Year: 1869

year OF the war, q barrel of pitch was
found to have disappeared from Jersey
City pier, and the porter in charge, when
reporting the fact to his employers, took
occasion to speak of the river thieves in
no very complimentary terms.


On the same day, Ada Richard, a wo-
man of nomadic habits and dubious sta
tus, but of marvellous beauty, suddenly
left her hotel in New York, without TAX
ing the trouble to announce her depart
ure or state her destination. The clerks
of the house only remarked that some
women had queer days.


A few days after these simultaneous
events, the same porter who had mourn
ed the lost pitch, happened to look down
from the end Of his pier when the tide
was out, saw small and shapely human
foot protruding above the waters of the
North River. 1t was singular circum-
stance, for the bodies of the drowned
never float in such fashion; but the por-
ter, not stopping to speculate upon it,
procured the necessary assistance, and
proceeded to land the body. 1t came
up unusually heavy, and when at last
brought to the surface, was found to be
made fast by rope around the waist to
the missing barrel Of pitch. There was
a gag securely fastened in the mouth,
and these two circumstances were posi-
tive evidence that murder had been done.


When the body was landed upon the
pier, it was found TO be in a tolerable
state of preservation, although there
were conclusive signs that it had been in
the water for some time. 1t was the body
of female, entirely nude, with the ex-
ceptions of an embroidered linen chemise
and one lisle-thread stocking, two sizes
larger than the foot, but exactly fitting
the full-rounded limb. The face and the
contour of the form were, therefore, fully
exposed to examination, and proved to
be those of woman who must have been
very handsome. There was the cicatrice
of an old wound on a lower limb, but
otherwise there was no spot or blemish
upon the body.


In due time the body was buried but
the head was removed, and preserved in
the office of the city physician, with the

hope that it might be the means of es-
tablishing the identity of the dead, and
leading to the detection of the murderer.


The police on both sides of the river
were intensely interested in the case but
they found themselves impotent before
that head of a woman, who seemed to
have never been seen upon earth in life.
They could do nothing, therefore, but
wait patiently for whatever developments
time might bring.


Chance finally led to the desired iden-
tification. A gentleman who had known
her intimately for two years, happening
to see the head, at once declared it to be
that of Ada Ricard The detectives
eagerly clutched at this thread, and were
soon in possession of the coincidence in
time of her disappearance and that of
the barrel of pitch to which the body
was lashed They further found that,
since that time, she had not been seen in
the city, nor could any trace of her be
discovered in other sections of the coun-
try, through correspondence with the po-
lice authorities of distant cities. They
had thus woman lost and body
found, and the case was considered to be
in most promising condition.


The next step was to establish the iden-
tity by the testimony of those who had
known the missing woman most intimate
ly. The detectives, therefore, instituted
a search, which was finally successful
for Charles Ricard, her putative hus-
band. He had not lived with her fol
some time, and had not even seen ol
heard of her for months but his recol
lection was perfect, and he gave yer,
minute statement of her distinguishing
marks. He remembered that she haG
persisted in wearing pair of very heavy
earrings, until their weight had slit on,
of her ears entirely, and the other nearly
so, and that, as a consequence, both ear
had been pierceda second time, and un
usually high up. He regretted that hel
splendid array of teeth had been marrec
by the loss of one upon the left side o
her mouth, and told how wound hac
been received, whose cicatrice appeared
upon one of her limbs, stating exactly it
location. He dwelt with some pride up
on the fact that she had been forced, b,
the unusual development, to wear stock
ings too large for her feet, and gave {
general description of hair, cast of face
height, and weight that was valuable
because minute.


When he gave this statement he wa
not aware of the death of his wife, or o
the finding of her body, and without be
r.