The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-20
MURDERED ON SOUND STEAMER
j. A. HART KILLED IN HIS BERTH
ON TIE LARCHMONT.
Some One Entered the ststeroom and Shot
Him and Then stole His Clothing
Murder Not Disco, ered untii After
the Passengers Had Lett the Boat.

PROVIDENCE Il. ]. Fob. lo.--Wlth robbery
as the only apparent motive. man was
shot dead on the JOY Line steamer Larch-
mont last night. the crime being discovered
while tho vessel was being cleaned up after
her arrival in this port this forenoon The
victim Of the tragedy was John A. Hart,
IS years old, a son OF Lorin p. Hart Of this
city
For three months young Hart has been
employed as a fireman on the Pratt Astral
Oil Company's tug No. 7, and at the time
OF the murder was on his way to visitbhis
people in this city. Up to the present
time there il absolutely no clue TO the iden-
tity OF the murderer. and because the
passengers, of whom there were 100, had
scattered TO their destinations before the
crime was discovered the police have been
unable to find tie occupants Of the state
rooms near the one Ia which the murdered
man was found.
None of the members Of the crew heard
any shots or sound Of struggling, and thus
far none of the passengers has come for
ward with any information. although the
neighboring staterooms were occupied.
The shooting was done with a 81 calibre
revolver, which was evidently held az
short distance ITOlu iIt t4'NNi, Ni' Ai.-n''
and pillow being burned by the powder.
The bullet entered the left cheek and lodged
mt the base of the brain, where 1t was found
when an autopsy was performed;
The Iarchmont made the tnp from New
York to this port by the outside route last
Island Sound. arriving here shortly after
II o'clock this morning. The stewards
force was engaged in cleaning the state
rooms when one OF the men. Robert Dick
erson OF 227 West Eighteenth street, New
York went to tho door of Harris, ROOM
xbicb was No. II. on the promenade deck
at the forward end OF the boat, and found
tho door locked on the inside. he secured
a KEY from the pursers office and opened
the door. -
In the upper berth was tne o0 3hy OF co.
man with a blanket thrown over tho race.
Dickerson pulled the blanket away and saw
that the man was dead and then fastened TO
inform the steward, who notified the ponce
The murdered man lay on his back Win
his arms folded across his chest Inc, Inc room
shored no signs of a struggle. The dead
mans coat. waistcoat and trousers wore
missing as was every other article OF value IN
the room. and from this fact the ponce GREW
the conclusion that robbery was the inouVe
for the shooting, particularly as tne uinI
mans people in this city say TINT he carried
n vnluable watch and chain and wore rihg
with a large imitation diamond;
according To his father, Hart usually
carried sum OF money WIN MN on ms
visits to this city and it is probable that as
he had been away from home some Tine
be had saved a snug sum. The police are
looking for a man who occupied the next
stateroom 20 that OF Hart. 1t is said that he
acted in peculiar manner.
Hart went 70 New York in November to
take a place as an engineer WIN the RAPID
transit company. He arrived too late TO
Get that and took one as fireman on tho
Pratt Astral Oil Company tug MOI Last
sumrner he was an engineer on Henry IL.
Rogers yacht Vixen.