New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-23
DEALER IDENTIFIES
MURDER CASE SACK
Discovery Brings Mohawk
River Torso Mystery
Nearer Solution.
SLAIN GIRL NOT
OF POOR FAMILY
District Attorney Starts Vigor-
Gus Search-lmpatient with
Chief of Police.


From staff Correspondent o' TIL. Tribune.
Schenectady, June 22.-The Mohawk
River murder mystery is a bit nearer
solution tonight.
This afternoon District Attorney A.
T. Blessing found the place from
which the man who killed and dis
ncmbered the girl got the sack in
which the torso-the only part Of the
Body so far recovered enclosed
and the chunk of rock tied to the
sack when it was tossed into the
river.
Coniunctively the discoveries arc
promising. The bag was stolen from
the yards Of w. +. Berning, coal, wood
and feed dealer. alongside the tracks
OF the New York Central, one hundred
yards from the bridge over the Mo
hawk. He buys his feed in sacks
bearing the same label that was faint
" distinguishable on the sack con-
tanning the torso. Some time ago
Rerning does not recall definitely
several Of these sacks were stolen
from his shipping platform IN the
yard.
The traprock was taken from
small pile in an abandoned eX-
cavation on the corner opposite Bern
inY's yards. OF this there is small
doubt. One reason is that no similar
.,sek-.has been found in the search
since Friday, when the body of the
girl was recovered. Another reason is
that with the sack procured 1t gave
the murderer easy opportunity TO care
for the weighing detail and carry the
sack short distance 10 the water,
where there was no lack of boats he
could temporarily appropriate without
formality and without great probabll-
i.y of being seen in his going or his
returning.
Colony Of Italians.
In this section there is a large ltsl-
ian colony, some members of which
have been in court on no pleasure eX-
pediticHs.
A man on whom the police have fixed
their eyes for several months, but
who, it seems TO the authorities. sue
caeded in stepping out Of the police
vision when it meant something 10
him, is now receiving the most serious
attention from the District Attorney
and his detectives, who this evening
began 10 watch the suspect closely,
arc engaged in learning in what way
he varied life's monotony in the last
three months.
TIE vital points that have escaped
general notice heretofore arc that the
girls garmen:s-thc few that were
found suggest pretty clearly that she
vas not in reduced circumstances and
that there is no reason to believe she
was wayward. This latter point Mr..
blessing is anxious to bring forward
prominently, for he feels that whereas
nothing has come of the missing
girl" quest, the mother of the victim
should not be averse TO announce her
daughters absence.
Mr.. Blessing believes that the girl,
turning into secluded, unllghted
street late in the evening on her way
home, was lured, or else forcibly
taken, TO the section where the Dis
trict Attorney made his discoveries to-
day. His theory further is that she
was killed and her body sawed apart
there. For job Of that kind the en-
Nirons Of the Bcrning yards provide
excellent advantages; there is little
light at night, the railroad bridge fur
nishes a handy, quiet loft from which
one may throw uninterruptedly what
ever one wants to into the Mohawk's
deepest channel, and one might slip
along the dar$, deserted path at the
foot of the embankment and, one hun
Gred yards on, take any of eight or
nine rowboats by easily releasing a
chain and return il undetected before
daylight.
District Attorneys Theory.
1t is thought by the District Attor-
ney that the head and some Of the
missing parts of the body were weight
ed in sacks and dropped from the rail
road bridge, and that the murderer
then took boat and scattered the
other sections along the river. The
torso was found about q mile below
this bridge.
Why the time since Friday has
passed unproductivc Of substantial re-
suit no longer puzzles the majority Of
the residents Of this and surrounding
cities. Chief Of Police Rynex and the
District Attorney and Chief Of Detcc-
tiyes Flanagan have not been working
together. Rynex secuted every story
told 20 him. At first he said no girl
had been reported missing. The FOL-
lowing day it was learned that several
girls had been reported missing. Flan-
agan and the District Attorney wanted
the cases investigated so that clear
road ahead might be seen. Nothing
was done. The skirts in which the
torso WAS wrapped before it was wound
in two pieces Of oilcloth and then
nlaeed in the sack were described by
him AZ cheap underskirts, such as
moor Italian womsn might wear