Year: 1875

HANDSOME woMAN-THE VICTIM FOUND IN


FIELD NEAR THE JAMAICA PLANK ROAD


THE BLooD-sTAINED wEApoN-A THEORY,


BUT NO cLEw TO THE ASSASSIN


One of the most mysterious and most monstrous
murders that have ever been brought to light
was perpetrasd in that suburb of Brooklyn known as
New Lots on last Monday night. The crime is
one of peculiar interest inasmuch as the victim
and the slayer both entirely unknown in the neigh
borhood in which the tragedy occurred The scene Of
the murder on the premises of the farm OF Isaac
Schenck in acornfeld about 400 feet south OF Ja
maca plank road and about the same distance west
from the old toll gate. The lessee of the
Schenck farm is a quiet, peaceable and much
respected farmer Of German birth, named Rich
ard Vessel In his employ is laborer
named Martin Sgeon. About o'clock yesterday
afternoon Sgelton his way across level tract
OF field in which stacked a quantity OF corn in
sheafs, about eight feet in height twelve feet in
circumference at the base On the side of
stack, the furthest from the roadside, was pre-
sented to his Few sight which sent thrill Of horror
through the startled There lay, with ghastly
wounds, disfguring comely face covered with blood


the corpse ofa young woman. Her hands raised
as though warding off the pess thrusts of the muir
derer and the finger nails penetrated the skim tightly
were they clenchcd. The eyes were glarng and fixed
in agony, while the mouth wide Open He hastcned
with all speed to the farm house and informed his
employer OF the discovery. The man was sent imme-
diatey to the station house of New Lots on Butler
avenue, where word was left, and the fact by
telegraph o the Twelfth precinct Captain Croits The
latter officer fastened to the with several men,
while Detectives Butts and Van Wagner were sent out
to work upthe case from the Brooklyn Central once
Coroner Shms summoned and reached the Schenck
form by thee O'clock the body being in the posi-
tion In which II was found until his arrival The Cor
oner, who Is also physician, found examination
deep wound on the right side OF the face extending
from the pbe OF the right to point directly at the
centre ON The throat There was a hole in the
centre OF ihs throat large that II would lead the
beholder to imagine that the weapon had been
| turned round in the ori1ce cutting out
piece Of the flesh large enough to admit OF ones fist
The Coroner is of the opinion however that this large
opening in the throat is TO be accounted for by the
gnawing Of the flesh by field mice which are very
numerous thereabout. There was also another
hole CT cash on the right side of the face, ex-
tending from the cheek bone down to
the angle OF the mouth. On the
left side the had been sliced in twain the bladc of
the knife running down and cutting the throat from that
side right across severng the carotid artery Careful
examination failed discover any further cuts or bruises
the body. The theory entertained from several pc
cuar details that the murder occurred before the swow
storm Monday night-that is between halfpast nine
O'Clock and ten. This fact is apparent, inasmuch as
the deep cash upon the face flied with snow whe
the body frozen fast to the earth in the coagulated
pool Of blood In which the victim was lying


APPEARANCE or THE MURDERED WOMAN


INC unfortunate woman was moi, IN the opinion OF
six years of age. She had very dark eyes, straight
dark brown or black hair, and what is termed a
plexon dark much that several Of those who
were about her concurred in the opinion that she
octoroon. Her bust development was very


fine, and there could be no doubt, in the opinion OF
DR.. Smms, that she had been a mother. She was
pretty well dressed, and one might form the opinion
that she had earned a livelihood at dressmakng
tailoress. She had on dovecolored merino
Dress black alpaca overskirt,- OF good texture,
and dark plaid shawl Her undercothing
neatly worked and exceedingly clean. In
her we're two handsome gold earrings
with garnet settings the centre and drop bell pen,
dants. Her stockings, which white snow,
were fastened with steel garters. In her pocket was
found steel thmbe, q new, bright three cent piece
CATERS The rst thing done by the officers Of the law
was to look about the spot on which the
assassin There none found in the slender
coyerlet of snow which covered the level heds-a cir
cumstance which clearly showed that the murderer
had left the Of the tragedy before the squa


The Coroner, upon walking around the stack Of corn
within few feet OF which the corpse found oh.
served an opening large enough to admit the body of
man, and he told Captain Crofts to search the stack
for knife The corn shocks taken apart bv the
officers, when IN the centre found


THE KNIFE WITH WHICH THE MURDER WAS coMM.TrRp.


Ii was undoubtedly placed there by the alter
the commission Of the murder The weapon is Of
the finest steel sharpened 10 the temperament of a
razor the blade being about three and half inches in
length and threefourths of inch in width. The
handle Is OF black walnut and Is crudey
riveted to the Steel The blade thicky
crusted with concealed blood and the
mark Of three slender, bloody fingers was clearly de-
fined upon the handle. IL was evident that the man,
who the taller Of the two, the woman being about


five feet in height grasped the weapon with the back
of the knife toward his victim, and cut downward IN
his horrible butchery The khiFe Is an article such
as German shoemakcrs use, or IL NAV be
probably more readily recognized as cigar.
makers knife Indeed, the latter undoubtedly the
strongest cew upon which the authorities have TO
work In unravelling the atrocious crime The woman
may have been Cuban or Spanish woman and "
that theory be the correct one II Is fair, then
sumo that her associations were with her own coun-
trymen Among the latter II is conceded that jealousy
begets violent passion, and when blood TO be shed the
knife Is the favorite weapon. AS vacation cigar
making is most popular among Cubans and Spaniards
about the two cities. The police have other clew
than this 10 work upon as yet Not person resident
in the vicinity of the scene OF the tragedy has
/ 10 their knowledge seen the woman heretofore nor
could the officers learn Of any strange and woman
being noticed In that vGnity on Monday night, Tho
indications are however that the murderer aured his
victim TO point as far back from the road and
| mote from interruption surprise, after nghtia on
Monday last to elude all danger Of recognition and
| that whatever transpired between them before the
fatal blows were struck must forever remain unknown
| 10 the world, save alone through the confession
q the murderer, The The latter has had
/ least thirty hours Last evening the body was re.
moved TO the Butler avenue station house. a. the re-
quest of Captain Crafts, and the people OF East New
York for miles around came in and viewed II, but
could identity the features OF the dead belonging
| 10 any seen there in life The conductors the
several railroad lines were interrogated as 10
1 whether they had carried any such passengers
| the evening previous, but they had
recollection OF having done so. Altogether the tragedy
is one which is surrounded by much mystery
| the Goodrich tragedy when first discovered The BODY
will be removed 70 the Brooklyn city Morgue to-day
| and post-moriem examination win be made by Dr. A.
| W. Shepard Coroner simms has empanneled jury
] and viii commence iba 'nnnast 10 morrow.