The New York Herald Newspaper, December 21, 1875, Page 8

NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2), 1875.—TRIPLE SHEET. SARA ALEXANDER’S aia Coroner's Inquest to Determine ow She Was Murdered. "EVIDENCE AGAINST RUBENSTEIN. | Interview with the Prisoner in His Cell. The Inquest as to the cause of the death of Sara Alexander, the Polish Jewess, was commenced at the Brooklyn Morgue, before Coroner Simms and a jury, yesterday afternoon. Assistant District Attorney Snell appeared for the people and Kintzing & Mott repre- sented the interests of the prisoner. THE PATHRR OF THE ACCUSED, | Israel Rubenstein, was the first witness sworn and ex- amined. He testified that he lived at No, 88 Bayard street, and is im the dry goods business; witness said he did not speak much Enghsh, but could answer questions ; ‘was in the store all day on Sunday, December 12; left there at four o'clock, P. M. and went to No. 69 Lud- Jow street, and from there to No. 78 Ludlow street, after six o'clock; did not know what time it was when he returned home; it may have been eight or nine or ten o'clock; he could not tel) what time; Pesach, hig son was home when he retummed; did net know what time it was when Pesach left the house, but he had seen him frequently that day; Pesach lived in the upper story of the house and did not eat with witness; | on Monday night, about ten or eleven o'clock, Pesach | came to him and told bim of a dream he had had; be ‘saul that bi jad seen Sara; that she wag killed; wit | ness said to him, “You area fool; 1t ig mothing at all but imagination ;” he did not say anything about her being killed ten miles out of New York. Detective Zundt was here sworn as interpreter by the Coroner, the witness becoming unintelligible in his answers, A wrangle then occurred between thé inter- | preter and the witness as to what the latter told the former. Witness said that Pesach was not excited in his man- ner when he came down stairs to tell of his dream; he had on several occasions previous told witness of the dreams which he had had; saw Sara Alexander in the hati on last Sunday afternoon, between two and three clock; don’t remember seeing her after that; could not tell whether P. N, Rubenstein was in the store at | ‘that time; could not tell whether he saw his son after | Sara in the hall. | Q Did he tell you about this dream that he had more than once? A. Only once; this was Monday night. Q What did you tnean when you spoke (0 your son | ‘of the conversation he bad before going to bed having | Jed to his dream? A. I alluded to what was said by | her brother when he called in the morning to inquire | about Sara's being missing; a New York detective called at my house on Monday night when we were looking for her, and I promuwed to give bim $25 if he would find her, Q@ What was the conversation which led to his tell- | ing you of this dream’ A. The girl’s brother came to ask my advice as to what he shouid do to find his sister, and | told him to go to the police and iniorm them of it; he went to the station house and told them of her ‘being missing; Sara Alexander was living in my house sine or ten months; she left there the latter part of Jast April; she bad bo visitors, no gentleman friends; do not know bow long she had been in America, A BKOTHER’S TESTIMONY. Jacob Rubenstein, second son of the preceding wit- nese and brother of the accused, testified that he last #aw Pesach on Sunday morning, and vefore two o'clock im the afternoon; had 4 headache that day and did not go ont much; saw all the rest of the family that night, ‘but did not see P. N. Rubenstein; am uot positive that 1 did not see him that night; he was dressed that afier- noon in a white shirt, cravat, vest, and black overcoat; | dhe wore dark pants; saw Sara Alexander that day be- tween four and half-past four o'clock; was certain he | did not see his brother go out afterSara; went to a | party and didn’t return till between eight and nine clock; P. N. Rubenstein was not at this party as he | does not belong to the samme congregation , Pesach never | mentioned anytiing about this dream to witness. | Loum Rubenstein, brotber of the prisoner, was then | and testified that he lived at 108 Chrystie street and is'a pedler by occupation; between two and three o’clock on Sunday be saw Pesach in hie father’s store; | it was pear five o'clock when witnegs left the house for | the eynagogue party and Pesach was still in the store; saw him on returning from the party at nine o'clock, | he was dressed in a black ov soft hat, white | shirt; Sara Alexander left the house about twenty min- wies to five P. M.; Rabenstein left the store fifteen or | twenty minutes after; witness was certain Pesach had bis overcoat on bin when they got back from