The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-06
NEGRO TELLS OF MURDER.
SAYS PRISONERS KILLED AND
ROBBED UNIDENTIFIED MAN.
woman. Who Refused to Give aacr Name.
Thinks Man Whose Body Was Found
in the Harlem River ~ u Relative
Two Negroes Held for the Murder.

In the Harlem WNer ~ MeiatINc
Two Negroes Held for the Murder.
The police we're inclined 10 believe last
night that the body Of the murdered man
found In the Harlem River on Tuesday
was that Of mechanic who lived IN The
Bronx, near Williamsbridge They came
to this conclusion after several persons had
visited the East l2eth street police station
making inquiries for man of athletic build
who has been missing from his home in
The Bronx for several days.
The man referred to answers the descrip-
ton OF tho body in the Morgue The wife
Of the missing man will view the body
to-day.
The four negroes who we're arrested
on suspicion of being concerned in the
murder were arraigned in the Harlem
police court Yesterday.
Two of hem, Joseph Wilson of 156th street
and Eighth avenue, and Charles Carter OF
I2cd street o. i First avenue. were held Tor
the action OF the Coroner. who later COM
nIitted them TO the Tombs without bail on
charge of muir der
William Brown of $40 East l22d street.
who was also locked up on suspicion, was
discharged, az he satisfied the police tnat lie
was in no way connected with the crime
The fourth member of the ouartette.
Edward Cotton, 10 years old, of 42S East
loith 1t rect who first informed the ponce
hat the man had been murdered. was
committed by the Coroner to the House OF
Detention where he will be held IA wit
ness against Wilson and Carter.
Cotton repeated to Coroner Scholer the
story he told to the police, He said that on
Friday night the man had approached
him and seemed to be intoxicated lie
asked to be directed to barber shop.
Cotton told Kim where to go, and the man
asked him to have drink
They went to the southeast corner or flrst
avenue and l25th street where the man
paid for several drinks. w
Then, according TO Cotton's story, Wilson
and Carter came in and asked Cotton 10
treat them He explained that he had no
money, and the stranger volunteered 10
buy drinks for everybody.
After having several. Cotton said, one OF
the prisoners remarked that the stranger
had exhibited $40 or $50. and that II was
up to them TO got the money.
They finally led the man to the pier,
which extends into the Harlem River under
the Willis avenue bridge, There all hands
sat down and Wilson went back to the
First avenue saloon and purchased flask
OF whskey
The negroes went with him, and when
said he saw Wilson drop something which
looked like snuff into the bottle, Then
they went back to the pier, and. after pre-
tending to drink from the flask. the negroes
passed it to the stranger.
He drank half Of the contents, Cotton said,
and became "dopey.
After that, said Cotton, Il saw Wilson
and Carter attack the man. They poth
struck him. l feared they intended to
kill him and ran away. About an hour
later | again met them.
-One of them was carrying the clothing
of the stranger and the other had the mans
patent leather shoes. They offered me %
not TO sQueal on them.
Yesterday morning, when the body
was found in the river, Thought II rnust
he that of the stranger we had been drink
ing with 80 walked down TO the Harlem
morgue at the foot of East 12Oth street
and recognized it,"
Detectives Riordan and Liston. who
arrested Wilson and Carter, told the coroner
that while the men were locked MP in the
East l28th street station they discussed
the case in their cells and called out 10
Cotton that they would do him when they
got out if he squealed on them,
The body was lat er removed to the Morgue,
at the foot Of Twenty sixth street, and,
although half hundred persons viewed
il. none of them was able to Identify the
dead man. Many believed that. being a
ably member OF an athletic club or
wrestler.
One man said he thought the dead man
was Wrestler Roeher, but few minutes
later Roeber himself walked into the Morgue
and remarked that the dead man did not
look like n wrestler and that he was EVIL
IDENTIFY man who had done hard work IN
his day.
About 0 o'clock last night a well-dressed
woman. accompanied by young man,
went to the door Of the East l26th street
station and was about to enter when she
stopped suddenly and said to the young man
with her:
-You 60 In and inquire whether there
are any scars on the body Don't give
your name or say ANYTHING about it. except
TO get good description"
The young man entered the station and
explained that he had friend who had been
missing from his home In The Bronx for
several days.
He said his friend was of athletic build,
about IS years old smooth shaven, weighed
about two hundred and twenty pounds and
had black hair. closely cropped. This
description Tailed with that OF the muir
dered man.
The Sergeant on duty at the station ad-
vised him to 60 to the Morg,le and view
the body. When he got outside the police
station he remarked to the woman
Il guess there IL no doubt about 1t.
am satisfied it's him
Detective Liston questioned tho woman
closely, but she Refused TO tell her name
or anything. further than to say she be-
lieved the dead man was a relative who had
been on a spree for the past week. She
said she resided at Williamshridge
She was anxious TO know whether it was
true that there were any scars on the body
and was told that there we're. She added
that she had seen picture Of the murdered
man in ono Of the newspapers and that it
greatly resembled the man she was hunting
FOR.
Two men who said they We're from the
linton Settlement Athletic Club in Fast
lO5th street went to Che Morgue late last
night and said they thought the body
might he that Of Max Bremen, n frequenter
OF the club, who had prided himself on his
wrestling abilities.
They said they would bring some other
men TO the Morgue to-day who knew him
better They said, however, that they
didn't know whether Brrnner was missing
or not,
ITALIANS SHANTTES MUST GO.