New-York tribune., 1910-10-08
DRIVE MYSTERY UNSOLVED
Police Still Working for CIeW to
Identity of Dead Woman.
NEGRO ELEVATOR BOY HELD
Coroner, After Hearing the Story
of Finding Body, Remands
Him to Tombs Without Bail.

The police were still working last night
for a clew to the identity OF the woman
found dead early yesterday morning in the
courtyard of the C1iffhaven, an apartment
house at Riverside Drive and Hath street,
under circumstances tIat point to murder.
An autopsy on the womah's body will be
performed this morning by the Coroner's
physician. DR.. O'Hanlon.
Clarence Halcomb, the negro elevator
boy Of the building. who discovered the
body and was the last person known TO
have talked with the woman, was arrested,
and is now in the Tombs. where he was
remanded without haik by Coroner Winter
bottom.
Negro Repeats His Story.
HaIcomb's story as told in the Harlem
police court and later repeated at the
hearing before Coroner Winterbottom is
in its main points consistent with the ac-
count he gave to the police at his arrest.
Il was asleep on bench IN the rear
fiat on the ground floor" said Halcomb.
at was shortly after o'clock when l
saw a woman enter and go through the
hall. I asked her what she wanted, and
she told me that fly cop was after
her, and she wanted to dodge him. She
asked me TO let her use the washroom,
and l took her to the rear end of the
room. Here I left her and went out on
the sidewalk. where ! talked to a private
watChnan for q few minutes
When I came back the woman had dis
appeared. I called out to her, but she
old not answer. then became afraid that
she might try to break into one of the
apartments in the building and went out
10 call the watchman We found the wom-
an dead in the courtyard, and that is all
j know"
Owen Slevin. employed as watchman in
nearby building. was the man whom Hal
comb summoned to his assistance Slevin
told the police that II was about 2:45 in the
morning when Hacomb called him In an
excited manner the negro told him of a
woman who had entered the building a
short while before and had disappeared
The two went first TO the washroom, and
after knocking they entered to find the
room empty. Halcomb then opened the
window to the courtyard, which, according
TO Slevin, was closed at the time, and they
looked out Four or five feet below and
about ten feet from the window they saw
the woman in half sitting posture, leaning
against the fence. The body was directly
and about six feet from the body. prac-
tically in the direct line from the door. was
the high heel of 2 womsn's shoe.
Woman Dead Some Time.
SIe7in saw that the woman had been at
tackled and he summoned an ambulance.
DR.. Wordner, OF the J. Hood Wright Hos
pital. found that the woman had been dead
some time.
Patrolman Ringhauser. of the West fc5th
street police station. arrived on the scene
shortly after the ambulance. and after
questioning the men placed Halcomb under
arrest.
An examination Of the ground was made
soon after by Detective MCGOWAN, of the
Harlem Bureau, who said he found traces
Indicating that the body had been dragged
through the hall of the building and out
into the court yard.
The body of the woman showed many
signs of violence. Her neck and shoulder
we're blackened on the right side. her chin
showed coDtusions and her right thumb
was almost bitten off Her breast was
bruised and her mead bore several marks
of brutal treatment. There was nothing on
her person that could give the faintcst in
dication of her identity.
Slevin, the police said, had told them that
at 30 o'clock a woman passed him at the
northeast corner of broadway and ll5th
street. lie followed her to 11ith street.
where she turned toward Riverside Drive,
walking rapidly. He is positive that Hal
comb called him only fifteen minutes later;
Halcomb is twenty-five years old and SAID
he lived at No. q West l%6th street.
Patroiman White, q bicycle officer at
tached 10 the West l25th street station, re
norted carly this morning that woman
ansW oring the description of the Nlcum o'
the rnurCer was seen by John Schuman.
clerk in a drug store at No. 2Sio BroadW9N'
and By James F.VCrs. a cha uiteur. carry
Yesterday morning. Evers saw the woman
in 10th street He followed her 10 Am
sterdam avenue. because she seemed H.
and asked her if she wanted taNlcab.
She held up a hand covered with le"eiIF
to order him away, he SAYS.
Later the woman appeared at INC drug
store according to Schuman. and uSed tne
telephone She saw three men at the Soda
fountain and asked to be let out the rear
way. She disappeared when she reach"o
the street. -, 49,,
The police do not think that the three
men were mixed up in the case. as the%
were all known 10 Schuman- 1T is belleNeI
that the woman. alarmed by reports OF
women being arrested when alone Idte AZ
night was afraid that White. who vas u
Of he store while she was there. was