The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26
MYSTERY In DEATH AT SEA.
u. A. FINK THINKS BROTHER
WAS MURDERED ON THE HEKLA.
G. G. Thinks Disappearance Reported as
Suicide-Strangers VINO shared His
ststeroom Are Missing. and His Lug
gage Is Marked by BLOODY Fingers.

gage Is Marked by BLOODY Fingers.
Indications IL foul play rather than suicide
or accident have been found to account for
the disappearance at sea Of Charles A
Fink, well-to-do expressnan OF this
city, who was passenger on the Scandi-
navian American liner Hekla, which made
port on Friday last. His death then was
reported as drowning accident, but the
discovery Of blood stains on his baggage,
together with the sudden disappearance
Of two cabin mates, seems to refute this
theory and to indicate instead that he was
murdered with view 10 robbery. An
investigation is now being made by Chief
of Police Hayes of Hoboken, and it is prob
able that the Federal authorities In New
Jersey will take hand in the case to-
morrow.
Fink, who was bachelor. As years old
left New York last winter to visit his old
home. near Chrstiania. Sweden. He had
considerable money with him, and told his
brother, John A. Fink, of 303 Dean street,
Brooklyn, that he would probably be- gone
for some months. On the 10th Of this
month he took passage on the Hekla at
Christiania for this country. When he
boarded tho ship he had about $40 in United
States money and Swedish notes, which
he handed to the purser with the remark
IF anything happens to me on the voy-
age give this money, together with nv
personal effects. to my brother. John A.
Fink"
The purser noted the brothers address
and dismissed the subject from his mind,
because III frequent occurrence for i'm
migrants or foreigners returning to this
country after a visit to their former home
to AXE requests Of this kind.
Fink shared second cabin with two
other men, who were known on board ship
as Edward Nord and II. Heinning. The
former said he came from South Dakota
and Heinning gave his address as Boston.
They were entire strangers to Fink, having
come on board at Copenhagen, and none
of the officers could recall yesterday hav-
ing seen the missing / an in their COM
panv. Both have since disappeared.
Fink associated little with his fellow
voyagers, it is said, and spent most Of the
time during the first two days walking
the deck He was last seen alive at mid
night of July II He was leaning over
the rail, smoking. The following morn
ing Nord reported to Capt. Hempel that
Fink was missing from his stateroom.
search was made through the ship, but
no trace Of Fink was found. and 1t was
concluded that he had either fallen or
Jumped overheard
John Fink. who il the proprietor OF
restaurant at i7s Franklin street, learned
Of his brothers death through the news
papers and visited the ship in Hoboken on
Friday evening. The captain and purser
told him what they knew of the occurrence
and Fink asked TO see his brothers bag
gage. When he opened the yalise. in which
the missing man carried most Of his effects,
he fO,ind the interior spattered with blood.
The clothing. too, was stained with blood,
fingermarks and looked AZ If some one
with blood-covered hands had rummaged
through the valise and then closed ii with
out taking the trouble to repack itscontents.
A nc tehook and wallet in the case showed
plainly the stains left by the last hand that
had touched them.
None of those present Of the ships COM
pany could account for the bloodstalns
and seemed as much surprised by the dis
covery as was Fink. The latter asked for
the men who had shared the stateroom
with his brother. but they were gone. They
vanished Immediately after the Hekla
reached her pier, and their addresses are
not known by the ships officers.
Yesterday Fink reported the case to the
Hoboken police, and Chief Hayes viewed
the valise and its contents and then set
corrs If detectives to unravel the mystery.
Fink also brought the case to the attention
Of the Federal authorities in New York,
but it is out Of their jurisdiction. To-
morrow he will lay the matter before the
United States District Attorney in New
Jersey and the Danish Consul.
Mr.. Fink showed a sun reporter the
note book he had take n from
the valse last night and said he had not
the slightest doubt that his brother had
been murdered. "The bloodstains or his
clothes show my brother was not suicide
he said, and will not let this matter drop
until have exhausted every means to solve
the mystery cf his dfath.
The first officer of the H"kla said:
Il never saw Mr.. FlinH. The first time
I hr ard of him was when one OF the men
in his cabir came to the captain on July IL
and said he had not turned In the night
before. Then al hands searched the ship,
but we could not find him anywhere. and
as the watch reported no fight during the
night we decided the man had Jumped
overheard"
Asked to account for the presence OF the
on the clothing in the dead
mans valiso the mate laughed and said:
Il didn't see them. but from what I've
heard think the man had a cut finger or a
nose bloc d when he packed the bag. There =
nothing to show that h" was murdered, and
guess 1t was just suicide. Rut don't
know much obout it, only what I've heard
since VIC got into port