The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-01
Strange MURDER MYSTERY
Body of an Unknown Negro Woman
Is Horribly Mntilated.
ANOTHER JACK THE RIPPER
The Corpse of u Woman Who Had
Evidently Been Strangicd Found on
Sixth Avenucl Evidence of
Carefully Planned Murder.

WIN DOtn legs cut OIL at lne knees,
and II large cash at the right hip, was
found at 6 o'clock this morning in front
of 70 Sixth avenue. Both legs were cut
off at the knees and We're placed along
side the hips.
Around the neck was a piece of pipk
gau2e OF cheese cloth, about five feet
long, which was twisted to serve as q
rope. This was drawn SO tightly that
the skin was broken and a few drops
of blood oozed out. The tongue was
protruding and it was evident that
death was caused by strangulation. At
the outer side Of the right hip and ex-
tending to the lower part of the alb
domen was a large and Jagged cash.
The skin was drawn away from the
borders of the wound and the severed
muscles stuck out as though cut in a
rough manner An examination of the
legs showed that they had been cut off
just below the knees. In both cases
the knee remained on the trunk. The
instrument used to amputate the legs
was undoubtedly a saw. Apart from
the severing of the legs, the cash at
the hip and the strangling, there was
no other evidence of violence.
Bloody serum ooZed from the mouth
of the dead woman. Her eyes We're
closed and looked as though the lids
had been pulled down after death. The
arms lay across the breast, the right
hand crossed over the left and tied with
a section of ordinary clothesline. A
slip moose was made over the left wrist,
then passed around to the right wrist.
The rope was then passed around the
body once pinioning the arms closely to
the chest, the end secured in front in
a double knot. On the body was a
tightly fitting white cotton chemise,
the lower part of which was saturated
with blood where it had come in con-
tact with the severed limbs. The other
garments on the body was a cheap
black cloth shirt.
No Clue to Identification.
There was nothing to indicate the
identity of the dead woman. She was
apparently about 2S or 30 years old.
There was a dent over the right eye
brow as though she had received a Sc
we're injury there a long time ago.
When found the body was wrapped in
a large piece of flannel. of old gold
colors, such as is sometimes used as q
piano cover. Inside this was a piece
of wornout carpet and a cheap rug,
evidently having been long in use. on
the chest was found a piece of SILICA,
of purple color To this adhered a
thin chip of bloodstaned bone.
A more important discovery, in the
estimation of Captain Delaney, of the
Charles Street station, was that of q
small bag of common table salt, and
a small bottle of fluid of dark color,
These, the captain thinks, may lead to
the detection of the murderer.
Soon after the body had been brought
to the station house a crowd gathered
and was allowed to view the remains.
After looking at the corpse each in
dlvidual would pass out, but without
throwing any light on the dead wo-
mans identity. Meanwhile Captain
Delaney had gone to police headquart-
ers and reported the matter. He also
detailed several officers on the case. He
realized that he had a most difficulty
task to find the perpetrator of a mur-
der committed with apparent premedl-
tation and cool calculation. One thing
seemed evident; that was that the crime
had been committed some distance from
the place where the body was found.
Body Drained of Its Blood.
The murder, the police reason, was
done in house The absence of blood
at the spot where the body was found,
the fact that clothes about the body
We're not bloody, so to show that the
killing was done at some other place.
The police say the body was drained of
its whole supply of blood. The object
of cutting off the legs the police be-
lieve, was to place the body in q trunk,
box, or other small space, for the pur-
pose of carrying it away from the scene
of the crime. 1t was thought that the
murderer had intended to send the body
to some distant point. 1t seems certain
that he calculated upon having the body
pass under observation without excit-'
ing suspicion. This Is shown by the
bag of salt and the bottle Of fluid. The
salt he expected to prevent decomposi-
ton and the bottle is supposed to con-
tain some fluid to conceal the presence
of odor.
The colored people around the Ninth
ward are greatly excited about the mur
der.
COroncr's opinion. .. .
Deputy Coroner Weston made a post
mortem examination of the body dur
ing the afternoon. He said that the
examination showed that the woman
died of strangulation. The cutting on
the legs and hip, he said, was done
after death.
A close examination of the severed
legs showed that they had been cut off
just above the knee joint, instead of
just below, as was first thought on a
hasty scrutiny.
A striking point in the post-mortem
examination was the fact that the
stomach was practically empty. The
woman's body was well nourished and
apparently she had not suffered for
lack of food during the recent part of
her life time. She must. however, have
gone six or more hours previous to
death without taking any article of
food. This was considered somewhat
unusual by the deputy coroner. DR..
Weston said the body had not been
dead twelve hours when found. The
police were not idle during the day.
They got several slight clues and start
ed out to trace their connection with
the murder.
~ rs Sdiu u piece Oh DrOWn paper
bearing the name of Jane H. Surtindell,
was found on the dead woman's clothes.
The police went to Railway. N. j., to see
II they could run csss clew they had
from there. They ascertained that
about ten days ago a negro domestic
named Mattie Ivory left Railway for
New York, since which time nothing
has been heard Of her. 1t Is claimed