Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-15
NEW YORK's MURDER MYSTERY.
Police stu Hope TO Identify Man
Found in Bay.

(New York Tribune)
No facts of any value were brought to
light yesterday in the effort to identity
thee body which was picked up in frag-
ments along the Brooklyn water front.
and TO clear up the mystery as to the
cause OF the mans death and the agency
which mutilated the body. A number OF
morbid persons went TO the morgue IN
Willoughby street, and some of those who
court notoriety told queer stories OF men
with crucifxes and anchors tattooed ON
their arms There was no identification
made. however. and the officials take lit
tie stock i'm some of the strange stories
that were told. That there was no posi-
tive identification made. or, at least. some
valuable clew discovered. yesterday was
rather a disappointment to the officials
who are working on the case, but they
have not yet given up hope that they
will be able TO unravel the mystery.
The police have no new theories about
the case. and said last might that they
had no possible Identification clues upon
which they were engaged. At present
they are waiting for some one to come up
and give them a clue by making an abso-
Lutte identification. Mr.. Mcguire, the
morgue-keeper said he would keep the
fragments of the body until Friday, IL II
was necessary
The first would-be identifer went to the
morgue at O'Clock yesterday morning.
He was Elias Whitman, who had been
found by a reporter for an afternoon
newspaper. Whitman said that he was
walking along South street. Manhattan.
about o'clock on the morning OF June
ID when he saw two men quarreillng
near Fulton Market. They were dressed
like sailors or longshoremen, he said and
he distinctly saw a tattooed crucltX, ike
the one in the morgue, on the arm OF one
Of the fighters. The other man drew a
hatcl 1 and threatened to kill the tat
tooed man. who was called Reilly. Whit
man reported that he heard this blood
thrilling conversation:
REILLY. I'll chop you to pieces ard feed
you TO the fishes the first chance / get"
May be you will, ii you get the first
chance, but 1 will keep a lookout for
you
Whitman was positive that Reilly"
had a crucilx on his arm. like the one
on the unknown body; but afterward he
said that he was unable to make a
positive Identification on account of the
absence OF a part of the face OF the body
in the morgue. The police do not place
any credence in his story. Captain Rey-
nolds said that his investigation goes TO
show that Whitman Is a man who likes
to see his name in print. and IS said to
have been the author of several scnsa- |
tional stories.
Another visitor to the morgue was J
Mrs. Hanson. whose husband is q sailor (,
on board the cruiser New Orleans. She /
was struck by the similarity Of the tattoo |
marks described in the papers TO !
those on the arms or Mr.. Hanson. When /
she saw the marks at the mOrgue, how
ever. she said that they were not the
same as the crucifX Oh her husbands
arm included a bleeding neart in led
nix. Furthermore. Mrs Hanson has re-
ceived a letter from her husband. dated
on Saturday on board the New Orleans,
At Newport News
The absence OF part Of the ia &c and the
'eet prevented Mrs. Frederick Luneborg,
If No. fOi east Filty-f0urth street Man
lattan, from saying positively whether
he body was that OF her husband or
lot Mr. Lunebers has been missing for
en- days. He had tattoo marks On his
lrm. exactly like those on the body in
he mCrgue, she said, but the teeth of
he body made her hesitate. as they are
while she believes those of her
husband were perfect. She could settle
he question positively. she declared. If
he feet could be found There were
hree toes missing from Mr.. Lunenberg S
light foot He was 60 years Old, ard
lad gray hair while the body OF the
norgue is that OF man Just in the prime
# life.
Me.vi Smith the life-saver at one Of |
he bathing establishments on Coney Is
and. said last night that he remembered
eeing a man in the water there a day
n two before the body was found who !
lad a CruCitiX tattOOed on his arm. When |
he man came out and dressed he wore
n American navy sailors uniform. Smith !
oud not, however, remember the name
n the mans hat which would indicate
he warship to which ne belonged lie is
ositive in his statement and believes
hat the dead man was a sailor in the
ayy.
Policeman Frank Mcclure of the Cen
raj Park force. reported 10 Captain Eng
and, al the Arsenal yesterday that he
eleves he saw the dead man at Coney
sland last Friday. Mcclure noticed a
arty Of three men and three women in
athing. He was so attracted by a cruci-
* tattOOed on one arm of a smooth
aced, stout man that he remarked it 20 |
lis friend. He also noticed an anchor tat
coed on one of the mans hands Captain !
England sent Mcclure 10 Police Head
uarters to tell Captain McClusky OF the /
Detective Bureau. but up TO a late hour
e had not called. II was thought At
eadquarters that the policeman had gone
0 Brooklyn TO tel his story.