The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-01
THE CLOSE OF A TRAGEDY.
Death of Washington Nathan, Who Was
Accused Of PAtricido.

Accused OF PAtrtcldG.
NEW YonK. July 8I.--vThe World's Lon
don correspondent sends ths following;
Washington Nathan, tbs central figure III
the famous Nathan murder csso, died last
wesk at Boulogns -Sur-Msr. To his dying
moment the murder pfeysd upon his mind.
During the last week Of his life he told over
and over sgAin his own story Of The death
Of his father. In his rational, as we'll as
his irrational moments he kept contiun "
repeating: my poor father. my poor
father" The events Of that awful night
seem to have mover left his mind. He was
. gay young blood at tho time Of the mur-
der. He changed very much aftsr that.
He lived almost constantly outside OF Amer
ica. He bad plenty of money At first and
drank a good deal He was A years old at
the time Of his death. He married rela-
tive of Mapleson, the impressario. Here is
what he said of the murder in his last mo-
ments:
1T had been a terrible, stormy night
memorable even had it not been for the
crime that stamped it indelibly on the pub
lilo mind. On returning home. after seeing
that the house was properly closed. / went
stralRht to my room and to bed. The
house had been undergoing repairs. 1t id
my theory that the murderer may have
been hidden in the cellar, having entered
the house during the day while the work
place early next morning in the synagogue.
l was instructed to wake my father. SO that
the old man who was regular in his attend
ance. might be present. It was O. clock
when entered fathers room. found him
on the floor, murdered, and it was / who
gave the alarm by going to the window and
calling. afterward sum moned my brother,
who lifted tho body and placed it ON the
bed, thereby covering himself with blood,
No blood could ever be found on any Of
my Clothes" said the dying man, yet peo-
pie say that killed him. My poor father:
my poor father! Nothing was missing sx-
eept few small diamonds and several un-
about E200."
Nathan leaves two brothers older than
himself and one younger. 1t was his dying
wish to see New York again. and finally to
be taken to New York for burial.
The Nathan murder was one of the most
sensational crimes in the history OF New
York. Benjamin Nathan, the victim, was
Z wealthy and highly respected member of
the Hebrew colony of tho metropolis. One
morning in the summer Of 1870 his body
was found in an upper room of his residence
in Twenty-third street, the skull crushed
with an iron bar and the shoulders and
arms covered with bruises all the circum-
stances giving evidence that terrible
struggle had taken place between the muir
derer and murdered. That robbery had
been the purpose of the crime was
plain from the fact that the safe
had been plundered. The murder
WAS discovered and the alarm given
BY the murdered mans son, Wash
inQton, who had been out late that night
and had gone into his fathers room at an
unusually early hour. The evidence of the
milkman and of other persons who were
about the premises between dawn and the
time the alarm was given seemed to show
that the murderer could not have escaped
from the house after committing the deed.
and suspicion fell upon the son Washing
ton, who was understood 30 be in desperate
pecuniary straits. Several suspects were
arrested, but no proofs were obtained suhi-
ciently strong to hold them, nor was there
found any substantial evidence to fasten
the crime upon the suspected son. In spite
of the most thorough and energetic meas.
ures the police were unable to get clew to
the assassin. and to this day the Nathan
mystery" has never been solved.