The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08
THIS WOMAN BUTCHERED?
1BfGH WRAPPED IN PAPER FOUND
IN THE STREET.

coroner's Physician Weston says That Nc
ono with q knowledge of Surgery Did
the CuttinE-Job n Recent One-Polics
tind No Trace of the Rest of tho Body
The eft thigh Of a woman. who had apparently
not been dead over forty-ciEht hours, was found
s.ry yesterday morning wrapped In newspapers
and manila wrapping paper in the gutter in from,
NJ the apartment house at 100 West Seventeenth
.,teet The police were inclined To believe that
the thigh belonged TO some medical student who
hnd either placed it where IL was found as a joke
n, get rid Of IT, but the investigation Of Coroner
physician Weston developed many circumstances
consistent with the theory OF murder
The bundle containing the dismembcred portion
VAS first seen at $50 O'Clock yesterday morning
by John Mclaughlin who keeps a grocery store
directly opposite 100 West Seventeenth street.
lie paid no attention to IT, thinking that it was
bundle Of old newspapers or rubbish OF some kind.
Shortly afterwards wagon passed along crush
ing the bundle against the curbstone and tearing
the wrapper SO that part OF the contents was ex-
posrd After that number Of persons IL.
and psssed by Finally Eric A. Bensen. iantor
NJ the apartment house in front Of which the pack
,re las examined 1t and reported the matter TO
the p1I,rc of the West Thirteth street station.
The thigh was wrapped in copies Of the Journal
and thc V arld Of Sept. 20, Oct 3, and6. Around
them was q thick covering Of manila paper tied
with thin Irvine The thigh had been cut of al
the knee and little above the hipioint, portion
NJ the abdominal wall adhering The cut at the
knee was clean one and the bone appeared TO
have been severed with a fine saw. The other
Gu, was ragged and looked as though it had been
made with a dull knife or a Ratchet
The thigh was sent to the Morgue, where Cor
oncrs Physician Weston after close examina-
tion declared that the work Of dismem bering
had not been done by person having the least
knowledge II surgery or surgical implements.
lie also declared that the body. from which the
thigh had been cut could not have been dead over
forty eight hours and was inclined to the belief
Thai Il Rad only been dead twenty four hours.
The nrsh was white and firm. and there were no
,races Of decomposition. The wrappings around II
were smeared in places with blood.
Detectives Curry and Henderson OF the West
rhrtich street station and Detectives Price and
Herman of Capt Met usky's staff found woman
in the APARTMENT house opposite the spot where
the loly was found who on Friday afternoon
kicked rag under the stoop which was appar-
entity saturated with blood. The rag was found
and taken as possible evidence. 1t proved to be
y norton If a womnus undergarment The de.
tr.iives then went rInaging through ash barrels
in the basement 4 the apartment house and dug
up a w"maus skirt and handkerchief While
they we've examining these articles, Freda Bloom.
who lives with her aunt and father in the base
men, suddenly exclaimed.
Why those belong to me How did they get
there
She went on to explain that about two weeks
aso when she went away 10 work as a domestic
in Harlem she had placed these same garments
freshly ironed, in a trunk.
The girls aunt told the detectives later that
the girl herself had thrown the articles away
on last Thursday afternoon. Come TO think
If il, did. the girl said. and then the detectives
went back to the station and told TO Captain Price
that they had not been able to discover anything
tending 10 solve the mystery.
DR., Weston said last night that the thigh hat
been cut from the body Of a woman who was ap
parently from SIS TO 40 years old and who
weighed from 40 to 100 pounds. He guessec
that she was about feet 6 inches In height.
Il will not say 1t Is murder" said Dr.. Weston
but am Of the firm belief that no medical studen
did tho job"