The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1909-03-15
GrueSome Emblem on Regis
ter and ThumbprintS Only
Clues to Robbers.
THREE IN THE ATTACK.
Had Been Drinking in a Place
Near the Eastern and Could
Hardly Stand.

A smearcd h'otch Of ink, meant for
skull and cross bones, on the register
OF the Eastern Hotel. at No, g. White
hall street, where Isador De Valent, a
tax collector Of Mount Vale, n. j.. and
night clerk Of the hotel, was murdered
between 3 and o'clock this morning,
was left as clue to the crime by the
murderers.
The slayers committed t\ crime like
men moving In drunken nightmare,
first beating In the skull and cutting
the throat OF their victim. and then in
dtlng their gruesome emblem Oh the
register where they had signed two
names. on walls, register and till,
which they rlhed, they left crimson
thumb and finger prints. and two blocks
from the scene OF the crime they
smeared the clothing of newsboy with
the evidences OF their crime.
Acted Like Drunken Brawlers.
The murder was committed by three
men. CARRIED as sailors or tramp iron
workers. They beat in the clerks skull
with a piece Of gas pipe and rifed the
drawer Of s91 without arousing one OF
the hundred guests or employees in the
hotel. The slayers also took $3.50 from
their victims money belt.
For several hours before the crime was
committed the murderers drank In the
back room OF the Blue Front. a saloon
also known as Hide brechts, two doors
from the Eastern Hotel. The trio were
huge. big-l!mbed. unshaven and DISNEY.
elled men Of tramp type, well known
along the water front. They wore
jumpers and overalls. stained and torn
shirts, ragged caps and grea, thick
soled shoes. One had tow hair and
spoke with Swedish accent.
No one heard them go up the steps
and no one was awakened in the hotel
by what they did. II Is plausible from
the traces left OF their visit that when
they gained the office floor where de
Velant sat alone behind the register
that two OF them scrubbed their names
on the register and then asked for a
drink OF water. one wrote the name
Ben Ross" in scrawl and another
OF the trio wrote &C. Anderson with
labored pains and legibe effect.
Struck With Piece Of Pipe.
There Is nothing to show that the clerk
did not 60 into the pantry willingly. II
! is little room, few feet from the
| desk, and as he crossed the threshold
| and reached for water pitcher he was
struck on the back Of the head with
a piece OF gas pipe with an elbow in 1t.
/ The elbow Of the pipe left a twin-inch
deep impression in his skull.
| Tumbling and falling as they lurched
along they made their way to the en-
trance to the Thirtyn!nth street ferry,
| where Oscar LURE. a newsboy, was
sorting out the morning papers at his
stand. They bought three papers from
the hoy. paving him and gripping him
for support as they reeled about, and
then went away, returning to the Blue
Front saloon. The boys shirt and
clothing We're sIneaTei red.
The boy described them as Lindorfer
the bartender in the Blue Front. had
described them. He says they asked
him the way to a place where they
could get drink, and he pointed to the
Blue Front.
I.indorfer was still in sole charge OF
the Blue Front when the trio returned
at i3O o'clock They had gone out with
their pockets empty Returning they
displayed crumpled rolls Of bills, and
with S bill paid for four rounds OF
drinks. which they poured down their
throats as quickly as they could.
The alarm OF the murder was being
cried about the nelghbOrhood as they
stumbled out into the street again and
disappeared
There was a mass Of thumb and fin.
ger prints to serve the police as clues
but the descriptions OF the tire.
drunken men might tit any three o
dozens VI waterfront tramps.
The murdered man was forty-fiv'
years old. He had lived In Mount Vale
y. j.. FOR many years and was highl!
respected In the town. He owned
comfortable home there, was leade
in politics and Aad served three term
as Tax Collector