New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-02
IDENTIFYING THE DEAD NAN.
HE WAS MICHAEL HOFFMAN. FARMLAND.

AN INQUEST IN THE SPRING LAKE cAsE-THE
CAUSE OF DEATH NOT AscERTAISED.
The officials in Middlesex County New-Jersey suo-
ceeded yesterday in Kidding themselves Of the body Of
the murdered man fodnd IN Spring Lake, near Plain
field, Saturday. The inquest conducted BY Justice
Theodore WOOD Of Metuchen, is by many regarded as
farclCal proceeding IL hoped hat at least q
the many CorOners elected 10 Office In Mddesex County
would appear yesterday and take hand In the Inquest
This hope unfulGed, and only one county Official
went TO south Planheld. lie County Physician
Donohue, Of Perth Amboy. At O'Clock the hour mp
pointed for the inquest Justice Wood volunteered his
services as acting coroner, and the jury Of twelve
farmers gathered about him in the paror Of the Avon
Park House, famllisrly known 10 every NewJersey
horseman as Campben's clubhouse.
Just before noon yesterday j. spence Anderson. Il
Passaic n. j., went 10 the clubhouse stables where
the body Of the dead man lay, and tod the people
there that he had Identified the Michael Hon.
man, farm hand. Of Carlstadt bergen County. lbs
story was that two weeks ago last sunday Hoffman,
VINO worked for farmer named Francis Ensel. went to
his house and asked 10 sister The latter was en-
pIoyed AS a servant at the Anderson house. Accord
Ing 10 Mr. AndersOn's story had been the custom OF
She sister to visit Hoffman at Carisadt' on alternate
Sundays she was much surprised TO see her brother
az her employers house. and asked him what no
wanted. lie replied that he came to give
her his bank book because he feared he going b
die Then he left her with the remark that he would
return In about half hour. That day and tic
next passed, and news OF the young German cana
TO his sister. The Chief Of Police In Passaic was
asked 10 look for him, but no success attended ue
search. On Monday Mrs. Enge went to the Anderson
house and told Of tho finding Of body IN Phinned'
Anderson. Mrs. Engel and q young woman VINO sara
she was a sister of Hoffman In the Jockey clue
parlor Yesterday when the inquest was begun JUS
tice Wood conducted the examination OF wthesses'
The boy who found the body under the bridge spashs
Spring Lake. and John !. Holly who next Veweo ue
body were examined. Then middle-aged herman
woman who said she was the wife Of Francis Engei
was put on the stand. only one bit OF testimony was
elected from this witness that is valuable That con-
Germs the paper upon which written recon-
mendation for Hoffman and signed Engel MIS- Eps0
said that she believed the signature 70 '.
that of her husband. Mrs. Ensei was "'N..
TO give description Of Hoffman. she saiu she eouN
not The man had worked at her house. she sao' Ior
six years. She said the carried hunhhsea'o
watch with a chain and square loclet. The man
found In Spring Lake wore an openfaced WATCH WIN
a round locket She said HolTman's suit WAS duo
cloth with yellow and white specks In II. Inc ihaA
I'm the water had on black suit. she saw the oouS
OF the man as 1t lay In the rough pine box Do
fore she went into the parlor she "su-
fed thai she recognized the body as tha' OK
Hoffman. Later she said she looked at uhe cio'NeS
only. -, ,y.h.ot
Kate Hoffman said she was the sister OF aichaei
Hoffman when she was put on the stand She "o"a
not look upon the body and could give no testimony
to prove that the who was found vas heF
The County Physician was not called upon 70 svo
any testimony lie had not examined uie man iuns'
10 ASCERTAIN whether he had been d'o"heu' ANo
- rotnrnsd n verdict that the evidence of Mrs.
Enso, and Mr. Anderson is conclusive proof that tho
body found Is that Of Michael Hoffman, VINO eano
- his death from causes unknown TO the jury
Michael Hoffman was a native 81 Germany, reops
in Carstadt who knew him speak highly OF MS ha9l s.
and his employer was astonshed "hen, on SatuIuy,
asust Is Hoffman stopped work and asked MN i1'
h IHso,aV' lie told Mr.. Enge that hts heart was
hrnLorn ana that he going away: Ills employer
tried 10 get some explanation from norman ana -
stS biS vife xhO kept Ho1man's handbook for blu
Homan merely repeated his mand for tn money aud
the handbook, representing Ss9o ana 90 NJ
Which his employer wrote out and handed HIM h4 on.
banktook TO her, repeating that his heart was broAeh
she also, could get no explanation from him.