the aetna positive he had on the same clothes when returned that he wore when you left him? A. Yes, | sir, the same. @ Did he tell of the dream he had? A. On Tuesday might he told of this dream in father’s store: it was in daytime he told of it—not night—between ten and eleven o'clock | I heard of it and said, “Pesach, did you have adream?” He said, “Yes; he told me he hada between ten and eleven o’clock on Monday might, and be ‘saw Sara ip a dream, and she told bim | was lying ten miles from tbe city, dead;” there were no further questions asked; she said that | ‘she wanted bim to see that she should be buried, aither by him or any one else,” he only spoke of his Fag once; | never saw Sara alter she lelt my tather’s | OUBE, HOW THE BODY WAS DISPIGURED. Dr. A. W. Shepard, who made the post-mortem ex- | amination of the body of the deceased, testiliea that in | connection with Drs. Simms, Brady, Gieavy and Nesbitt, | he made the examination at the Morgue; on the tace,hair | and upper portions of the body he found clotted blood ; on the ieft hand they found an incised wound, and on the left thumb and on the second joints of the second and third fingers extending to the bone, also a superii- | rai incised wound extending through the skin on the | anterior surface of the left wrist about three inches in | Jength ; an incised wound extending to the bone on the back of the third fimger of right hand at the second int; an incised wound, two inches in length, extend. ing ‘through the lower lip just below the vermilion border; another incised wound, three mebes in length, just below the latter wound, extending to the right in a line with the | lobe of the right ear; another, a sweeping incision, | eight inches in length, througn the skin, muscles, trachea, @sophagus and all the vessels on’ the right side, dividing all the soft parts down to the spinal col- ump below the jaw and terminating at the centre of | the right ear; another on the left side, three inches in | Jength, below and in front of the left ear; examined the | internal organs: found the uterus, the womb, dis- tended with a child five and a half months advanced in uterine life; the other internal organs normal; brain and ite membranes healthy but bloodless; death re- @ulted trom the wounds in the throat; the death of the child was consequent upon the death of the mother, THE CONDUCTORS NAKKATIVE. Henry Leo was next sworn, and testified that he is conductor on the Broadway and East'New York cars; hhad seen P. N. Rubenstein, the prisoner; on Sunday night, December 12, about eight minutes past five o'clock, witness left the Grand street ferry with a girl in the car without any bat or covering for her head, which fact drew his attention to her; after getting up Broad- | way in the neighborhood of Ewen street she made some | peculiar movement with her arms, and supposing she | ‘wanted to get off there I stopped the car; she did not | rise, however, and the car started ‘ahead; paid no attention to her afer that till Kast New York was reached, when @ man got off while the car was in motion, and she got up from her | seat and came to the door, wanting to get off wit. nese caught ber by the arm and told her to wait ull the car stopped; she made the remark that ‘‘s ‘wanted to get off with that man;” after the car hi she got off; that was the last witness saw of her; did not notice the direction the man and woman ‘went; could not identity the prisoner; had seen the | prisoner but could not identify him. IDENTIFICATION OV THE PRISONER. Edward Bogkholta testified that he resides at East | New York, and is @ Varnisher; about five o'clock on the 12th inst, ‘he was crossing the Grand street ferry from New York, when he saw # young lady on the boat with- ‘out any hat on; she was walking behind a man; when ‘on the Williamsburg side he saw the woman again oh the front of the boat; witness then got gn ber adwoy car and saw the game man and woiman seated in the | car; the man got on first and the woman followed bim; the man sat down by the side of witness and the womah | sat down two or three seats further down, on the as side; wiiness subsequently got on the front plat- for® when at Broadway Park, leaving these peri still ip the seat; the si 1 shown me looks like th ‘one worn by the young lady; the man wore a soft bat | and had side whiskers, Q@ Look around the room and see whether you | identity the man you saw in the car? A. I am pretty | sure of it that the man before me looks something ike the man I saw in the car. [Lore witness pointed to Pesach N. Robenstein, who had been brought in a few moments before by Detectives Zundt and Butiea The | Prisoner, who looked simply ghastly, changed Lue from ‘@ livid white to a chestnut. ) | Augustus Taylor, of East