Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-08
THORN CONFESSES.
ALLEGED CLEAN BREAST OF
CRIME LAID AT HIS DOOR.
THE MURDER OF GULDEESUpPE.
DetnfIs Of Dismembcrment and Dis
posaI of the BOdy--Arrnignment
of ALLEGED Murderer, Who Is SIN
guiariy Unconcerncd.

NEW YORK, July 7.-Tbere Is no
longer a mystery about the Tragedy
which first came to the public knowi-
edoe ON .Iune 18th, when some boys play
ing on the pier at the foot OF east llVth
street discovered floating in the river
bundle which contained portion OF
human body. Martin Thorn, according
70 the detective bureau. has confessed
that he planned with Mrs. NacK' ana
himself committed the murder oil VII
liam Guldensuppe, a Turkish bath mas
seur. and the former lover of Mrs. Mack
There are some Inconsistencies in the
story given out by the police, which Is
alleged to have reached them at second
hand. presumably from John Dolpha,
former friend of Thorn's, who last night
led the police TO Thorns place of con-
cealment. According TO the confession,
the murder of Guldensuppe was commit
ted on Friday, June 25th. in the house at
Woodside. l.. l., which had been rented
by Mrs. Mack ostensibly for baby
farm. on Monday, the statement says
|
and hid in a closet in the upper floor
In his pocket he had a loaded revolver,
and beside him was two-pound package
of plaster of Paris. He waited for the
arrival of Mrs. Mack and Guldensuppe
He took off his shoes, so that no acci-
dental noise could spoil his carefully
laid plan.
II was between 10 and II o'clock in
the morning when Mrs. Mack and her
victim. Guldensuppe, drove up in the
surrey. which has been mentioned in the
previous stories of the mystery. Thorn
heard Mrs. Mack ask Guldensuppe seve-
raj questions about the house. and he
heard Guldensuppe answer. Then Mrs.
Mack said according to the confession:
willie, don't wait for me. Go through
the house and see how you like it," "Oh,
III Just stay here until you come back"
Culdensuppe replied. But Mrs. Mack.
according to the confession, was anxious
not TO see the actual commission of the
murder she had planned. mo; don't
wait" she urged. Go and see the rooms
up stairs; I think you'll like them"
GULDENsUPPE SHOT
Thorn. concealed behind the door Of the
closet, heard Guldensuppe's steps on the
stairs. as he complied with the woman's
request Carelessly, Gudensuppe opened
door after door. until he came to the
closet where Thorn stood. As the door
sprang open Thorn shot Guldensuppe
right i'm the head. He died almost in
stantly.
Thorn took hold of the body by the
and showed II into the bath-tub. Then
Thorn went to the ground floor, where
Mrs Mack was waiting.
ITS DONE" said he.
81 know" replied Mrs. Mack. II heard. >"
Now, go back TO the city" Thorn said
TO Mrs. Mack. "aud come back here at
3 o'clock Everything will be ready.
Mrs. Mack obeyed the injunction, and
the murderer returned to the bath-tub
He cut off the head with a razor and
saw. Then he packed the head closely
with plaster of Paris. until 1t looked like
a block Of white stone. Then he severed
the legs. and after that the lower part OF
the trunk. He wrapped the dismembered
body up in cheese-clOth, then in oil
cloth. tied the bundles neatly. lit pipe,
and sat looking at his handiwork until
Mrs. Mack returned in the surrey.
Mrs Mack both took the ferry-boat
across to New York. On the way over
they threw the bundles into the river
How one portion of the body found it's
way to the woods in which IL was dis
covered is not explained in the con-
fession.
THORN ARRAIGNED.
Thorn was arraigned in the Jefferson
Market Police Court to-day, and re-
manded until Friday, when Mrs. Nack's
case comes up.
When Thorn was arraigned. In spite OF
the apparently damaging evidence. of the
confession, he presented a self-possessed
appearance. He was neatly dressed, and
seemed the least excited of the crowd
that gathered around the Magistrates
desk. eager to see him, and hear all the
details in the latest chapter OF the great
mystery. Acting-Inspector O'Brien is
quoted as saying that Thorn had made a
statement in which he positively denies
that ne murdered Guldensuppe, or knows
who did it. An examination has been
made of the bath-tub of the house at
Woodside, and i'm a trap under the tub
about a pound of plaster of Paris was
discovered. This find is regarded as
STRENGTHENING the circumstantial details
of the alleged confession.
Among the facts which have come TO
light since Thorns arrest, there are seve-
raj which indicate great lack of caution
I'm the methods employed by the alleged
murderer. Thorn Is said to have taken
the watch and chain from Guldensuppes
clothing and pawned them. Despite ru
mors TO the contrary, he appears to have
made absolutely no effort TO leave the
city. and beyond shaving off his NOUS
tache he seems TO have taken but few
steps to prevent his detection. In his
room there was found a valise. which
contained copies of all the newspapers
giving full accounts of the finding of the
portions of the body, and from day TO day
he had cut out the stories which traced
the crime home to himself.
LOCATION OF TRIAL.
The question of where the case will be
tried Is as yet unsettled, and until this
noint is decided the grand jury VIII not
be asked to deal with it. 1t is the gene
raj belief at the District-Attorney's office
that the case will be tried in this county,
as the county of Queens. in which the
murder was committed, has not any too
much money to spend on a prosecution of
this kind
Mrs Haften, who lives next door to the
Woodside house, which figures so tragl-
cally in this story, was at the police
station. and positively identified Thorn
as a man she saw in Mrs. Nacks COM
pany at woodside. and a Frenchman In
the employ OF Buala, who owns the
Woodside cottage, also recognized In
Thorn the man who hired the house and
who came to Buala's office, in Twenty
sixth street.
Martin Thorn Is 32 years old. His fea-
lures are strongly German In type. ami
he looks younger than his age, giving the
Impression of being an even-tempered.
ood-natured man.
THORN AT EASE