The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-22
BRIDGEPORT'S MYSTERY
DIsMEMBERED CORPSE FOUND IN A
MILL POND AGAIN IDENTIFIED.
Said to De the Remains of Emma Gill,
DOmestic-YOung Man Ar
rested on Suspicion.


terry was made known to-day, with the an
nouncement of the arrest in Hartford of
Walter C. Foster. The police have reached
the conclusion that the young woman
whose dismembered corpse was found in the
pond last week was Emma Gill, daughter
of Harry Gill, of Southington. Young Fos-
ter is accused of having been an accomplice
in the murder of Miss Gill. Miss Gill was
twenty-four years old, and had been en-
ployed as a domestic in the family of Jas.
II. Pratt, of Southington. Her brother de-
scribed the mole upon her neck, and a SINH
lar mark was found on the corpse. The
brother told how his sister started on a va
cation. AT the end of two weeks she re-
turned home. but alnouEced to Mr.. Pratt
that she was iii and was going away again.
10 her parents she stated that her sutton,
Walter Foster, of Hartford, had a sister
living in Stratford, and flat he had invited
her to go there. Two letters that the par
ents sent to their daughter were answered
but third one, with directions on the out
side to the postmaster to return within
three days if not called for, was received
to-day unopened.
II the body should prove to be that of
MISS Gill, the most puzz.ing mystery in
cent criminal annals will have been solved.
Last week the diSmembered body was posi-
lively ldent1fled as the remains OF Grace
PERKINS, OF Middletown, Mass There have
been many cases of mistaken identity in
which the proofs have seemed incontroverti-
bic. The newspaper records have been full
OF such instances and sorle of them have
awakened interest upon two continents. But
the present case is singular in its dramatic
quality. In no other case has the conciu-
sion OF identification been drawn more eau
tiously and in none has the evidence upon
which that conclusion vas based seemed
more convincing Yet even while the father
or Grace Perkins, upon the verge of col
lapse from grief and horror, was bearing to
his stricken home the mutilated body of his
supposed daughter and while the aged
mother In tears was waiting in her cottage
the ordeal of the reception of her dead,
Wh1e the grewsome preparations for the
burial were in progress, with the under
takers wagon at the door CT the home, the
grave dug and open, Grace Perkins, alive
and unconcerned, appeared. she drove up
to her home, passing on her way the open
grave which had been prepared for her.
Her companion. upon whom suspicion rest
the Perkins girl the problem of the iden-
tity of the remains dragged from Yellow
Mill pond relapsed again into the mys-
On Monday, Sept II, the first intimation
or the crime was given to the public. 1t was
brought to light as simply as many grew
some crimes have been discovered in the
past. Like the Gudensuppe murder in its
execution, it was discovered as that
playing about a bridge which spans the
waters of Yellow Mill pond. The place is
subject 10 the lnIlOW ana OutgO OF the tides
and at times the lowered water reveals that
which clingS to the mud of the bottom.
One of the boys saw a human foot protrud--
ing from a package in the OoZe, and all of
them ran for help. Men came and found
two packages securely tied with what APP
peared to be window cord.
Upon opening them one was found to con-
tain woman's head. 1t had been severed
from the trunk with skill. The face was
fair, the eyes blue, the hair auburn. The
teeth were well preserved and cared for.
Several of them were filled with gold. The
head was wrapped in rubber sheeting such
IS doctors and nurses use. A pillowcase
was found and the leg of mans undergar-
ment. The underwear bore the laundry
mark &c. 81" In the other bundle were.
knees and slashed between the upper and
middle portion of the thighs: knife and
a saw had been employed by one accus-
toned to their use. The woman had been
dead, the doctors said, twenty-four hours,
and had been dismembered within four
hours of death.
Search was made for the trunk and it was
found the next day not far from where the
head and legs were discovered. The failure
to discover it the day before led to belief
that 1t had been thrown into the pond dur
ing the night. Like the other portion of the
body rubber sheeting had been used to en-
wrap the trunk, as well what appeared
to be q carriage curtain. TIE trunk had
been severed at the waist knife and saw
having been used in the work The other
leg of the undergarment was found with
the trunk.
There were no marks about the body by
the mOrgue to see the head. One thought
it was that of Mrs. Seaton another that
Of Rachel Warner, a nurse Mrs. w. A.
Russell identified it as that of her daughter.
All three persons appeared in life to dis
prove the Identification. A HobOken woman
thought the body was that of Amelia AUS
tey, but this was proved to be impossible.
A merchant thought he had seen the woman
lurking near his store the night before the
William Kelly. of Bridgeport said he had
seen on Sunday night buggy with red
running gear and rubber tires standing on
the bridge near where the body found.
In the buggy was a man who wore a light
overcoat and a black felt hat. He was
about five feet eight inches tall and of me-
dunn build. To the buggy was hitched a
gray horse. AS Kelly passed the man turned
his face away. Kelly, glancing in the bug
afterward came face to face with the man,
who he saw had black mustache. AS soon
as Kelly had gone on the stranger drove
away. Kelly went into a little woods near
his home, close at hand, and was there
when another man came hurrying through
the bushes. The man was well dressed and
looked as if he might be a professional man.
He weighed about It's pounds and was about
five feet eleven inches tall Under his coat
he carried bundle. This he took out before
he saw Kelly, but on seeing him he replaced
it and disappeared. The laundry mark and
the story of Kelly, in the absence of identi-
fication, afforded the only clews to the solu-
On Wednesday a Bridgeport man, Henry
Burlison, meat salesman, appeared in
MatteaW2n, N. y, with a reQ-geareQ, ruD-
ber-tired surrey and a fagged-out horse. He
has accounted satisfactorily for his move
mentS.
The laundry mark &c 81" was found to
be the family mark of a midwife, Mrs. DR. -
Guilford. She has been in prison and her
husband a DR.. GIL, is serving a term in
prison. She left town about the time of the
murder and the finger of suspicion has since
pointed steadily toward her,
On Thursday Frank Perkins, an engineer,
of Middleboro, Mass, appeared in Bridge
port and by means of a facial blemish and
the gold filing in the teeth positively identi-
fed the dead girl as his daughter All were
satisfied that Marion Grace Perkins was the
woman who had been murdered. Are you
willing to swear that the body in the morgue
is that of your daughter" asked the cor
oner. Il am willing to pledge my life that
it is She" answered Mr.. Perkins, solemnly
and vet how completely even doting father
can be mistaken has been shown.
Another arrest was made in connection
with the Yellow Mill pond murder mystery
late tonight. the second man being from
Stratford but whom the officers refuse to
divulge 1t was intimated that the man was
only held on suspicion. Chief Birmingham
and Detective Arnold visited Stratford to-
night and called upon Deputy Sheriff stage,
U-h1 accompanied them in their quest. and
about IL 80 the party returned to the ponce
station with q man in custody. No name
was entered on the slate and no particulars
could be learned from the officers.
Dentist Kennedy Indicted.
NEW YORK, Sept. 21.-The grand jury
to-day returned an indictment for murder
in the first degree against Or. Samuel j.
Kennedy, who is accused of the murder OF
Emene c. Reynolds, better known as
Dolly Reynolds, in the Grand Hotel on