The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-04-05
NEW CLUE TO C|NDER
CAR MYSTERY SOUGHT
Supposed Victim Returns TO Mid
dletOwn and Police Are
Puzzled.
DETERMINED TO SOLVE IT
Authorities VIII Employ Country's Rest
Detectives 10 Learn Who
Was Killed.

Vue evening Oh OCVOD0T o, 1SUb. when TWO
wealthy old men named Olney and the
nine year, daughter Of their house,
keeper were found slain near this city,
have the people Of Middletown In the heart
Of Orange county been 40 excited over q
criminal case as they are over what has
come to he known az the -cinder car
mystery
When the Olney triple murder took
place there was not clue TO the murderer.
but eight months later he was caught
at Los Angeles. Now the police and
county authorities have skull. right
shoulder and right arm Of human being &
and half bushel Of human bones They
do not know the name Of the person to
whom these homes belonged nor do they
hnow whether the person died natural
death or was murdered. but they ore
going to find out IL they have to employ
the hest detective skill in the country
The police aud the public believed
the cinder car mystery had been solved
when they found two men who accused
each other of having killed their brother
and Of ha wing buried the body in a car Of
hot cinders But all this has come to
naughl. for to-day Theo Furnlan. the
man who was supposed to have been
murdered. returned to this city.
On January \ track hands engaged in
unloading car Of cinders on the Ontario
and Western Railroad at West brook Vile
fifteen miles from this city came upon the
bones Of human being buried about tw -
feet down from the top OF the car. The
cindsrs were still red hot and tho greater
part Of the skeleton had heen iucinerated
The police found that the car had been
loaded on December 30 and u at the
Ontario and Western Railroad shops in
this city. !. had been taken to West
BrAokville on January 1 and lay on the
switch there for a week before the track
hands commenced unloading It.
They inquired il any one was missing
Two days later they learned that Theodore
Furman, q nineteen-year-oM railroad
fireman, had disappeared. He lived with
his mot her, Mrs. Ellen F.. Furmsn. "a
fourteen year-old sister, Eula. and four
bro: hers s-Eugene. II: Russell. -: Joseph.
3n. and Webb. 3?.
Webb had been i'll in bed for two wears
with lingering disease.
Grant X. Wilson. chief Of the Ontario
and Western police. looked up Theodrv.
Furman and learned he had not reported
for duty after November II and that
half a months wages due him had been
drawn on an order presented bv his
mother. The order was looked up and
compared with Theo's signature and it
was discovered TO he a forgery. Chief
Of Police McCOach then talked with menu
hers OF the Furlnan family and ell said
Theo had gone West.
On January II Eugene Furman was
arrested. taken to police headquarters
and questioned by the District Attorney.
said his brother Joseph had killed Theo
in a quarrel and that the body had beer,
hidden in the cellar for more than a month
and was then cut in two. placed in ba e
| and taken to the railroad yard and buried
IN the car OF cinders. He told where
| body had been cut in two and said his
mother and other brothers knew all abou,
| the murder.
| The police went to the Furman home
found the axe and also noted that the
kitchen floor had been scrubbed until i,
| shone. They also found Theo's switch
/ key in the cellar.
Then they arrested Joseph Furman
He refused to talk except to say he I've
lieved Theo was alive. The next day
Eugene re,racted his accusation agains,
his brother Joseph. and confessed he did
the deed himself
After two days in jail Joseph broke hi.
silence and declared Eugene had killed
Theo. and the same day Eugene again de-
clared Joseph did the murder.
| In the dead Of night Eugene was taken
: from the jail. He escorted the detectives
| over the route taken when ne ~ id he and
his brother carried the body Of Theo to
! the cinder car.
The day following the Law firm OF Rem
dich d Gardner was employed by the
mother to defend the two brothers and
| then both retracted all the statements
! they had made. Both.were held for the
Grand Jury. which considered their cases
! for week and then failed to indict them
| II was thought tina; the failure to indict
work up their case. and every one be-
, licvsd it would come before the next
Grand Jury in May.
In the meantime Mrs. Ellen J.. Furman
was arrested on a forgery charge for
drawing Theo Furman's wages. She
was convicted. but was released under
suspended sentence.
With all the Furnans at liberty District
Attorney Rogers and Chief McCoacll
| worked on the case, weaving a net OF
circumstantial evidence around them
An expert said the piece of cloth cos,
found on the bones matched a pair OF
old trousers belonging 10 Theo Furman
Then Eugene and Joseph Furman said
Theo had not liked to work and mac
quarreled with his mother and with then
about not paying his share on the pl,rchas,
price Of their house.
The authorities also figured that only
/. a railroad man would realize that a body
buried in cinder car would beincinerateH
They found persons who said thew har
heard q shot fired at the Furman hom,
late at night II was said that Ther
and Joseph had quarrelled because ,Josenl
was friendly with Mrs. Rufus Steele r
next door neighbor and had left HON,
to board with her
District Attorney Rogers was prenar
ing a mass Of evidence to present to In,
May Grand Jury when word came tha,
a youth giving the name OF Theo Furmar
had tried to enlist in the United State,
Marine Corps at. Philadelphia. No ont
believed Theo FurInan could possibly
he alive, but the city became greatly ex
cited. The authorities thought an effor
was being made to prevent further inyest
CATION OF the case and were about 10 sent
a man to Philadelphia tOlsee the supposet
on the way to Middletown. A GROVE
met him when he stepped on the train
He was much embarrassed. for he sait
he had not known there was any excite
ment over his absence.
Il left home at o'clock on the mornins
Of November H." he said because / wai
disgusted with railroading and though
l would start OF and do something else
I did not tell the folks did not intend !,
return.
Il went to New York. and from there /,