The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-06-16
print

liamsburg7"
George Stelz. assistant sexton Of Ho-
ly Trinity church. Montrode and era
ham avenues. Williamsburg. New York
city. was murdered Sunday night by
persons who knew the church. who
knew the people 10 the neighborhood
Of the church. and who knew the
murdered man and his habits. In fact.
a. the investigation continues. II Is
shown that he was not murdered for
the money In the poor box. but for the
purpose Of coneeallng the tracks Of the
men who were caught robblng these
boxes. That they were desperate In
concealing their tracks 10 borne out by
the fact that after beating 5,elz into
insensibllity they fell upon him and
ohoked him 80 that the bones Of his
neck were broken and his windplpe
was punctured.
That they knew the church u evident
by their finding their way 10 the poor
boxes 10 the vault under the vestlbule.
To get 20 these boHes without passing
through the big iron gates, which are
kept constantly locked. one has 70 pass
through winding passages that are
known TO only few Of the parishion-
ers.
Blood spots on the s,airways. In the
vestibule and on the walls OF tile vesti-
bule show plainly how and where the
murder was committed II was Stelz's
custom 70 POUND the Angelus AT 7
o'clock Il. tho evening HE went to the
belfry as usual on SUNDAY evening.
leaving the center doors Of the church
unlocked and carrying the bunch Of
keys. which we're afterward found lying
by the side Of the dead body. In his
hand. The bells were heard tollIng for
hve minutes or more. then the sexton
descended Into the yestibule.
No more OF his movements can be
traced. except for the blood spots. Il
Is supposed that he had descended TO
the vestibule and was preparing 10
, lock up the church for the night. when
he heard a noise In the cellar and went
10 investigate Then he saw the two
thieves breaking open the lower end OF
the poor box. which ran through from
the church door.
The first spot OF blood was found on
the cellar floor. showing that he had
been struck there. Then there were
blood spots leadlng all the way up the
stairs 70 the yestibule. Here there
were signs Of struggle A. the height
Of mans head blood was smeared on
the walls. There we're blood prints oil
n mans hand on the floor. az II the
murdered mans head had struck
there.
On the stairway leading to the second
floor there was pool Of clottet
blood. extending to the third step. and
on the fourth step there we're prints Of
two bloody hands. II was here tina
J Stelz fell unconscious. II was her,
,, that he was choked to death.
Undoubtedly there were two mer
concerned In the murder Of the sexton
Srhe appearance Of the dead mans heat
SHOWS that more than two hands deal
thA blows which felled him into lnsen
sil bility. Both a sharp and a blunt In
str1ument were used In tho assault
tn iere was one wound between the eye
an q one at the back OF the head Just Al
IN e base Of the skull. The wound II
RI NJ Of the head was made by n sharI
in .trument. while that IN the back wal
ma de by a blunt instrument n II b,
tn " the murder was done by a slngl,
~ rson then the weapon was both blum
a'id sharp
Then there we're four other wounds
rs the back and top Of the head which
were not made with the same instru
inent The finger marks on the mans
throat would indicate that ar
ferent sized fingers had crushed N,
bones
on the six money boxes In the church
only one had been tempered With. Thl,
stood In the cellar directly between
two big iron doors. aud over the alta.
tue Of an angel which guards the tomb
OF Father John May and Father John