New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-02
EITHER MURDER Or SUICIDE.
THE RODY OF A BALTIMORE MAN FOUND
UNDER A HOTEL AT CONEY ISLAND.
SUPPOSED TO BE f. c. HARRIS. OF THE SOUTH
ERN UTY-A STAB WOUND OVER THE
HEART-No BLOOD STAINS on THE
CLOTHING or BOARDS ON

WHICH THE BODY LAY
The Coney Island police have their first mystery
this season TO solve II Is either a case of suicide
or murder. Michael Roberts a mason engaged
in making repairs 10 Stu?giS Hotel. near the
Childrens Seaside Home, toward Noron's Point.
at 80 o'clock yesterday morning found the
body of d man under the beams of the hotel which
is built piles The man was living on
some boa:ds which the workmen had placed
there on the previous night on quitting work
The body lay at full length the hands being
crosscO upon the breast, the legs living one over
the Other. like "A man asleep. There was stab
wound over tie heart and on the lody was found
a knife with blade four inches long. There
were Il" blood stains upon the clothing or on the
Ilaned boards where the body lav
From papers found in the clothing the dead
man is believed 10 be Edwin G. Harris of No
COZ st. Paul-st.. Baltimore, Md. The dead man
seems TO h. about thrty-scven years old five feet
eleven inches In height. senderlv built, and
weighed about 80 pounds He had high fore
head, sandy hair. hight brown mustache, brown
eyes and large front teeth lie was dressed in Il
black cheviot suit which ,a1 been purchased in
Baltimore. lie wore a white linen shirt with The
letters +. II" embroidered red band. The
man also wore laced shoes, and a hat which had
been purchased in Baltimore.
In the pockets were found receipt dated April
10. from the Catholic Club of Baltimore, for ni-
tiation fee and dues. Issued by Edwin c. Harris
No 6O9 ST. Paul-st.. Baltimore. and signed by
V. Kearns; a receipt from the Enoch Pratt Free
Library of Baltimore to +. c. Harris for NJ F.
IIeisSell for IS o, for iost book and fine, signed
by Barnard Steiner, librarian dated July %,
1892; a pawn ticket, No 2S,904, from j. H.
Fruhauf. a pawnbroker of Ncw-York City, for
g ,,.1l,- ficiya
Ncw-YorlI from Coney Island the Sea Beach
road: nineteen 3s-calibre Smith & Wesson car
triges, pool check and several other things
There was also found in the clothing torn
business card upon which had been written tn"
following note "Culbert, 81 West Thirty
second-st. New-York Here is friend. ii"
isO.K. BERT"
No money or valuables were found on the body
1t was removed TO >tillwells morgue at Graves
end TO await Identification. Chief OF Police Me
Kane sent telegram TO the police of Baltimore,
asking if such person as Edwin c. Harris was
known in that city.
There are many suspicious circumstances which
will have to be explained before il will be gen
orally believed that the killed himself. y
man answering the description of the dead man
entered drug store at Coney Island on Wedncs
day about noon and asked the CORK Tor prcscrp-
physician and promptly handed him az. Tn
stranger wrote prescription containing larg
amount of chloral. and signed it E. IIaviland.
NJ D."
The clerk on reading the prescription, said
"You forgot to write your address. doctor. Is
this for yourself?'
The man promptly replied: ayes, I want to
use it myself" The clerk then put up the pre-
scription and handed the medicine to the man
in a small bottle. The stranger pulled hand
full of silver change from his trousers pocket
and. after paying the clerk went away.
The clerk nxsiccd that the man was we'll
dressed and wore II gold cham across his vest
The bottle containing the chloral found Oh
tn. body, and there is little room 10 doubt that
the dead man was the man who called at the
drugstore.
Peter Voorhees,, foreman Of the carpenters, who
was engaged in repairing the Sturgls House. said
that it looked like case OF murder. lie dldn
think that the man crtwlcd unicr the hotel where
the body was found and then stabbed himself -
death there. Those who hold this opinion say
that if the man had stabbed himself after crawl
ing under the flooring there would have been
some signs of blood on the boards where the body
lay Those who believe that the man wa.
murdered think he was killed in one OF the
notorious dives" in the BOwcrv, and that the
body was afterward carried 10 the Sturois House
and placed under the beams for the purpose OF
concealing the crime. The Sturgis House is at
present anoccupied, and stands in an isolated part
Of the island
From the appearance of the body when found
H. was evident that the man had been dead several
hours As the body was not under the building
when the worlmcn quit work on Wednesday, IT
is certain that the man did not meet death until
after dark The believers in the murder theory
think the man was killed sometime after MD
night - &c.,
me police have the knife which was found on
the body and which is supposed TO have inflicted
the fatal wound Chief Mckane last night refused
70 give information as 10 whether there were
stains of blood on the knife: lie said that , me
coroner had taken charge of the case, ana hdh
nos session of all the dead mans personal property
Baltimore June ] Especial The description
of the body of the man found az Concy Island an
swers TO that of Edward ~. Harris, the Son OF
BENJAMIN Harris, president ol the Mutual Llle
Insurance Company of Baltimore Inc {ouns {s
man is travelling salesman for Baltimore mouse,
and went to New-York on business lew uays
ago The family have not heard from nm nm Sill i
he left homo. His brother went 10 ->e"-ioiN
tonight TO inquire into the case