The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-02
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WERE THEY MURDERED f?
The Deaths of Two Young Women in 1877,
and 1880 Still Mysterinns

The Deaths of Two Young Women in 1877
and 1889 Still Mysterious.
In 1877, ON bright Sunday morning, two
boys, while on their way to church, saw a
young woman in the old Quarantine grounds,
on Staten Island. Apparently she was lying
on the ground unconscious or drunk. The
lads approached the object and were horror
stricken to find very handsome and we'll
dressed girl with her head pushed into
hole. Her staring but motionless ewes told
plainly that the seal of death was there.
The boys ran away and gave an alarm.
The Coroner took charge of the body and
an autopsy was held. The doctors after a
careful analysis of the internal organs
united in declaration that the girl had died
from the effects OF an irritant poison, says
the New York World. Detectives searched
in every direction for clews that might
solve the mystery, but got no further than
to learn that on the previous night, under
cover of darkness, close carriage was seen
to drive toward the QuaraDt tine grounds and
to return hurriedly to New York on the late
usual verdict of death from causes I'M
known" and only suspicion remains that
the young beauty was poisoned and then
plunged like a beast into hole in lonely
spot, to be buried in an unknown grave,
and giving to Staten Island another great
mystery.
Staten Islands next mystery was in May,
1889, when the lifeless body Of Mary TObin
was found floating in the bay near the Cliff
ton boat-house by Janitor Thomas w. Ar
mour. 1t was on the morning Of the 18th of
that month that he saw what lie believed TO
be log of wood being tossed about by the
waves. To his horror it proved to be the
body eOf pretty faced girl. He towed II
ashore ana Coroner Hughes assumed charge
OF the case. On tie third finger OF the girls
left hand was gold ring with cat s-eye
stone and two black bead bracelets adorned
the left wrist In her pocket was prayer
book. On the day following she was recog-
niZed as Miss Mary h. TObin OF Franklin,
Pa, who had been employed as an assist
ant to DR.. Samuel A. Robinson of West
New Brighton. On April 18th she was dis
missed from his employment to make place
for his grown-up son. She gave out that
she should visit Mrs. +. Mckinney III Long
Island City and pass the Sunday with her
and then would return TO her parents IN
PENNSYLVANIA.
After leaving DR.. Robinson's house she
visited DR.. William Bryan, to whom she
claimed to be engaged in marriage, and re-
NAMED few hours. The doctor testified
that she was respondent. He walked over
to the railroad depot and lefth there. This
was the last time she was seen alive by any
OF her friends. Her brother came on to push
an Inquiry into the cause of her sudden and
mysterious death, and secuted the idea OF
suicide. They, too, knew of her betrOthal
TO Dr. Bryan, and she had expressed an lu-
tentlOn 10 purchase and prepare her
trousseau, and then she disappeared and
was found a corpse in the river. DR.. Wood,
who made AN autopsy, expressed a strong
belief that Mary Tobir was not drowned,
leaving the obvious inference that she had
been murdered.
Staten Island justice failed, and the death
of Mary Tobin is another of the many mys-
teries that go down in the history of this
spot