New York, testified that he | got ona Broadway'car about five minutes past five | o'clock on Sunday nighta week ago; saw a lady come | ip without a bat, with aman following right alter ber; | the man took « seat about three seats away from her; | he turned his back toward her and remained looking | out of the window; when the car arrived at East New | York the man got up and left in a hurry; the followed. [The shaw! was idenuiied by ‘the witness as the one worn by the woman.) Sho bad on a black drese and a slate colored over- skirt; the articles shown were, he believed, those worn pe Art) the bad seen the body and identified it as being ‘of the woman he noticed in the car; he would not swear positively as to the identity of the man, as he sat sideways, with bis coat collar up about his ea hat a over his ey stage mae adjourned till Wednes- day aiternoon, at two o’c! INTERVIEW WITH RUBENSTEIN. Veeterday, while the inquest was in progress, a Bapsp revorier happened 0 encounter ong of bho tachés of Raymond Street Jail, and during the course conversation learned some facts about Rubenstein which decided him to pay a visit to the prison and in- terview Rabenstem’s fellow prisoner, a young man who is confined on a charge of assault and battery. ‘The cell im which the alleged murderer ef Sara Alex- ander is confined is a small one on the first Wer, close to the tron gate that separates the prisoners from the other partof the prison. It is emall, with two beds and no other furniture. When the reporter arnved Ruben- stein was stretched lengthwise on the bare floor, his head being toward the cell door, Ho was apparently fast asleep, and failed to move as the re- | porter commenced his conversation with the other | prisoner. The latter came quickly forward upon being addressed, and after prefacing his remarks by saying that he did not wish to be “given away”—that is to say, hedid not desire to be called as a witness—pro- ceeded to tell what he knew in relation to his fellow un- fortunate, “Well,” said he, after bargaining with the reporter to keep his “name out of the newspapers,” ‘“Ruben- stein has been complaining lately of feeling very ill. Yesterday moraing he awoke us early by coughing vio- lently and spitting into the siuk here, After coughing some time he spat up some blood and groaned, This was about half-past eight. 1 called to the keeper and he came and let him ont. There is a doctor confined here on a charge of aban- donment, and he was called, The keepers walked Rubenstein up and down the corridor, aud the doctor examined his pulse, which beat from about seventy-five to eighty, which is healthy. The doctor, after exatnin- ing him, said that inside he was all right; that th Dlood might have come from his teeth or, if he bit it, from his tongue, but bis condition interiorly was all right.” ‘RevoxreR—Well, what else do you knew? Prisosek—He pretends not to be able tospeak much English, but sometmes be speaks as well mor I When the papers arrive here he takes them suddenly from out of my hand and commences to spell out te words, being most anxious to see what they say about him. ‘When he gets tired of this he hands the papers back and wants us (the other prisoner in here and me) to read to him, which we do. Yesterday, after seeing the papers, he asked me about the penalties attaching to the different degrees of murder and wanted to know what the different de- grees were, Hesaid, “What is the penalty tor the first degree, what for the second and what for the third?’ T told him tbat for the first degree it was hanging, for the second imprisonment for life, aud that there was uo third degree of murder. He then asked me about THE DIFFERENT DRGRERS OF MANSLAUGHTER, and 1 gave him what information | could. When 1 asked him what he thought of the murder, the speaker continued, he said, striking the iron door with his hand, “lam just a’ hard as that,” meaning that be was “solid” in regard to it He don’t eat anything but coarse brown bread; he refuses everything else m the shape of food, aud wows that ifany one woula come to him and say that they would open the coll door. give him freedom and make him President of the United States he would not eat anything else except brown bread. Rerorter—How about his sleep—does be sleep well? Prisoner—No. He is very disturbed in his sleep. He is often awake and frequently has troubled dreams. He prays constantly—incessanuly—and he prays in a most peculiar way. The prisouer here attempted to describe Rubenstein’s manner of praying, but laughed and gave it up in con- fusion. PRisongR—A gentleman came here the other day, and, talking of the murder, asked him if he didn’t feel sorry; he replied, ‘No, she feels sorry,” meaning the deceased, “but men aon’t feel