New-York tribune., 1903-07-13
BLOODY CLOTHES CLEW
IN ROXBURY MURDER.
DetectiUeS BeEeUe Woman'S H'iSh
for ReUenge Inspired Crime.

Confident that the bloodstained woman's gar
ments found under the stairway leading to the
footbridge at Lincon-ave. and the Harlem
River In The Bronx, on Saturday morning, are
CleWs of Importance in the unsoved murder mys-
terry of Charles w Roxbury the tea tester. who
received fatal injuries Saturday night at
River-ave. and One -hundred-a nd sixty fth-st
while walking with Miss Lillian Thomasch. the
manicurist whose story of the encounter was
told in yesterdays Tribune. the police and de-
tectives yesterday devoted their principal efforts
to working out theories to explain why woman
should have shared in the crime and endeavor-
ing to trace the identity of the woman who had
worn the garments.
On the corset cover was a mark written in
such a manner that il might represent H, T. c
or J. c. Underneath it were the figures 80 which
we're taken TO mean the bust measurement Of
the wearer.
Many and varied We're the theories evolved,
with the bloodstained garments a common
centre from which all radiated-another murder
had been committed woman's head being
chopped off; her body, stripped of clothes. thrown
into the river. and the garments, also intended
for the water, overlooked; Roxbury's assailant, a
man. had worn womans clothes, and had dohed
them after his crime.
The first of these logically considered is be-
yond the realms of pr liability and the second
is shattered by the fact that Miss Thomasch
is nosttive man dealt the blow that fractured
Roxburv's skull The purely imaginative and
suesswork solutions thrown aside the police
have accepted as the most tenahle and the one
most likely TO repay minute investigations a sup
position that revenge inspired by wrongs real
or fanCied. led a woman 10 use another man as
her instrument of vengeance on RoXoury' that
she accompanied him to have the satisfaction
of seeing her wish gratifed that RoXburY used
his umbrella dt was covered with olood) or peF-
haps a pocketknife in defending himself, and
that the woman getting in the fray was wound
ed. Then fleeing with her companion, she went
to her home, donned fresh clothing and putting
tbA ensanguined garments in the valse in which
they were found. hiG it. thinking TO thus secrete
her share in the crime.
Another theory that the crime was COM
nitted by negro because of the fact that long
ago several assaults by negroes on white men
nea. River-ave.. and One ne-hundred- and-sixty-
ffth-st. we're reported. Miss Thonlasch is GER
tain that the assailan; of Mr. Roxbury was not
a negro
A man who said TO be uncle of Miss
Thomasch said to Tribune reporter yesterday
afternoon:
MY theory Of the assault is that Mr. RoX-
bury was killed by a woman or man who had
an awful dislike for him. I know il has been
said that Mr.. Roxbury had enemies and
that he had had trouble with any person
which would actuate that person to plan to get
rid of him and to carry out such plan. My
theory Is based upon what have read in the
newspapers and from what have read think
the detectives in the might obtain cew
If they looked for the slayer Of Mr.. Roxbury
amonT his friends.
81 think the finding of a suit Of female gar
ments, one of which was saturated with blood
may reveal the identity of the assailant as
sailants. I do not believe that robbery was a
motive at all. but that Mr.. RoXbury re-
lieved of his watch and money to lead the police
to think that the crime had been committed for
robbery. The assailants of Mr.. Roxbury never
intended to kill him. according to my way of
thinking. but intended to give him beating
which he would not forget
Instead or inf1ictng injuries from which he
would have recovered. they killed him. When
they learned that they had committed a murder
they took quick steps to hide some Of the clews
OF the crime. The dress of the things
to he hidden. 1t could have been burned but
the owner of it evidently thought 1t would never
be found if thrown from the Lincon-ave. bridge
into the Harlem River was told by Of
the detectives on the Case-or at least. under
stood him to say-that Mr.. Roxbury had left
himself liable to an attack from a woman"
Mrs Roxbury was prostrated yesterday and
denied herself to all persons who called at her
house Even her most intimate friends were not
permitted TO disturb her. In the house we're
many persons yesterday afternoon when
Tribune reporter called there He was told by
a Young man who said ne only visitor
that the family positive that Mr- Roxburv
had no enemies. and that robbery was the mo-
tive The funeral will be held at the Methodist
Episcopal Church at One-hundred- and seventy
eighth-st. and Washington-aVe. at o'clock to-
night.
Coroner Berry. OF the Bronx. said last night
that he exnected 10 begin an investigation to
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