The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1879-07-12 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

NEW YORK MURDER.  The Times of Wednesday gives the following from their Own Correspondent, under date Philadelphia, June 24:  The oil; of New York has for ten days past been greatly excited about a mysterious murder which thoroughly baffled all police investigation, and which was not explained until Wednesday, when a Boston newspaper reporter was the means of capturing the murderer. Mrs. Jane L. Da Forrest Hull, a well-known lady, residing at 14, West Forty Second-street, and the wife of Dr. Alonzo Hull, was found murdered in her bed on the morning of June 11. She had been suffocated by a pillow or clothing pressed upon her mouth and was bound hand and foot by strips of sheeting to the bed, A trunk alongside the bed had been rifled of its contents, and valuable rings torn from her fingers. There was no clue t) the murderer, but many were suspected, even the lady's husband, who slept in another part of the house.  The crime and the failure of the police to find the murderer strongly agitated New York. The newspapers every day published pages on the subject, giving theory after theory which were worked out with no result, and there was quite a hue and cry raised about the inefficiency of the police, when chance led to the detection of the murderer in a man not before suspected. It appears that last week a negro in Boston disposed of a set of cameo jewelry to a pawnbroker. This was subsequently identified as part of Mrs. Hull's jewelry, and the negro's description being posted at police headquarters, Mr. W. B. Balch, a newspaper reporter, while walking along Shawmut-avenue last night, thought he saw the man walking in front of him. He went up and, accosting the negro, asked a direction. The negro repled that he could not give it, as he was a stranger there from New York. This confirmed the impression, and followinz the negro until he entered a negro church, the reporter informed the police who arrested him. He submittal without resistance, and Mrs. Hull's watch being found in his possession, he at once confessed the erisae. Chastine Cox, the negro, said he had lived a long time opposite Mrs. Hull's house in New York, and conceived the idea of robbing her, but had no intention of killing her. He entered the house through a window about ten p,no., taking a eandle with him. Ascending the stairs he heard some one snoring in a bod-room, and thought it was a man. He blew out the candle, entered, and stepped to the bedside, Mrs. Hull asked, "Who is it?" Io replied, "The doctor." She put her hand up and touched his face, whereupon he three her hand back and laid his hand heavily upoa her mouth. She struggled, when he got luld of a Cologne bottle and dashed it over he face, after which he got on the bed and made a gag of the bed clothes. By this time she was axhausted, and he tied her to the bed in the manner inwhich she was found. Cox then relighted the candle, sad holding it close to her face to ascertain her cfndition, the Cologne ignited, singeing her eyebrows ond burning her face— injuries which, at the time, ad-led te the mystery of the murder. He then robbed le trunk and took her rings; aed, leaving the house,soon afterwards went to Boston.  The negro haa been broughtto New York for trial. This arret enda one of the greatest of recent criminal sensatione.