The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-04-04
TEE HISTORY or ICRInB
The Latest New York Murder
Mystery Cleared Up.
SUPERINTENDENT BYRNHs' STORY.


Unparalleled brutality of Negro who
Killed His Mistress. Dismembered the
Body and Then Carried 1t Through the
Crowded Streets ON n Horse Car.
NEW YORK, April 4.-The mutilated
body of the young colored woman which
was found Sunday morning at Waverly
place and Sixth avenue has been identified
as that of Mrs Mary Martin, the wife Of
Thomas s. Martin, West Indian negro.
She had for time been living at 14s West
Twenty-seventh street, with William
C@ssr, colored, employed as porter in a
hat store under the Hoffman House. Mar
tin, woman named Louisa Miller and
Cassar were arrested, the two former as
witnesses, and the Inst suspected Of having
committed the murder.
Superintendent Byrnes last night told
the story Of the murder as revealed by the
Investigations OF his detectives. For cold
blooded brutality 1t Is one Of the most re.
markable crimes in the history of the city.
Inquiry as to the mode of domestic life
pursued by Cesar and his reputed wife re-
yealed the fact that there were frequent
quarrels between the two, caused by the
mans jealousy. On occasions he would
knock her down, and other tenants in the
house said that he had often threatened
her life. 1t was ascertained that on Fri.
day night the couple had violent quar-
rel, and that the woman threw a glass at
the man, hitting him on the head He
then threw her down on the floor, after
having grasped her by the throat with
both hands.
There, lying on the floor, 1t Is said, he held
her throat in such grasp that he thought
he had killed her. But when he released his
hold he discovered that she was still
breathing. Then, according to the police,
he secured the piece of cheese cloth which
was found tied around her neck on Sun
day morning. This, 1t is alleged, he put
around her throat and twisted it, and
then tied 1t into double knot and stran-
gled her. He slept rs soundly, 1t is said,
as II the corpse of the woman was not al
most within his very sight. The next
morning he went to work as usual, lock-
ing the door behind him. At noon he went
back to the house unlocked the door to SEQ
If the body had been disturbed and then
returned to his work.
On Saturday evening, according to the
story of the police, Cesar went back to his
home and prepared to dispose of the body
OF the woman he had killed On his way
to his rooms he borrowed a butcher'J
clcavcr from man he knew. The cleayer,
which the superintendent showed, was as
keen as n razor and still showed marks Of
blood spots upon the blade which are sup
posed to be human blood.
He had an idea in his mind, 1t is con-
jectured, that he had better throw the
body In the river, but to do this, in order
TO transport the body such distance, he
must get it into smaller compass. He,
NtasNna afExH 4. II H
attempted to cut the legs off at the hips,
but failed In that. and then cut them both
off just above the knees. Having proceeded
SO far, he took piece OF the carpet on the
floor and an old rug which was In the room
and rolled the body up in then after hay
ing tied the hands firmly SO that they
might not fall apart.
1t was at this time not later than S: 80 or
s:45. He picked up the bundle and took it
in his arms from the house to Sixth ave.
nue., where he boarded Sixth avenue
horse car, bound down town, aud stood on
the front platform. There were other
people in the car ntthe time, but no one
appears to have paid any special attention
to the negro with a large bundle.
The car on which the man happened to
take passage was one of those which stop
at Wayerly place on the down trip and
then switch and go northward As the
car stopped at Waverly place Cesar got
off and walked over to the west side Of tho
street in front Of the building OF the New
York Bank Note company. The man is
not powerful. He leaned against the rail
ing in front Of the building to rest, and
put the bundle on top Of the railing, which
Is some five inches in width In some way,
however tho bundle slipped and fell over
the railing upon the ground on the other
side. To attempt to put 1t together again
the negro saw would be useless, and SO he
concluded to let it remain there, and
walked quietly away, There it lay undis.
covered until 6 o'clock on Sunday morn
ing,
On Monday the police received letter,
stating that the murder had been commit
ted in Railway, n. j., and that the body
had been brought to this city in wagon.
The letter purported to have been written
by the murderer, who said that he was go.
ing to Washington. The missiye was dated
from Philadelphia, but was postmarked
from New York The writer forgot that
tho place from which the letter was dated
md the place which it was postmarked
should correspond, Sunday evening after
having returned the cleaver to the person
from whom he procured 1t, Caesar went to
his rooms and burned up the effects of the
woman.
Cesar is about % years old, and was
born in the West India islands. He ia "A
little above medium height, and is very
black skinned. He has been In this city
since 1890.