Year: 1873

THE MYSTERY STILL UNsoLyED-INTERyIEw WITH


THE ACCUSED.


The body of Margaret Hamill, horribly burned,
was discovered, Thursday in little Of house
In Nnth-st, Brooklyn, f. D. IL has now been deter
mined that the house fire in order to cover up
the traces Of murder The Merrigans in whose apart
ments the body discovered, remained in the
Fifth Precinct station-house until Saturday evening.
when they removed TO the Raymondst.
jail, not as prisoners. but Coroner's wit
nesses Several other arrests have been made.
The apartments OF the Merrigans consisted OF sitting
with closet attached and bedroom opening into
the other room. There rag carpet the floor Of
the sttinR-room. and this found saturated with
kerosene. There of fire in the closet and In
the bedroom, but the space intervening u2 is
feeU showed no evidence OF flame. The
bedding upon which the body was found
also saturated with oil, while table in the sit
tngroom stood the remains OF cheap glass Kerosene
lamp. Everything seemed to indicate deliberate at
tempt at arson. The post-mortem examination Of the
remains was made by Dr. Joseph Creamer 1t was con-
clusyey proved that the young woman had been first
strangIed and then burned, and moreover, that the
srangng had taken place from 80 to 40 hours at least
before the burning.


Soon after the examination James Hamill, brother
of the murdered woman arrived from Riverside, Conn,
and went to see the remains, which he identified At
p. the remains taken Calvary Cemetery and





Mrs. Kipp, who lived the floor below the Merrgans,
and her sonlnaw, David Coe, state that at about
on Tuesday they heard the sounds OF
scufle followed by heavy fall Soon after
this Merrigan and his wife went away and
remained out all night They we're not at home on
Wednesday night. Mrs. Merrigan came home alone on
Thursday afternoon. In the evening the house was
burned Mrs Merrigan gave away on Wednesday
articles which it is stated belonged to the murdered
lady. Her and sacque in the hands of
the police.


Mrs. Sarah Merrigan visited at the Raymond-st.
Jail by a TRIBUNE reporter last evening She said that
her child Sick and that she did not wish to speak,
because her words had been misconstrued. Her hus-
band James Merrgan, stated to the reporter that he
knew OF malice toward Miss Hamn on the
part OF his wife family. He himself had
been 10 St. Louis and had returned about year ago.
While he was away ms second child was born, and he
understood that Miss Ham had acted as godmother to
the child. The child now IS months old, and was
with his wife jail Since his return from Missouri
he had Miss Hamil only at his house.
He could not remember whether or not he saw
her again elsewhere during the time. About
three weeks he her at his house. He found her
there one day when he home to dinner. lie only
saw her few minutes that time, because he had
to hurry order to retarn to his work. Miss Hamil
was always quiet aud reserved. and he could
never tell what TO make Of her. He made her
acquaintance about p years ago. at the house OF his
father in-aw, bIr. DOherty. On Monday night Mr. Mer
rgan said he was home and slept there On Tuesday
morning he took his tool-chest TO the stair
building shop. Ho took supper at home on
Tuesday night, and then went down to Mrs.
Doherty's where his little baby was He slept there
on Tuesday Wednesday nights. and had doctor to
attend his wife. who sick. On Thursday night ne
took supper at home at about p. After
supper he went TO temperance lodge. Be
fore going he had been playing little on the flute,
but his wife was worried, and he went into the
bedroom to get his hat which he had lett on trunk
there This was the IN which Miss Hamiil's body
was found. when he went in she was not there lie
did not see Mss Hamill his house during tho week.
and had not seen her since he her going home to
dinner