New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-05
THE BORDEV BUTLERS MURDER.
AN AIIEGtD CONFESSION. WHICH CAPTAIN
o'BRIEN- CALLS A GOLD BRTCK'-A STORY
ABOUT THE TRINITY CORPORATION

o'BRIEN. CALLS A GOLD BRICK'-A STORY
ABOUT THE TRINITY CORPORATION
BUILDING BURGLARY
An alleged confession about the murder OF Ferii-
nand Harris the second butler in the house OF NJ c.
Il. Borden. in West Fifty-sxth-st.. two years ago.
has been made by Frank Nelson. convict. who is
serving a sentence OF ten years In the New-Jersey
State prison for robbery committed in Hoboken
some time aGo. He declares that on the afternoon
Of May o. 1895. when violent thunderstorm
passing the city, he went 70 the Borden house
with two notorious thieves. known to the police as
Low Dutch Henry and Bnfaden. lie had con-
scented TO a plan TO aid them in robbng the house
ne says, but when they wanted him to enter the
house first he backed out and went away leaving
them to make the attempt alone. He declares that
the thieves went TO the house together. and that
when they were discovered by the second butler It
was Low Dutch" Henry who fired the shot and
killed Harris.
Nelson made his confession first to Thomas
Adams. a former dctective-sergea who is now
connected with a private detective agency at No.
John-st. lie has since told his story to several New
Jersey detectives and to newspaper Search is
being made for Low Dutch Henry and Binfaden.
who are supposed to be at liberty somewhere In the
world When Nelson first made his confession he
said tina; kid" Miller. another wel-known thief.
went 10 the Borden house with Henry and Binfaden.
and he also gave Information tina: Miller was mixed
up In the Hoboken robbery Miller has been
now declares that Nelson probably was the man who
killed Harris. quarrel between Nelson and Miller
over woman has made each of them willing TO help
convict the other OF murder If possible
Captain O Bricn of the Detective Bureau said
yesterday that Nelson's confession "a gold
brick" About year ago Nelson told the same
story TO Detective Reap of this city The story
investigated fully Captain O'Bren says. and
found to be tissue of lies. Captain O'nrien also
declares that the two criminals known Low
Dutch" Henry and Bnfaden ~ not the de-
scripon of the who killed Harris. He says he
obtained a good description Of the murderers from
the who sold to them the revolver with which
Harris killed.
In his statement Nelson also had something to
say about the burglary of the Trinity Corporation
Building. at Vescy and Church SITS. last fall. a
man called Thomas OBrien recently arrested
suspicion. because he had in his possession
Dix. the rector If Trinity He discharged I'm
Centre Street Police Court on the testimony OF
man named Brady. who said he had found the
Bible in the street and given IL to O Brien Nelson
declares that these stories are false. "When the
church robbed" he says. the men who went
to do II got In there and with n clock.
The clock was too heavy for them TO carry, and
they left II, but they didn't throw II IN any ash
barrel. 1t was left behind a tombstone In the
graveyard. Those poor fools didn't know it, but
that clock IS worth $500. II an antique clock
very antique. for 1t was made In the thirteenth
century. The reason the Bible taken be
cause the who did the job came back with
the story that he had thrown the clock away. The
crooks chided him with cowardice. and he returned
and entered the yestry. bringing back the Bib"
evidence of the burglary. | told O'Brien that he
had better take the thing out II would lead 70
trouble and so II has