The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-24

was noticed that he wore a cloak the
folds of which he used to more or less
conceal his face.
FOUND MURDERED.
During the night fire was discovered
in Helen Jewett's room. When the
door was broken open the woman was
seen to be lying on the bed. apparently
asleep. The fire was extinguished cas-
lily and then it was discovered that she
was dead. The burning showed that
she had been killed before the bed took
fire. At once search was made for
Riverr. The back door was found open,
and on table near it was the uneE-
tinguished lamp that belonged to the
JeWett apartment. The yard backed
upon one belonging to Ii Duane street
house, and it's western side adjoined
another yard belonging to Hudson
street house, while a ten-foot wooden
fence separated the Townsend yard
from one on the east side in the direc-
tion toward West Broadway. One of
the municipal night watchmen climb
ed this fence and saw that from this
adjoining yard an alleyWay led into
Duane street. The entrance to the al
ley was found open, and doubtless the
murderer had escaped that way The
watchman found lying or the ground
of this adjoining yard a cloak and Il
hatchet. The cloak was recognized as
that which Frank Rivers had worn.
Meanwhile a surgeon had arrived
He compared the edge of the hatchet
with the wound in the temrle of the
dead woman.
The cut was evidently made by it,
said the surgeon. And he has taken
away his miniature that he gave Hell
en-" added Mrs. Townsend.
Everybody at once concluded that
Frank Rivers was the murderer and
the watchman Immediately set out to
arrest him. On reaching the lodgings
of Rivers, or rather Robinson, in Dey
street, the watchman found him unde-
niably fast asleep. On Robinsons be-
ing told what he was wanted for, the
Waterman, already puzzled TO find him
sleeping, was the more puzzled to see
that Robinson was really dazed by the
information. Robinson arose and
dressed himself In order to accompany
the officer of the law, who was once
more puzzled to see him put over his
dress a camlet cloak. Next examining
the bedroom the watchman discovered
white marks on Robinson's trousers.
that he at once reasoned had been
made by whiteWash from the fence;
and on the bureau he found the minia
ture missing from Helen Jewett's bed
! room. Robinson stoutly denied that
| he had been in the Thomas street house
on the preceding Saturday evening. To
| all his statements the officer listened
with incredulity and cautioned his pris-
| oner not to talk, because whatever he
| said might be used in evidence con-
| cerning the charge; so Robinson re-
mained silent. but seemed to be more
| and more affected at the narrative of
| the girls wound and death, and the
| fire:
| When on Monday the news of the
| murder, the fire. and the arrest became
! public, nothing else was talked about
! throughout the New York Of that day
| lying between Twenty-third street and
the Battery, with it's twelve wards and
100000 inhabitants. Robinson's en-
| ployer and friends claimed that the
| young clerk was incapable of such
work. The believers in his guilt point
ed to the mass of evidence against him
| and their belief was strengthened
when at the coroner's inquisition the
| porter of the store where the accused
was employed identified the hatchet as
one belonging to it. He identified the
hatchet by marks and by the twine
! fastened to it's handle. and this same
kind Of twine he further identified on
! the buttonhole of the discovered cloak
Bail was refused, and forthwith rela-
| tlves of Robinson, at his old country
home in Connecticut started a fund for
the employment OF counsel, and Robin
sons employer demonstrated his belief
in his clerks innocence by subscrip-
tlon to It,
| At once the three most eminent Grim
| inal law advocates were secured, in
Ogden Hoffman, a former district at
torney; in William M. Price, who was
President Jackson's federal district at
torney, and in Hugh Maxwell, who was
later county district attorney. Public
opinion was too exacting for official
delays and Robinson was soon indicted,
and at the first term of the oyer and
terminer his trial was called. Leading
citizens, preceiving the strong array
OF counsel for the defense, and having
| little confidence in District Attorney
Phoenix, whose selection by a friend
ly board of supervisors had surprised
| the bar asked the governor to detail