New-York tribune., 1901-09-04
MURDERED FOR HIS MONEY
A MOUNT VERNON HOTELhhhf hi'
FOUND DEAD, WITH FOUR Bull
LET WOUNDS, NEAR THE
EMPIRE CITY TRACK.

John Francesca Dura hotelkeeper OF Ralifoau-
| ave. Mount Vernon was found murdereu Ees'ees
morning in the woods near Mount vernon ave- IT, ~
1 far from the Empire City racetrack- f1oooeiS ~
evidently tie motive for the murder and IL Is sup
! posed that Dura entCed to the loney spot anu
then killed. After being shot four times MS pouy
was dragged into a clump of sumach bushes anu
| hidden The murderer allowed the victims nat 10
| remain where it fell when he was shot which leu
TO the early discovery of the crime
| John Vanderwande. jr., florist, OF HonKers was
taking a short cut through lonely spot between
Sherwood Park and TrenChard-ave., In that CITY
about $50 o'clock in the morning, when ne came
upon the first traces of the murder These were te
hat and a pool of blood. He saw from t"e
spot where these lay that there were evidences tia
the goldenrod bushes had been crushed as uS
men passing through them. He followed TINS PAIN
into the clump of bushes and there found the
body Of the murdered man. The place OF cohcea-
ment was well chosen, for the body might nave re-
mained for days without being discovered hau J.
not been for the combination of the hat, the poor
of blood and the evidences or recent pdsS'5e
through the goldenrod.
Vanderwande at once informed the ponce at .Ie
sub-station in Jerome-ave. near the empire ny
racetrack and an alarm given. Coroner Fus-
sell was summoned, and Acting Captain OF Ponce
woodruff began an investigation. The body lay
about five hundred feet from School NO l. WHICH
| faces Trenchard-ave Close to the body were found
two pocketbooks. Both were empty. One of the
pockets in the dead mans trousers was turned in
side out and partly torn away The other pockets
showed evidences of having been hurrediy
searched. Along the line where the body was
dragged found some small coins. These mad
evidently dropped from the pockets Of the dead
man as his body was hauled through the weeds.
Coroner Russell who is a physician examined the
body where IT was found. Besides a wound in the
temple, which, from its size and evident direction
must have caused death at once. he found the man
had been shot in the back close 10 the base of the
spinal column. Both wounds were inflicted by a
pistol held close the body. No other wounds
visible at the time
boy who was attracted TO the spot gave the
first clew TO the identity of the dead man by say
ing he was a bartender in Italian saloon In
Mount Vernon The police found metal card case IN
one of the pockets and this had on it the name or
John Dura. 1t required but a short time 10 estab-
lish the identity. The body was removed to the
morgue.
Mrs. Charles Waldron. whose home Is at the cor
ner Of Rdgewood and villa aves.. not far from
the scene OF the murder said she saw two men pass
along the path which Vanderwande traveTsed yes
terday morning at about 1880 o'clock on Monday
night Perhaps fifteen minutes later she heard two
pistol shots The police have no doubt that the
men seen were either the murderer and his victim
or two men who We're going TO meet Dura They
Dura appears TO have left Mount Vernon late on
MONDAY evening II IS SAID 20 nave oesh aPout % ~ ~
business. He told friend he had an appointment
kers pass close to the hotel It is believed Dura
went at once and boarded a car tor ne ,d ddrSD S
the cars which run into the centre Of Ionkers
1t Is said he had about 500 when he left
the hotel One who knew Dura well says he
the hotelkeeper IN Mount Vernon as late as
o'clock yesterday morning, but this Is doubted, as
all the evidence points 20 tho fact that ne was
murdered later than II o'clock
Miss MAY McQuirk told the police that she heard
four shots fired 1850 o'clock Monday night
She said there two shots fired close together.
and then two more In the autopsy Coroner Rus
sell found this to be the All four bullets hit
Dura. one just grazed the body and glanced on
Another lodged in the spinal column. and the other
two were found embedded in the brain. This hxes
the hour Of death 10 almost minute
Dura was seen To walk into Youkcrs from Mount
Vernon by a patrolman He crossed the bridge
between the two cities after 10 o'clock. The patrol
man Dura meet a man near the Youkcrs side
of the bridge. and together they walked toward
Jerome-ave. They aid not reach that point. but
turned the right into the path. where Dura was
shot TO death by the man who Joined him The
police have a pretty clear idea VINO this Is,
and have IN custody.
The man arrested IS Brandoino Yawlino, a shoe
maker of Mount Vernon. He Is twenty years old.
and is being held for examination. The prisoner
was with Dura at $50 o'clock by his admis-
sion. but the police say he was with the murdered
much later than that He has told conflicting
stories.