sorry.” Evidently, said the prisoner, he didn’t understand him. 1 asked bim if he saw the girl on the Sunday of the murder, and he said he did. I asked him several times, and particularly about this, and he said the same thing. I asked him where he saw her, and he said he could nov remember. l asked bim how often he went to the synagogne, and he replied every morning at six o’clock and again in the evening. Went to the synagogue on Monday, and alter that Ue visited some partics on Canal street and on Division street Last night, added the reporter's in- formant, Rubenstein was up twice. He was very much disturbed in his sicep, and awoke us both several times. think he’s guilty, myself, and that be ought to swing. Sometimes be understands all we say to him; at other times he pretends not to comprehend one word. He thinks altogether of his prayers. He shook hands with both of us when be was put in here tirst, and asked us as a particular favor not TO KEEP 10M FROM HiS PRAYERS, He takes. a match and lights it and prays by the sul- bur peat this point Rubenstein commenced to move, and other prisoner called him. He looked up. “What do you do with the mateb when you pray?” asked the other prisoner, for the edification of the re- rer. peRubenstein looked wildly around, as if he didn’t un- derstand, when his prison chum took him by the arm thi roughly aud said, “Ob you know what I mean; none of | your humbug.” Rubenstein endeavored to explain, but lost himself in his broken English, and the other prisoner gave up the effort im disgust. ‘Come here, then, and talk to the reporter: he can do you good in the public prints; do you bear?” Rabe: he felt very Rerortek—Well, Rubenstein, do you know of any other man who Was in the habit of gomg out with Sara? RUBENSTRIN—No. RerokTer—Did you see any one go out with her on that Sunday ? RupexstEww—No. Revortex—How is it you don’t eat anything but brown bread ? Rowenxsrein—VYou might cat me up in pieces before 1 would eat. All! want is what’s right. ‘The other prisoner here asked him if he hoped they would find the man that murdered Sara? Rupsnstsiy (eagerty)}—Yes. Al) [| want is my rights. T am Just as solid as that (striking the iron door) and al) I want ts my rights, Keeper Stinson, upon letting the reporter out, told him that Kuvenstein was starving himself—literally starving himself “He won't eat anything but that coarse brown bread and drink water. You cansee that he’s half dead in appearance now. His counsel, Kintzing and Mott, come here and talk to him and he talke good enough English; but when any other person attempts to converse with bit about the mur- der or anything else he can't speak plain His Jewieh friends come here and say that a Jew was never hung, and that if he i guilty he’ll never hang aJew. I wus . came upand told the reporter that | given to understand,” remarked the keeper, ‘that he would be compelled by bis Jewish friends and relations to turn Catnolic betore big execution. He will hardly live to be executed, if he keeps on eating what he eats now.” Dr. Shepard, the physician of the jail, has Ruben stein in charge, and carefully attends to bis ailments. The prisoner always wears his bat, and sleeps with it on his head, iv accordance with some orthodox re- quirement of his religion. He wears his bair cut very short about the forehead and behind, but long at each side, which, be says, “is for heaven. POLITICAL NOTES. An exchange utters a truism when jt says in connec- tion with the whiskey ring frauds:—This is a great, broad country, and it is so thoroughly encompassed with ‘rings’ that the emigrant does not place both feet on our soil without gotting one foot at least in one of the rings.” ‘The Pittaburg Gazette (administration republican) re- marks that it “is strange this enforced resumption should be 80 persistently urged.” It will be interesting to those democratic aspirants | proceeding {rom persons very THE GALLOWS IN LONDON. HENRY WAINWEIOHT EXECUTED FOR THE MUR- DER OF HARRIET LANE—THE CONVICT'S ANTE- CEDENTS——A CHRISTIAN REFORMER. To-day, Tuesday, December 21, the convict, Henry Wainwright, will be executed in London, in accordance with the sentence passed upon him by Chief Justice Cockburn, for the murder of Harriet Lane, a woman whom he had deceived and rained and who bad borne him several children, It was a horrible murder, the body being mutilated by the murderer, who attempted to carry the pieces in a cab through the city with a view tw their ultimate concealment, THE MURDER OF HARRIET LANE. Henry Wainwright was found guilty of the murder of hig mistress, Harriet Lano, and his brother Thomas of being an accessory aitor the fuct. The trial has for nine days filled the columns of the London pa- pers, the Standard of last Wednesday devoting