New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-06-24
Police Dog Leads Posse to
Swamp Behind House
Where Mrs. Bartlett
Was Beaten to Death
Trail Ends i'm Patch
Of Sun-Baked Sand
Chore Man Found Asleep
i'm Bushes Held; Girls
Say He Accosted Them


John Buckley, homeless chore man,
was looked up in the Nassau County
jail last night as material witness
III the death of Mrs. Minnie Bartlett
This woman, widow of George Bart
lett, well-to-do oil man, was beaten
tc death Wednesday by degenerate
who invaded her secluded home in the
Lynbrook Road in Hampstead.
Justice of the Peace Neu, at the re-
quest Of County Detective Ferdinand
Miller, held Buckley in $4,000 bail.
The man was arrested yesterday by
members of posse who were beating
the woods about the Bartlett home in
search of the murderer. Buckley was
found sleeping in some bushes at a
spot indicated by two girls, who said
a man there had accosted them.
Officials Seek Maniac
District Attorney Charles r. Weeks
did not attach much Importance to the
detention of Buckley. 1t was his opin-
ION that the murderer was a maniac
whose killing frenzy may break forth
at any time. For this reason Mr.. Weeks
kept the searching parties at work
until a late hour last night.
State troopers, policemen from half
dozen villages on Long Island, boy
scouts, men with dogs and even women
beat the underbrush and weeds that
mat the swampy woodland that ex-
tends back of Mrs. Bartlett's home fo1
mile into West Hampstead. 1t is an
almost painless region, SO overgrown
that passage through it is difficult.
The authorities were convinced that
the murderer made his way into these
woods by the actions of police dog
that was brought to the Bartlett house
by Christian Rothaug, of Sea Cliff. Held
on twentyfoot length of rope leash
the wolf-like creature was permitted to
sniff section of lead pipe with which
Mrs. Bartlett was beaten to death.
Dog Starts for Brush
Find" commanded Rothaug.
Instantly the dog started off through
rear door of the large, shabby old
frame dwelling. Fairly dragging his
master along at the end of the rope
leash, he shifted his way through the
uncut grass of the back yard. Past out
buildings and into the weeds and
bushes beyond went the dog, his bushy
tail eagerly wagging,, his tongue lolling
Rothaug and half dozen other men
hurried after the animal, which trav-
eled silently. Through the woods by
a zig-zag course the dog went, now and
again forcing his master to break into
trot by his Jealous straining at his
collar. For mile the dog kept the
trail through the wet grass and weeds
of the woods. Then he came to sand
pile, circled it few times and then
sat down and cooked one ear at Mr..
Rothaug as if in waiting for fresh
commands.
"It's dry here and the hot sun has
destroyed what little there renamed
of day-old SCENT" the owner
apologized.
William Fogarty and Felix d'Martini,
both former New York Police Depart
ment detectives and now connected
with private agency retained by Dis
trict Attorney Weeks, then proceeded
to make inquiries in the houses near
the sand pile.
Colored Girls Give Clew
Before long they had found two young
colored women, Jane Ward, of Beech
Avenue, and Evelyn Jackson, of Linden
Avenue, who told of having been ac-
costed near the sand pile by man
with scratched face. They said the
man endeavored to engage them in con-
versation.
~ says to Jane right then" boasted
Evelyn to Fogarty, 81 says that man
has been in fight with woman.
just look at them scratches
Fogarty obtained from the women q
careful description of the man. He
was about forty-fve years old, tall
slim and wore blue cap with the visor
pulled down over his left ear. His coat
was blue and too large for him, and
his shoes were shabby and broken.
They were undecided about his
trousers.
After Mr.. Weeks learned the nature
of the mans conversation with the
colored women he instructed Fogarty
to call all of the state asylums for the
insane on Long Island to see if anv
patients had escaped. Apparently none
had, but most of the authorities work
ing on the murder case yesterday were
agreed that the crime was that of a
maniac.
=. Skin and coagulated blood found be-
meath the broken finger nails of Mrs.
Bartlett convinced the investigators
Continued on page fve)