Year: 1873

THE RESORT OF COUNTERFEITERS


or other depredators on the public bu
no evidence of the kind has been shown
and probably has no founation in fact
From the fact that there was large
quantities Of music and two pianos in the
house it is thought deceased was lady
of culture and refinement, but the condi
ton of affairs within would show that she
was not good housekeeper.


THE CORONER INVESTIGATES.


Coroner Herman examined MIR Mat
thew j. Fogerty, Of l30 East Eighty
seventh street, who deposed that Miss
Willett resided in the house where she
died for five years she seemed to be a
woman Of very retired habits, and seemed
indiSposed to make any acquaintances
among the neighbors have seen her
about six times during the five years on
one occasion, about two years ago she fell
down the stoop aud he ran to her as
sistance she was never seen to 20 in or
out her house in the day time, but she
was in the habit of going out between
nine and ten o'clock at night, during
which she would do her marketing heard
that men were in the habit OF calling at
the house late at night; have not seen
her about for five or six weeks heard Of
the fuding her dead body this morning.


TESTIMONY OF MIR. sHEEHAN.


james NJ Sheehan, of l37 East Eighty
seventh street, testified that deceased, a
maiden lady, had lived at 135 East
Eighty seventh street for five years she
lived apparently alone. the house being
shut up all day she was visited &C
cOasionally at night by a young man aged
about twenty seven years, whom she
called Byron have never been inside the
house and never saw auy one 90 in there;
Mrs. Sheehan has often heard noises from
the house as Of several persons in con-
versation Mr.. Shechan suspected that
some thing wrong was going on in the
house about FIVE weeks ago the younr
man referred to, whom deceased called
her nephew Byron, came about half past
ten o'clock Z. NJ and pulled the door bell,
but no one responding, he asked permis
sion of the witness to pass through his
yard, which was refused the young man
remarked. "Perhaps she has one of her
bad headaches and the devil could not
wake her ;" he also said ''She was liable
to be out at any time at night )" he was
seen about the house till two o'clock in
the morning; heard that he attempted to
get into the house about two weeks ago !;
the witness watched the house, and see
ing no one there and that the windows
had been opened, aud noticing an un-
pleasant oder issuing from the house Mr.
Sheehan notified the police; bill,


''THIS HOUSE TO LET"


has been on the house since March last :;
Mrs. Hadley, Of ~ Elliott place, Brook
lyn, owns the house made inquiries at
the grocery store and was informed that
deceased was in the habit of buying pro
visions for many persons also that she
smoked and chewed tobacco Coroner
Herman will further investigate the
mysterious affair to. day.


As there was much excitement among
the people in the neighorhood where the
body was found an officer was placed in
charge of the house, with instructions to
allow no one to enter except by order of
Coroner Herman. The deeds, bank
books and all other valuable documents
and papers were taken possession of by
the Coroner aud will be delivered over to
the proper owner in due course of time.


IN THE HOUSE AT NIGHT.


a Herald reporter proceeded to the
house OF the unfortunate deceased last
night and found it surrounded by a
curious crowd The excitement In the
neighborhood in regard to the occurrence
was great, and all kinds of stories were
told to account for Miss Willets' tragic
fate. 1t was asserted that strange noises
had been heard TO proceed from the house
late at night and that men had been seen
entering the door at very unreasonable
hours, for what purpose no one could tell
Coupled with this is the fact that
deceased was in the habit of purchasing
quantities of tobacco, and it is scarcely
probable that this was intended for her
own use, and If not for her own for whom
could she have bought it? Another
strange circumstance was, that though
she was evidently woman of means she
kept no servant as if she wished to keep
the manner of her life secret What
misfortune may have driven her to this
unnatural life, Disappointment in love or
partial insanity, it is impossible to say
but there is strange similarity between
her case aud that Of the strange lady in
Little Dorrit," who let her residence 90
to ruin and who never abandoned her
bridal dress from the day when death
interposed and took away from her her
betrothod, who was killed on the bridal
morning Miss Wilets may have been
miserly in her habits, but if she was she
took a strange way of showing it by lett
ing costly furniture and elegant articles
OF yirtu decay and rot Tor want of clean
ing. What foundation there may be for
the story that counterfeiiers had their
headquarters 10 the house cannot be