The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-01-27
Only Clue Detectives Have Is
a Red silk MuffIGT.
CRIME DISCOVERED A WEEK AGO
MlscTsaais Who Killed The Aged Iawalsf
Failed 10 Get the $4,000 Worth Ct
vaIuahlss 10 His Safe.

Rochester, Jan. T--with skull pounded
TO fragments. legs tightly bound and the
WIDE staring eyes fixed in a terror
stricken death glare. the corpse OF Bella Il.
Brown. rich diamond merchant. was
found before the safe in his store week
ago last night.
on the inside of the safe so near him
was the apparent incentive to the crime
money, The whole amount could have
been carried away in the pockets OF the
murderers coat. The dead mans hands
were free, indicating that they had been
loosened to permit OF his opening the safe.
which he, 1t is believed. refused to do and
was killed for his stubbornness.
The firm gag in the mouth showed
why no cries for help had been heard.
In the large red silk mufIier that covered
the mouth and was tied behind the head.
the seuths have one OF their few reliable
clues.
Microscopic examination of the muffier
fails 10 reveal the slightest trace of a
mark made by human hand. The muffier
Is covered with a raised design, resemb-
ling spider with outstretched feelers.
Another faint clue being followed by
the detectives is that of the pieces of
sash cord with which the victims legs
were bound. A sailors knot was tied
in the cord about the knees and ankles
1t was a three-strand cord, with 81
threads in each strand. The police are
searching for the factory that made It
that the retailer may be found.
THE OLD MANS PERSONALITY.
Always genial. never too busy to tell
or listen 60 a good story, Bella IL. Brown
was popular. Industrious and saving he
accumulated a fortune, the size of which
no one knows. and whose only heirs are
his wife and brother, DIR. Lord Brown, OF
Buffalo. n. Y.
Ten blows from a gold-beater's ham,
mer were found TO have struck the VIC
TINS skull.
The back part OF the skull was pound
ed TO fragments, OF which over so were
removed at the autopsy.
Jeweller Brown had been In the dia-
mond business for 30 years in Rochester.
and was located In one store, the ono
where he was murdered. for % years
He had a patronage extending from
New York TO Buffalo. and from Lake On
tario to the southern line of the state.
so widely was he known as n diamond
expert and buyer of precious stones.
HAD FASHIONABLE TRADE.
Customers of the genial old jeweller
are among the richest class in Roch-
ester and surrounding country. sales
OF thousands of dollars day at times
were not unusual.
Brown bought extensively and from
everybody who carae To him. Naturally
| his buying old gold, silver and diamonds
attracted a class that was not In the
upper ten These were gamblers, turf
| men and professional diamond and jew
elry thieves II Ia said of him that he
| never knowingly bought stolen goods.
DISCOVERY OF THE MURDER.
John Rauuet. private watchman of sew
eral office buildings in State street, en-
tered Browns jewelry store with his
| watchmans key at s:l5 p. m. last sum
day. The lower lock operated by Key
was unlocked and the door was fastened
| only by the spring lock. Watchman ha-
| auet had hardly stepped inside the store
| when he discovered the form OF Brown OH
a chair behind the show cases. his head
covered with blood, a gag in his mouth
and the legs tied.
| Raouet saws he thought tho old man
was alive so he cut the cords about the
| knees. but then decided that the man was
rtrzrf and rHrrtttt- for helP. Ia ~ tAIe sa'o-
! ments the store was crowded with people,
| detectives and newspaper men.
The wine colored silk muffier which
! boupd the old mans mouth is believed
10 have belonged TO the murderers. II
! has not been identified by any one who
| knew Brown.
The mufner Is a square, each edge tive
feet four inches wide. It's sla-incf
border is satin faced on one side. On'
side OF the scarf is a deep crimson sne
the other a bright wine color
There IS a peculiar figure on the muf
fer. formed by black threads appearins
on the surface. The figure appears Il
bc that OF a leaf with a curved line across
the upper part, from the upper end o
which hangs a string. inside the lea
| little squares are formed by blacl
| threads. The silk threads run diagonall,
! across tho muhler. Though worn ans
sofcd. the muller originally was prob
ably a handsome and expensive one.
| IL is figured out that three men. o.
two men and a woman we're implicated
I'm the crime. one watched while th
other two attempted the robbery.
The time chosen for the deed, late Sun
| dav afternoon. was most favorable 10
! the murderers. It was the old man
custou to 20 to his Office every Sunda,
afternoon and DO particular JOBS OF dia
mond setting az which he was likely I
/ u al