The record-union., 1895-06-06
special to the KEcoRD-US1oS.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 5.-The police
continue to grope in darkness IN their
efforts to obtain clew to the murderer OF
Miss Nellie A. Harrington. Captain
Lees has repeatedly searched the house
where the murder was committed. Time
and again he has gone through the letters
and papers left by the deceased. over and
over he has ransacked drawers and eX-
amined closets and desks and still the
object of his efforts, clew to the assas-
sin, is as far away as ever. In the Kitchen
he found hammer and TWO knives, Dut
they told no story OF the crime. 1hey
were rusty and bore no speck OF blood
TO indicate that they had been USED as
weapons.
The searcher had contemplated the
finding of weapon as possible means
of tracing the murderer, but absolutely
nothing has been found which was used
during that fatal onslaught in the little
back room of Miss harrlngton'S nat last
Saturday afternoon. The chief of detec-
Iiyes acknowledges himself baff1ed. lie
says that this is the most perpleXlng case
lie has ever had to handle. II ahords not
even the slightest clew TO lead the lnvestl-
Va
the great crimes which have claimed his
attention have had either a motive or
criminal in view. Often the latter has
been missing, but there was generally
motive, and with that the tracing OF the
man or woman was but matter OF pa
thence and alertness. But here all Is dark.
Nobody knows why Miss Harrington
was so rulhlessly murdered, and as
consequence nothing can be inferred as
10 the character of the man who laid yio-
lent hands upon her, Mrs. Jackson, the
sister of the victim, adheres TO the belief
that the crime was the result OF deep
conspiracy, and that the person who COM
united it was held in great esteem by
Miss Harrington. The grlef-stricken
sister will not say whom she suspects.
because her suspicious are Of the nature
OF presentiments and might do gross in
Justice, but she says that she believes that
IL was some one who had some reason TO
fear her sister, and wanted to get her out
Of the way To avoid possible revelations
that she might make. This is so obscure
as to be absolutely worthless to the de-
tectives, Who could so have feared Miss
Harrington as to want 10 kill her? No
one is known to have had any reason to
have feared her at all, and Mrs. Jackson's
suspicious are not given weight.
In the absence OF all reason for the
crime the theory that ii was the act OF
some maniac is being discussed. That is
at least logical, and such theory IS not
by any means without precedent. Can it
be that there is someone in this city on
murder bent for murders sake? There
are many persons who believe that there
is. The detectives are beginning to in
cline to that belief, and are not pleased
over the fact that at any day there may be
a repetition of the brutality already dis
played.
Captain Lees has appropriated one room
in the Eilis-street house for the storing of
Miss Harrington's effects, and there he
spends most of his time. He was not at
his office this forenoon, and it was un-
Gerstood that he was still working at the
house.
The EUeming Post claims that the de-
tectives believe that ex-senator Buck
committed the crime, but the statement is
given little credence, and the POSPS s
article really contains no evidence worthy
OF consideration.