The Coolidge examiner., 1934-07-13
ONE OF GOTHAM'S
WEIRDEST CRIMES
STILL UNSOLVED
Police Are Unable to Pene-
trate Mystery Surround
ing Triple Murder.


New York.--One OF New York's
most incredible crime mysteries Is
one year old. II was just II months
ago that Old Edward A. Ridley. &c
centric and wealthy real estate
dealer OF the lower East side. was
murdered with hts secretary. Lee
weinstein. In their damp and cheer
less underground Office, 35 feet be
low crowded Allen street.
In the year that has passed the
police have not been able 10 pene-
trate the Glm OF mystery around
the case. Il has bafiled the best
minds OF the police department.
They are still bafTled today.
The Ridley case Is really a triple
murder mystery. To begin at the
beginning one must 20 back 10 the
crisp day OF January 3. 1881. On
thst day. old Ridley. as he was
known 10 the East side. arrived at
his cayelike Office at IL 80 a. m.
his usual hour.
His secretary. Herman Moench.
whom old Ridley had known as man
and boy for 30 years, had preceded
him 10 the Office as usual. He had
left a pile OF checks on the old
mans desk TO sign.
Finds Secretary Slain.
when he finished old Ridley
called Moench. There was no an.
swer. Old Ridleys chair creaked.
he arose and walked around the
thin partition that separated his
desk from Moench's.
There was Moench, slumped In
his chair dead from two bullet
wounds in his chest.
Old Ridley. always taclturn, aloof.
always a man OF mystery In his
personal life. was deeply shaken
by the tragedy. He tried not TO
show H. He said My work must
20 on. shall continue at the
same old stand and | shall get a
new assistant. Death is not
tragedy: II must come 10 all OF Us. T"
The new assistant to Ridley was
Welnsteln.
Two years later the violent death
that he may have suspected was
to be his lot came TO old Ridley.
Al two O'Clock on the afternoon
OF May 10. 1893, Joseph Flducca.
an employee In a garage operated
by Lee Welnsteln's brother. Harry.
IN the building above Ripley's Of
Zee. ran down the ramp leading TO
the Ridley subcellar with n mes
sage from Harry weInsteIn TO Lee.
one hurried look In Ridley's Of
fee. and Fiduccia ran out, his face
pasty white.
lie had seen. stretched on the
floor. the body OF Lee weinstein.
Near the door was the body OF Old
Ridley. welnstein had been shot
TO death. Several bullets had been
pumped into his body. And the
shots were fred from the same re
volver used In the murder OF Her.
man Moench ia 1891.
Beaten 70 Death.
Old Ridley had not been shot. He
had been beaten TO death. his skull
crushed, his face mutilated. part OF
his snow white beard plucked out
By the roots. II had all the ear
marks OF a crime motlvated by bit
ter hatred, a crime OF revenge. Rid.
ley was beaten 10 death with a
heavy Office stool.
A will was found among the
musty papers In the Office. II was
dated March 4. 1882. and with its
discovery. two accountants, Arthur
]. Hoffman and George Goodman,
stepped into the picture. They knew
all about the will, which named
Lee Weinsteln the principal bene-
ficIary 10 the tune OF 100000.
Yes. they knew all about Il. They
knew too much about that VIII.
They knew so much that under po-
lice pressure they confessed that
# was a fake. that they helped
welnstein draw It up and also had
aided the willy secretary In the sys-
tematc theft OF more than $500.
600 from Ridley. They were in
dIcted, tried and convicted last Oc-
tober TO terms In Sing Sing. Thus
one small tag end Of the weird Rid.
ley case was disposed OF.