New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-07
TRENCH DIGGER FINDS A BODY.
1T WAS BURIED SEVEN FEET DEEP NEAR
STATEN ISLAND HoTEL-sUs-
PIGEONS OF MURDER

William Mcvey, a laborer living in Newborn
was yesterday engaged In opening along private
sewer line at the rear of a hotel between lakewood
and Giffords. Staten Island. when he made q
startling discovery Buried seven feet below the
surface. and astride the sewer pipe at the bottom
OF the trench. was the body OF man. The body
was upright except below tho knees. which were
bent as though the man had been buried In q
kneeling attitude. Whether he murdered or
whether he was buried there while drunk by q
drunken teIow-workman is the problem the police
OF Staten Island are engaged In solving
The hotel was built I'm the fall OF 1885. Tho
owner Is Ludwig Brown. wealthy farmer living
near New-Dorp. Mr. Brown occupied the BUILDING
as hotel until July last when he leased tn
premises to August Weneki. who still conducts the
place.
There Is no sewer system in that part Of Staten
Island. and Mr.. Brown caused drain 10 be dug
for d hundred feet to the OF the hotel. There
the sewer pipe laid In the bottom Of the trench
empt!es into a little pool which In turn empties
into small stream. To do this work Mr. Brown
employed two men. One an Englishman
who gave his name William Anderson, and the
other was Bohemian. whom Mr.. Brown hired in
this city, and whose name was not known n.
was called the Dutchman." His name now an
pears to have been John Dobbs. This Is gathered
from some papers belonging TO him. which ara
in possession of Mr.. Brown. II is supposed he
took thi7 name because his own was difficult to
pronounce.
The Englishman and the Bohemian were rood
friends. SO far Ls known. They both drank heav-
Iy ana were often seen drunk while at work
The laying OF the drain was completed in June
last. The Bohemian worked while the trench was
oenG excavated. and most OF the time while the
pipes were being laid He suddenly Disappeared
when the work was nearing completion. TIE Eng
N>.hlng was seen or heard OF the bohemian until
his body was unearthed yesterday
When Mr.. Wenski took possession OF the hotel On
July /, the Enzshmon remained about the pacs
for q week or ten days. Then Mr. Wenski having
no further for him. he left and ali further
trace Of him has been lost
After the disappearance of the Bohemian several
persons commented upon the sudden going away
and once, when remarks were made on the subject
in the presence OF the Engishman he Is said to have
remarked that he guessed the Dutchman' was out
In the sewer trench. Before Anderson went away
he was talking Mrs Wenski and said that II
the sewer trench opened IL would be
pleasant for those In the house
Lately the sewer-pipe became clogged, and John
Melville, plumber Of New-Dorp. was engaged 10
open the trench. McVey was employed by Melville.
He had proceeded about seventy-hve feet when he
dug up the body.
The face was sufficiently we'll preserved for those
who saw 1t to recognize II. The clothing also cor
responded with the description Of Dobbs.
While many believe Dobbs murdered and his
body concealed in the ditch, the general impression
Is that the two were drunk, that Dobbs descended
into the 'rench and fell into a drunken doze, and
that his companion. engaged in filling In the
trench shovelled the earth In upon him.