sixteen to the report of the summing up of the Lord Chief Jus- tice, Sir Alexander Cockburn, Your readers are proba- bly tamiliar with the DETAILS OF THE Casi but it may be interesting, now that the lights are out snd.the caveats down, to tell the story brielly, as fol- jows :— Henry Wainwright was in the brush trade in the Whitechapel road, m the East End of London; that vast district teeming with a dense population, which to the West Enders is almost a terra a je was, & man very decidedly superior in culture to the average of those among whom he dwelt and pursned vooa- tion; of some education and with a talent for reciting and lecturing. His business did not prosper; he lost a val- uable contract, and finally he became bankrapt. His place of business in the Whitechapel road, a warehouse, was closed, ana all the furniture removed to satisfy bis creditors, with the exception of & mattress and boister, His habits had brought ruin upon him, and he found it impossible to support his wife and children, his wis- tress and hers, Harriet Lane and her children were living with a Miss Wilmore, who became Harriet’s de- voted friend. THK VICTIM AT HIS PLACE OF BUSINESS. On September (1, 1874. Harriet Lane went to the ace of business of Wainwright by appointment. He ad sent her some money, and she had been able to get her things out of pawn. She left Miss Wilmore and her children, and seemed in high spirite and hopeful ot a speedy return. ‘SHE WAS NEVER APTERWARD SEEN ALIVE, A year passed, during which many and carnest in- quiries were made by the missing Woman's friends and relatives, Telegrams and letters were received by Wainwright, who showed them to Miss Willmore, from aman named Frieake, stating that Harriet had gone away with him to the Continent. Thomas Wainwright | was the personator of Frieake 'n this and the other de- vices by which the two brothers conspired to lull the inquiries made. A HORRIBLY DISCOVERY. On the 11th of last September, the very day of the month on which Harriet Lane had disappeared a year | ago, ull London was startled by a horrible tale of the discovery in a cab, in the possession of a man, of two large parcels containing eleven fragments of a female human body. The man was Henry Wainwright. A | four wheeled cab drove along the Whitechapel road; in it was @ tnan, @ Woman and two large parcels, Breath- Jess, and like a bloodhound on the trail, another man followed the cab through the crowded streets. “Stop that cab, for God’s sake!” “Man, you are mad!” Such were the oniy words uttered by the pursuer to | two policemen whom he met, and such was their reply. The cab stopped on the other side of London Bridge; | the pursuer was close behind. He bad hunted his quarry to ite lair, Two other policemen, struck by the | man’s excited manner, observed the cab, Out of it | | came the hirer with his parcels and made toward the | doorof an old house known as the ‘Hen and Chick- | ens."’ He was arrested inside the house, ‘Two hun- dred pounds if you will Jet me go and say nothing!" he | exclaimed to the policemen. He was iirmly secured and the parcels examined, The mau was Henry Wain- wright, his companion was Alice Day, one of the | “ladies of the ballet,” and in the parcels were the re- | mains, hewn in eleven pieces, of Harriet Lane, | THE GRAVE. He had dug in the rear part of his warehouse a shal- low grave and lined it with chlomde of lime, All being ready, he had imveigied Harriet Lane to the | place, shot her twice through the head, Cut her throat and buried her. Bankruptcy came, and the premises | were to pass out of Wainwright’s hands. A dreadful | odor pervaded the place and was noticeable in the neighborhood. The murdered body must be moved. THE SCHNE IN COURT was most impressive and the streets ontside were blocked with crowde of that class of persons to whom a murder trial is as a theatre. And, indeed, 1t was a ter- rible drama enough, the story of which had been told | within the walls, at which the excited mob stood star- | | mg. What shail we say of the ladies, delicate, high | | born ladies, many of them, who, to use the words of a | | sarcastic coutemporary, ‘intrigued for stalis at the | | Theatre Royal Olid Bailey?” After the verdict the prisoner Henry delivered the following REMARKABLE SPEKCB. “I should like to make one or two observations, | which shall be very short indeed, 1 have lirst to ex- presé my deep obligation for the untiring energy and ability of my counsel during this protracted trial I | thank him, and all who have assisted him, deeply. My | thanks are due to the many, many friends who have, with such prompt alacrity, come forward and given me | their valuable and substantial assistance. I have not | been abie to reply to them personally, but—” | The