The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-12
POLICE WORKING BLINDLY.
FEW CLUES TO GO ON IN THE Wo-
MAN BUTCHERT CASE

fragments OF whose body have been found or
seen In this city during the past few days. was
discovered Yesterday. despite the vigorous
search made by the police. ashore and afoat.
Without the head or some distinguish
mark or one OF the extremities. by which the
woman can be identified. tho police say they
cannot make much progress in solving the
mystery surrounding the case.
There ia no brthmark or scar on any OF the
fragments now at the moraue by which a sat
isfactory Identification can be made.
The eases of all women living in or near tho
city. who have been reported as missing. have
been investigated and proved valueless except
that OF Mrs. Gertrude Billings.
Tho police are now trying iudustriously to
find her. as she was OF about the age. size and
figure that the mutilated fragments indicate
the murdered woman to have been. Capt.
McClusky. when seen last night. gave his
views OF the case as 1t now stands as follows:
II a murder was committed. as We are
forced TO believe one was. it was done quietly
and by persons who will be true to one an other
SO long as none OF them Is menaced.
Tho distribution Of the fragments Of the
body was apparently we'll considered. and the
plan adopted oleverly carried out. Ifthere were
marks on any part Of the body by which the
woman could be identified. l am afraid that
when we find other fragments they will have
been removed Our chances OF finding the head
are about even. We did not find Geldsen-
suppe's head. but we did ind marks on other
parts OF the body by which he could be identi-
fed. and the result was that his murderers were
brought to justice.
1T is to be expected that persons clever
enough to kill a woman In this city and then
cut her up and distribute the pieces without
being discovered. have taken precautions to
prevent the fragments being identified The
search for the head and extremties is going
on steadily and ought to result IN something
pretty soon.
''Identincations made so far are ridiculous,
and the work Of curiosity seekers who want
excuses to see the pieces OF the BODY at the
Morgue. Mrs. EGgorlinR. who declared over
and over again that the remains were those OF
Mrs. Annie Muldoon HaERerty. 10 a fair illus
tration OF what We have to deal with We found
Mrs. HaRgerty safe and sound at the home OF
her relatives in Scranton. and 80 1t has been
with q half dozen others who have made posi-
tive identifcatons.
We should have an Identification OF the
woman when We get all the missing parts.
Failing that. our only chance 10 to keep on
looking up all cases OF missing women until
we narrow them down to one woman. who was
last seen in the neiRhborhood OF Seventeenth
street. whore we are assuming the murder
took place. l am not going to give out any
theories, because the case has not advanced
sufficiently. am assuming that a murder has
been committed in this city. and am doing all
in my power to find out who the murderers and
their victim WERE"
Eric LARSEN. who operates an electric cab,
went to the police with a story yesterday,
which may throw some light on the case
LARSEN. who lives at 112 East Ninety eighth
street. said
When l read about the way pieces Of a
woman's body had been picked up In different
parts Of the city. l couldn't help thinking OF a
man who tried to get me TO take him to the
Hoboken ferry on Friday night. 1t was about
10 o'clock and had my cab in front OF French
restaurant at Sixth avenue and Fourteenth
street. l went In the restaurant to get some-
thing to eat and when / came back a man with
q brown beard stepped up to me and ask cd me
II my cab was engaged. He was stout man
OF medium height and wore dark clothes.
He had two good-sized bundles done up In
brown paper and newspaper. I had only a
little electric power left. but told him could
take him short distance. He said he wanted
to go to Hoboken. and when I told him
couldn't 60 that far he asked mo to take him to
the ferry. / hadn't enough power to 60 even
that far and told him 40. He appeared to be
nervous and anxious and walked west on
Fourteenth street when l refused to carry him.
Last night had my cab at the Williams burg
ferry at tho foot OF East Twenty third street
HThis same man, minus his beard. stepped out OF
thelferryhouse. and asked me to tax Q him to the
Grand Union Hotel l knew tho fellow at once
by his figure and his voice. asked him q
reasonable price for the trip to the hotel but he
refused to pay it, and the last saw OF him he
was waiting for car. l cannot be mistak en- in
the man. He was tho same man who wanted
to go to the Hoboken ferry on Friday night and
had bundles under his arm. Taking off the
beard made little difference in his general
appearance"
Larssen's story was regarded as important
by the police. as they have suspected all along
that the fragment Of the body found at the foot
of East Thirteenth street on Saturday night
was thrown from 4 Hoboken ferry boat. leav.
ing coming in at West Fourteenth street
On Tuesday Chief Devery received letter
from a man who signed himself "A. D." In
which the writer said that while walking along
the road at Homestead. N. j., he had como
across bundle of woman's clothing. saturated
with blood. The sight sickened him so. he
said. that he left tho bundle Just where he
found 1t.
He described the spot. and yesterday Detec-
tive O'Rourke OF this city. and Detective Vein
thai Of Hoboken. went out to Homestead to
look for it, They found it in a lonely spot on a
road running back OF Krobel's park. In the
bundle wore a number OF articles of woman's
underwear. all stained with blood. The arti-
cles were wrapped up In newspapers and tied
with piece OF light Irvine Tho bundle was
brought to this city and turned over to Capt.
hcCusky The police refused to discuss this
phase OF the case.
The failure to locate Mrs. Gertrude Billings,
wife of George b. Billings, a saloonkeeper OF
81 Manhattan avenue, despite all that has been
published about the possibility Of her being
the dead woman has led the police to devote
more attention to her disappearance. Since
this woman left her husband on Sept. 20
nothing has been sesn or heard OF her. so far
as the police can learn. She is young woman.
and is said to have taken considerable money.
clothing and jeWelry with her when she went
away. Pictures OF her show that she had
slopnG shoulders. a popularity Of the dead
woman.
The police have had a lot Of pictures OF Mrs
Billings made and are preparing to scatter
them broadcast in the hope OF reaching some