New-York tribune., 1919-09-09
Victim of Murder Discov-
cred at Roadside i'm Con-
nccticut Was Missing
Wall Street Messenger
Had Disappeared
With Securities
Was Terribly Beaten and
Features Marred Until
Almost Unrecognizable

The mutilatcd body of Benjamin
Binkowitz was found by the roadside
at Milford, Conn. on August 20, eight
days after he vanished while carrying
S178,00O worth of bonds from the of
fee of his employers, Richard Whitney
e. Co., Ia Wall Street, to Kiddcr. Pea
body e. Co., II Wall Strct.
This was 'termined yesterday when
State Detective Harry Virell, of Con-
necticut, arrived at Police Headquar-
ters, bringing the clothing of the twen-
ty-one-year-old messenger and a pict-
ure of his body.
When the body was found there was
only 81 in the pockets of the clothes.
No trace of the bonds has yet been
discovered. The police here believe
that some one who knew of the dis
appearance of the bonds followed
Binkowitz to Connecticut and there
slew him.
Brooklyn Man Found Body
The body of Bnkowitz was found
by John I. Clark, of 149 Lincoln Road,
Brooklyn. who with his wife ard her
step-sister, Miss Alice Adkins, was on
a motor trip from New York TO Boston.
They stopped on August 90 on the
Milford turnpike, about 200 yards from
the Milford Orange line, and decided
to lunch under the clump of trees
nearby
While the lunch basket was being
cmptied, Clark said last night, he
strolled down the road and in a thicket
by the roadside saw TWO feet protrud-
ing through a barbed wire fence.
The body lay face up. There were
a dozen deep slashcs on the face; the
head was almost severed from the
in the chest and the right hand was
badly gashed The left was clenched
on The wire.
Clark stopped an automobile that
was going toward Milford and told its
occupants to notify the police. Then
he stood guard over the body until
the chief Of police and two men ar
rived.
Thinks Lad Slain There
"The chief of police" he said last
killed elsewhere and then thrown into
the thicket. l think the murder took
place right there The place looked
like a battle ground. Weeds and grass
were trampled down in all directions
1t seemed to me that the lad had been
murdered there, and in falling had
tumbled over the barbed wire fence.
Otherwise, why would his hand be
clasped on the wire ?"
1t is probable, Clark said, that the
body had lain there since the night Of
between that and the Goth had been
rainy. The front of the mans clothes
were dry; the back sopping wet.
Medical Examiner Mix, of Milford,
said that the body had been lying in
the field for from one to two days. Ap-
parently, he said, it had been thrown
into the underbrush from the road and
had caught in the barbed wire fence.
Residents near the place where it was
found say that they saw two automo-
bies standing at the side Of the road
there late on the night of the 18th.
Binkowitz a Prizeflghter
Seven dollars, a key ring and a knife
were all that were found in the boys
pockets The body was buried on Au-
gust 22, end for time 1t seemed that
it would never be identified. Lato1
Virelli, who had worked with Inspector
Faurot on another murder mystery,
thought Of coming to Now York and
interviewing tna bureau Of missing
persons at HeAdquArtcrn.
The namc "Jensea," written In IN
deiible ink on the lining Of tho dead
lads coat, furnished tho cicw :hAt led
to Identification. Bnkowitz, police
records showed, had had somo reputa-
ton as pork and beans" prize
fighter and That was his no.n de
guerrc.
Accompanied by William y. Rcyncida
of the Homicide Squad. VirolI viEited
tho Binkowitx homo nj 1863 Eidridge
Street. They took with them Niece
OF c.otn from the dsad mans trousers
mother, 0ha went to closet and
brought cut u vest Of the same mate
rial. Ii had belonged to Benjamin
On tho lining In !ndelibie ink was the
word Jensen"
Mrs. Binkowltz then accompanied the
nolics to Headquarters, There she was
sh"wn the photograph Of the daat
boys face, she looked at the mutt
ln,sd features momsn., and screamed
ME-" and then collapsed.
Tha finding Of the body has led til.
police ia give more thought to tn.
case OF Morris Schiller. nineteen, of is.
Suffolk Street. Schiller was ARRESTED
last Thursday night and locked up a
Police Headquarters, charged will
crininaily receiving stolen goods. De
toctives say that he had told friend
he had one of the $1,000 bonds tina
were stolen from Whitney & Co,
According to Detectives Mayer an.
Brown, they questioned Schiller, tell
ing him they we're bond salesmen. TIL
lad denied having it; He is held in tn
Tombs in $4,000 bail.