The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-10
BILLET FITS SpIgR'S PISTOL.
,aoT UHICH kJLLED MN ~
IOIND ~ wars
,,,,,,sr, vcsLsns n Burglar The"sy
rg,sods nav Thinh u aH treiseHs
Insurance Pollries fSg SIS 400 NSrn
,,nnd Iuiopsj after the V"''e'si

ImunH tu'onsj NeT VI" '""
,r,, Uref funeral services yes,ef'
r.nrg over tho late tharle%
..., .r ba fe-idence NJ 7 fompklns
Meet Saw \ riEhtIn. staten Island,
.I...N . vas Killed mys'"fiou-ly On WON
IA. u.. ~ tho body Fas tahen 70 w"
r,r lnnfma'y In TomphthsviIle
...tr. lI,nufity ~ coroner Matthew y
"a. d. 'ue autopsy vas competed
,i. ...Uot which killed. NJ Snier was
,.,I ~I.tIrl IN The flesh under the left
...., .Itdr n was ~ ~" Same stly
NV, r,. ir tho fayolyef which Mr.
... ...su .tnif. With him on u burglar
,, .. r,Id hII win" one chamber ~
.n.l . %U.'lnrgrd
u, ...ory II tho bullet showed that
On, .,. uIl-.I Nv ~ burglar The burglar
,Y.. ,.ItI The -nme SIZED revolver "
,sr,r . a.. Nr Spisr iiad the bullst
80. g. .rrrout -iye II would have proved
,,r.. .... 'nnt he had been killed by =
t,ry.,. VI Spicr'- revolver was Of VT
,aI.r. ImI IT contained what are nown
~. .r.., Irfudgrs The bullet found In
IN, u.., nt. ~ Tho same kind.
,.or ~ had been learned that the bullet
,eI.l. ... VIZ Spier was the same ~
,b,., tr I.- revolver his friends were in
oirci ,. rec ir the theory that he had
h., .u., IA u burglar and To assert their
l.url that BIT" had been killed by accident,
rrnaO5, having fallen and his revolver
having ,ru exploded "a II fell from his hand
IN the .lurt. the upward course Of the
,rlU., from below the ribs on the left side
through the heart and left lung to back
~ the shoulder blade being cited 10 sustain
the accident theory.
The autopsy was performed despite Mrs.
spier's wishes Coroner Cahill on Tuesday
had acccded to her desire not TO rnutilate
the body further on the ground that 1t
you'd interfere with the embalming process.
Police Captain Hogan d~isapproved OF this
dac,.lon and 20 declared to the Coroner.
lie insisted that tho bullet should be found.
District Attorney Kenny also thought that
the bullet should DO found.
shorty before . o'clock yesterday morn.
ing Captain Hogan went to the Coroner's
oace ar they had a consultation lasting an
hour and a malt. The police captain made
i plain that the police department was
determined to have the bullet found. He
told the Coroner that he could not sffor to
lave SO important a matter unsettled.
The insistcnce Of the captain brought the
Coroner around and he made known tho
decision to Mrs. Spier. There was no
coursa open to her but to accede. the body
being in the custody Of the Coroner.
II had been planned originally to hold
brief services at the vault in the Moravian
cemetery at New Dorp, where the body
was to rest until final burial in Asbury
Park after Mr.. Spier's father returns from
Paris. Later arrangements were made to
hold the funeral services in the morning, for
the purpose, it was said, Of avoiding com
plications over a second autopsy. 1t was
therefore decided not to interfere with the
funeral services, and most Of those who
attended knew nothing Of the decision to
find the bullet later in the day.
After the services the casket was brought
out and placed in the hearse, and the flowers
and camp stools vera put in the under
takers wagon. The relatives and pail
bearers took their places in carriages pre-
cisely as If the body were to be taken to the
cemetery. The procession moved of. and
in about an hour Mrs. Spier, the relatives
and some'of the ~pallbearers returned to the
house.
The distance to the cemetery is fully five
miles The superintendent Of the cemetery
said that no funeral procession had arrived
there and that no body was brought there.
The body was taken direct to the infirmary
instead. Just before the funeral services
had begun a messenger from the Coroner's
Office arrived with a permit to remove
the body to the infirnary. To throw the
curious public Of the track it had been de-
cide1 that the widow and the pallbesrers
should lelve the house as Il bound to the
cemetery.
Shortly after moor Coroner Cahill and
the Coroner's physician, DR.. George Mord,
arrived at the infrmary. Police Captain
Hogan and his wardman, lawson, also APP
pesred. Then came DR.. Fl. w. Patterson,
representing the family. and Drs. c. W.
Townsend and II, d. Mcguire. DR.. Mord
performed tie autopsy.
The Smith Intirmary is one Of the two
places on the island which have X-ray
plants. TIE bullet was easily found and was
removed with practically no further mutt
alton Of the body. 1t was fattened to some
event r. ITS contact with one of the ribs
and the spinal column. but was exactly Of
the same size as the bullets in the revolver
(which Mr., Spier had when he was shot.
Police Captain Hogan at once declared
that It went to prove the police theory
that Mr.. Spier had been killed by a bullet
from his own revolver, He did not think
q burglar with the same kind of a revolver
and bullet ha killed him. As TO whether it
was accident or suicide the captain would
Lot commit himself. This is " hat he said.
We have not been proceeding on any
one theory. We wanted all the facts that
could he obtained. 1t was necessary to
find the bullet. Now that it is found it
settles nothing definitely. We shall keep
at the case and do everything that we can
10 solve the mystery. 1t is true a burglar
might have shot him. 1t is also true that
he might HI We killed himself, whether by
accident or with intent we do not know"
as soon az the result Of the autopsy was
known it was communicated to District At
torney Kenny, who has declined to commit
himself to any theory. Mr.. Kenny COM
pls'tro OF having been misrepresented in
interviews and added:
] knew Mr., Spier very we'll and l am
sure that a man of his temperament could
not have committed suicide unless there
was some grave reason for it, and such a
reason has not been disclosed. To have
prompted such a deed would AVE required
Some tramapAo,,a Rno.o;al Io.. -, ,al;~.;1,,