Lord Chief Justice—1 cannot allow a speech to be | | made. SENTENCED. The Lord Chief Justice sentenced the prisoner to | death by hanging | STARTLING REVELATIONS EXPECTED. A variety of extraordinary rumore are still afloat in London upon this snbject, and among othore is one likely to be well in- formed upon the subject, to the effect that if Thomas G. Wainwright bad been acquitted altogether, as was considered not at all improbable from the leniency of the sumining up of the Lord Cluef Justice, which was certainly very favorable, he ipiended to have avowed that he was the murderer of Harriet Lane, and that his brother Henry was innocent. This avowal would not have involved any personal peril, because having been | acquitted of the erime be could not have been tried | for office in the approaching Pennsylvania Legisiature | to know that the democratic members of the Leg’ lature, at the eastern end of the State, held a caucus a few days since, at which it was determined to elect an | entire new jist of officers for the House when it assem- bles in January. The Springfield (11l.) Journai (republican) accuses Mr. nger, author of the anti-third term resolution, of wing been Adjutant General of the Knights of the Golden Circle for the State of lilinots. Parson Brownlow, in his Kuoxville Whig, thinks the war will have to be begun over again where General Grant bef jt at the Appomattox apple tree in case a democrat be elected next President. Tne Ottumwa (Iowa) Courter (republican) suggests that “4t would not be a bad move to sandwich in among the democratic resolutions ope declaring that they will never again rebel against the will of the people, ex- pressed at the polis in the election of @ President.’ The Dayton (Ohio) Democrat thinks it would bea popular thing forthe democrats in the House to pass an income tax bill, It was too bard work to get rid of the old one. THE BLACKWELL'S ISLAND MURDER. Yesterday the Grand Jury bad under consideration » the death of Matthew Creery, who was murdered on | Blackwell’ Island on the morning of November 26. A large number of witnesses were summoned, among whom were Warden Fox and Police Captain Williams; also two who were not brought up at the Coroner's in- imony of whom pointed clearly against the two prisoners who robbed the watch- man’s lodge of twenty-eght cents, and who also stole one of tne island guard boats and proceeded to Long Iviand City, where they procured liquor, and retarned. Jt is believed that both of these men will be indicted for the murder. Gray is now confined in the House of De- tention awaiting the action of the Grand Jury. Jones is still on the sland baving about two months yet to | serve. AN ALLEGED FORGER ARRESTED. Night before last Detective Haggerty, of Newark, N. J., arrested Mortimer fT. Clark at a place calle Ale well, in the Orange Mountains, Clark is accused of forgery, its resulte amounting in the aggregate to about $3,000," His erimes are alleged to have been committed in Utica, Rome and Oneida, in this State, A requisition | was obtained, and the prisoner te detained at Police Meadquarvera, ia baie ova 4 second time for the second offence. Whether or not | any such admiseion will yet be made by him remains to be seen, but up to the present time he bas not said a word with reference to the crime for which his brother is to suffer, It appears, however, to be the general | opinion that some startling revelations will yet be made with reference to thts unparalleled crime. ‘The proceedings terminated at a few minutes before five o'clock, and one of the most remarkable murder | cases was ai an end HARRIET LANE’S CHILDREN. {Stratford (Dec. 4) correspondence of London Globe.) The appearance of Harriet Lanc’s children proves | that, however their protector may have been pinched, they were never allowed to want for anything. Plump, clean, merry and neatly dressed these poor | bairne frojicked around the room, evidently 1 the best of health and spirita Not on them yet rests a shadow | of their mother’s dishonor or their father’s crime, | Sitting on my knee, and trying in vain to fix my eye- | glass in hor eye, Beatrice was full of the grand doings they hud on Guy Fawkes Day, “Real fireworks, you | know; squibs and crackers and a bonfire; and then—we bung Guy.”’ A very charming child, this sunny-haired daughter of a murderer; so charming that several | offers of adoption have already been made to the kindly | an (Miss Wilmore) whom she and her sister call | parama.’