS NAME.
u,sr1N PHILLIPS, WHOM SHE WAS ONCE EN-
aAeEp TO MARRY. UNDER ARREsT-LIGHT

.,nsed 10 death in the woods at Glendale, l.. l.,
an Sunday morning last, was positively identified
,.sterday as that Of Hannah Robertson. who
smnloyed as a servant in the family of the Rev.
Thomas w. Martin, rector Of the Trinity Episcopal
Church, at Hewletts, Queens County.
The Rev Mr.. Martin and Mrs Martin called on
Coroner Homeyer at Ridgewood yesterday morn
ing and told him that they thought they knew
the person whose body had been found at Glen
Ssle AS they saw the body they
nromptly recognized it as that of Hannah Rob
etson.
Mr. Martin said that the girl had worked in
his family as a servant for the last four weeks she
having been engaged at Hendrickson's employment
agency, No. 100 Fulton-st., Brooklyn. Mr. Mar
tin said that he did not know much about the
yeung woman except that he believed her to he
Of English birth, and that she had sister living
In Brooklyn Her month was up on Satur-
day, and Mrs. Martin paid her her wages
amounting TO $12. Hannah said that she wanted
70 20 and visit her sister in Brooklyn, and asked
for a leave of absence until Monday. ms
was granted, and she left the house of the Martins
on Saturday afternoon. Mrs Martin had given
her two five-dolar bills and two-dOlar bill.
Mrs Martin cautioned her TO place the five-dollar
bills in her pocketbooz and to display only the
two-dollar bill when she should purchase her
ticket for Brooklyn.
When the young woman did not return on
Monday Mr. and Mrs Martin did not think 1t
strange. as they supposed she might have decided
10 stay over another day at her sisters house.
Mr. and Mrs Martin read of the finding of The
body of young woman in the woods at Glen
dale but it did not occur to them at first that the
body was that of Hannah Robertson The false
Identification of the body by the man Weber had
led them astray, and it was not until wednesday
that Mr. and Mrs. Martin began to think that the
dead girl found at Glendale might be the missing
servant. They then decided to visit the morgue at
Ridgewood.
Coroner Homeyer sent two constables with Mr.
and Mrs. Martin to District Attorney Fleming's
Office al Jamaica Trey told the District-Attor-
ney that there were some trunks and other effects
belonging TO Hannah Robertson at their house.
Mrs Martin said that the girl had told her she
bad q married sister, who the wife of an iron
moulder in Kent-ave., Brooklyn. and also another
married sister, who lived in Philadelphia. Mrs.
Martin also said that Hannah had told her that
she employed by a family in HancockNSt.,
Brooklyn. before she engaged to work in the Mar
tin family. Both Mr. and Mrs. Martin said that
while the girl was in their employ she had proved
herself an honest and industrious person, and they
knew nothing against her character.
Officers took two trunks from Mrs Martins
house to the Town Hall at Jamaica. These trunks
belonged TO the murdered young woman. They
kyere taken into the private Office of Jailer
Murphy, where they were thoroughly ransacked
by the District-Attorney and his assistants. The
reporters were not permitted to enter the room.
Lorenzo Smaley, who is sexton of Trinity
Church in inaHeWletts, says that he became we'll
acquainted with Hannah Robertson while she
was III the employ of the Rev. Mr.. Martin.
While he was in conversation with her on
occasion she told him that she had "a nice young
man." and that his name was Martin. She said
that he had given her a ring and also his picture.
The sexton noticed ring on her finger, and this
is believed TO he the ring containing the initials
m to II which was found the dead girls
finger
Hannah Robertson bought excursion ticket
1T the Hewletts station, which entitled her TO go
TO Brooklyn and return to Hewletts. She boarded
the 6 so train which left Hewletts on Saturday
hight last. This train arrives at the Glendale
Station. near where the body was found, at z IA.
Her ticket was good for the BushwicI station
1t is question whether she got off slle Glendale
station went TO the Bushwicl station. Ac-
cOrding To the statements of the agent at Hew
let's station and others there who saw the young
woman board the train, she was alone, and carried
In her hand only an umbrella, which was found
near the body.
Mr.. and Mrs. Martin say that Hannah attended
the Methodist church in Hewletts. and went to
and from the church alone. On July II she ac-
companied the Martin family on a picnic to Rock
away Beach, given by the Methodist church.
Detective Miller, of the Fourteenth Sub-Pre-
einct Brooklyn, went to the Fifth Precinct last
night and asked Police Captain ShoE If he would
assist him in finding tine sister OF tne dead girl.
The only information that the officer could give
Captain Short was that a letter and picture
had been found among the girls effects from a
man named Martin Phillips. The picture was be-
heved to have been a likeness Of the writer. AS
soon as Captain Short saw the picture he recog-
nized IL and soon found Phillips at bis boarding
house, No. 20J BedfOrd-ave.
Phillips, who is good.looking German about
thirty years old, admitted that he had known
girl named Hannah Robinson, and that he at one
time proposed 70 make her his wife. lie then
told the captain and his two detectives that the
girls sister, a Mrs William Laws, lived at No ga
keDt-ave. Phillips, with Mr. and Mrs Laws, were
Ia ken TO the police station and later TO Ridgewood
where they identified the body that of Mrs
La~sS sister. When the woman saw the face of
the dead girl she burst into tears and said That
h she, that is She
Phillips turned white. but made no remarks
The ring worn by the murdered girl with the
Initials NJ TO H.. when the body found
was then shown 10 him, and he admitted that he
had given ut 10 her two years ago. He declared
that he had seen little OF the girl since that time
lie had, he said. intended az one time to make
me girl his wife. but her waywardness prevented
According TO Phillipss story, while he lay sick
N st. Catherines Hospital year ago, the dead
gnI uled TO get possession of his clothing 10
pawn IL, but was prevented Ii was on learning
TINS blat he Stunned her. lie had not seen her
since then Mrs. Laws told the police that she
nad not seen the dead girl in several months
PIE mad called at her house six weeks ago, but
h she was not home at the time. Mrs. Laws says
sle al'efward learned that the girl was living
with a ni mister at Hewletts
a. AHnouGh i ue police are not inclined TO believe
.hat Philips KILLED the girl, they think he knows
To Jamaica at late hour last night. where he
was seen by DStrct-At Fleming and after
ward committed to the Queens County joil Phil
Ups was empoyed until recently by Huids
Catchum d Co., in North Thirl.st.. Broolllyn.
lie says ne can prove alibi as he spent last
SATURDAY IN New-JerSey whh the Young woman
msrnhn ne ne ,t nOw Sn.aged lie has long been