The New York herald., 1921-06-24
SCRAP OF TROUSERS
| IS ONLY CLUE FOUND
| IN WOMANS MURDER
Police Dogs Lead Troopers
to Small Lake Not Far
From Hampstead, IL.
ONE ARREST is MADE
Officials, However, Attach
Only Little Importance
to Prisoner.
SISTER DENIES HIS STORY
Autopsy Shows Mrs. Bartlett
Was Strangled to Death and
Stabbed Afterward.
SISTER DENIES HIS STORY

Part of a pair of trousers found
Tapping In The wind on a barbed wire
fence two-thirds of mile from Hemp
stead, l.. l., on the shore of little lake
which forms part of the Brooklyn
water system is practically the only
clue the Nassau county authorities
have to help them in solving the mys-
terry which surrounds the murder OF
Mrs. Minnie s. Bartlett She was
killed some time Wednesday morning
in the house where she lived alone on
the outskirts of Hampstead, and which
she was trying to sell because her
friends had told her, and she was con-
vinced herself. that it was unsafe for
her to live there longer alone.
So far as the authorities have been
able to decide the murder of Mrs.
Bartlett was Of the class of crimes
which happen because some person of
perverted intelligence is allowed to re-
main at large. The authorities expect
to catch the man who killed Mrs. Bart
lett. but they believe that when they
do he will prove to be Of such mental
class that II will preclude his being
tried for murder.
Police Dogs Lead Chase.
The bits of pair of trousers were
discovered by members of the State
constabulary, who are assisting Dis
were found near Rockville Centre after
police dogs had led the troopers brisk
chase through fields and woods.
Such bits of cloth as have been re-
covered will be traced If possible. They
are of cheap quality.
Outside of beating the woods In the
vicinity Of Mrs. Bartlett's home the
authorities yesterday arrested John
Buckley. 4S years old, an odd Job man
about Hampstead village, who lives
mainly by assisting the sexton of st.
Georges church in Hampstead. Buck
ley was arrested because two negress
servants told District Attorney Weeks
they had met a man who looked like
him running in the woods near Mrs.
Bartletts home few hours after the
probable time Of her murder and be-
cause Buckley was reluctant to tell
where and how he spent Wednesday
night.
Buckley told the authorities yesterday
he passed the night at the home of sis
ter, but his sister denied his statement
Later he said he had slept in barn a
mile or so away from the house where
Mrs. Bartlett lived. This statement.
however. was denied by the owner of
the barn, who insisted his barn was
locked securely.
However, the authorities are not in
clined to consider Buckley's arrest as
important. He was arraigned before a
Justice of the peace last night and held
in $4,000 bail pending a further In
vestigation.
Next to Buckley interest centred yes
terday IN two cloaks which were found
In an untenanted house about 200 yards
from Mrs. Bartlett's home. The house
belongs to William Rapelyea of Hemp
stead, and has not been occupied for
more than six months. The police. In
going through It yesterday. found two
cloaks, one dark blue and the other
gray. on an old bed. the single piece of
furniture in the house. None of the
women with whom Mrs. Buckley asso-
ciated has been able to identify the
cloaks.
Hope for Further Clue.
The clothing is being held in the hope
that II may be identified as having be-
longed to Mrs. Bartlett, and that who-
ever killed her may have slept In Mr..
Rapelyea's house for time and decided
to rob and kill the woman after he
had noted night after night that she
lived alone.
An autopsy held by County Physician
Arthur Jacques disclosed that Mrs. Bart
lett first was strangled to death and
later he made sure of his work by stab
ing her with an Ice pick or a file. The
authorities have not been able to find
the weapon. Her skull was fractured
also but the cause OF the fracture was
not disclosed. A piece of gas pipe was
found In her homo yesterday.
The possible connection OF Mr..
Quinn" with the death OF Mrs. Bartlett
was cleared yesterday Just after Mrs.
Bartlett was found dead IL was re-
ported that she had told neighbor that
a man named Quinn had called her on
the telephone and announced that he
was coming oyer to look at her home
with a view to buying II. A. r. Quinn
of Hampstead informed the authorities
that he was the Quinn who called up
Mrs. Bartlett and that he did tell her
he would like to look at her house. but
that he afterward went to look at an
other house and did not visit hers. His
statement was verified.
A close inquiry into Mrs. Bartlett's S
affairs and questioning OF all persons
who might have had an interest in her
death made II fairly certain yesterday
that no motive other than robbery could
have prompted the person who killed
her.
Her husband. George w. Bartlett. has
been dead nearly twenty years The
house which he left his widow. and in
which she was killed. Is a building OF
fifteen rooms on plot of about ten
acres. and Is valued at something like
$4,000.
A For Sale sign on the front gate
Of Mrs. Bartlett's house was an invita-
tion to any one who needed a plausible
excuse to go to the house.
The Essex and Sussex, Spring Lake, N. j., on