? THE GREENACRE AND MURDERS, (From the British Medical Journal December 4.] This remarkable case (Wainwright's) resembles that of the woman Brown, for the murder of whom a man named Greenacre was tried and convicted in 1837. On | thie occasion the body of the murdered woman was cut into three portions—the head was found at Pad- | dington, the trunk in the east of London and the limba six woeks afterward in the district of Camberwell, The identity of the body was clearly made out, in spite of | this aitempt to defeat justice i MANNING | In the Wainwright cuse the evidence shows that an attempt bad been made to dispose of the body by bury- | ing it under the floor of a room, a quantity of chloride | of lime being thrown over it and freely mixed with the | earth of the grave. This was the mode in which the | Mannings, husband and wife, disposed of the body & man named O'Connor, of whose murder they were convicted at the Centra Criminal Coyrt in 1849 oy ed phar INFANTICIDE OR NEGLECT? Coroner Woltman held an Tiqueet yesterday on the body of the ebild of a woman named Mary Tansey, who was found dead, under suspicious circumstances, in the | cellar of No. 21 Park row, on'the 18th of Novereber laut, The testimony of B. D. Thompson, of No. 21 Park row, | showed that Mary Tansey bad been, somd two months previous, a servant in his employ, and on the 18th ult | she came to the funeral of his danghter, at nis res | ¥ When Mr. Thompson returned from the ceme- | idence, tery he found her in bis cellar, and near ber was the body of a ebild, lying on a bag, with a loosely tied | handkerchief arownd ite neck, The woman acknowl- | to him Uvat she wag the mother of the child, and | safd that ft bad been dead over an hour, and she had | ted thre handkerchief around ite neck in order to enable | her to carry jt with more facility. She also told him that she intended to go to a lying-in asylum, but going to the funera) had hastened the birth of the child, Patrolman Flynn, of the Fourth precinct, was then called in, and to biin Mary denied having strangled the child. | Dr. W. A, Jayne, of the Chambers Street Hospital, was sent for, and, according to hie testimony at the inquest, when be arrived the child had been dead only ashort time; the umbilical cord was not tied, but torn at a distance of about a foot from the abdomen. Deputy Coroner Cashman testified that he had exam- | ined the body of the deceased; there were no marks of violence on it; in bi® opinion the child was born alive The verdict of the jury was ‘That said child came to hor death by neglect on the part of its mother, Mary Tansey, at No. 21 Park row, November 18, 1876.’ ‘The mother was sent to the House of Detention, where she will remain until she furnishes $600 bail, | | whigh she will do to-day. \ | 8. C., May 20, 1862, and Ji | 14, 1862; Antietam, Md., September 17, 1862; Freder- | home with it ive complete stands captared from the | Confederates. | Run, Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Glendale, Malvern Hill, | Wiederboid, C. Von Gerichten and John H. Klatthaar, | Bayer, | ing the wat, NATIONAL GUARD TROUBLES. | EFYORTS BEING MADE TO SAVE THE SEVENTY- | NINTH-—SKETCHES OF THE DISBANDED REGI- MENTS. ‘The excitement in National Guard circles over the dismemberment of the four regiments mentioned in yesterday’s Hxxatp is om the increase, Very many who saw the despatch from Albany in Sunday’s papers im reference to the matter did not fully credit it until they ww Colonel Gilon’s statement in yesterday’s HxKaup, Immediately on hearing the news Colonel! Laing, of the Seventy-ninth regiment, visited a namber of the wore influential and prominent officers of his command and consulted with them as to the proper steps to be taken, It was very soon decided that the Colonel should go to Albany and see the Goy- ernorand the Adjutant General in person, and leave no stone unturned whereby the revocation of the lat- ter’s order might be effec Accordingly Colonel Laing took the eight o’clock train yesterday morning, and will not return to the city until he bas exhausted every means in his power to save his regiment, The general impression, however, is that theAdjutant General will stand by his order as issued, although strenuous ‘efforts will be made to have the Seventy-ninth and Enghty-fourth consolidated, provided Colonel Laing should not succeed in saving his command intact. The Adjutant General is known to oppose this idea, in consequence of which it ts pretty safo to say that the | men of each of the four regiments in question—the | Fifty-fifth, the Seventy-ninth, the Eighty-fourth and the Ninety-sixtn—will very soon cease to be members of the National Guard of the State o1 New York. The disbandment proper will, it is thought, take place in about two weeks, the arms and equipments being turned over to the ordnance oificer in charge of ther State arsenal, in Seventh avenue. Tn view of the fact that those who now know theso regiments will, ere long, know them no more, a brief sketch of each will not now be out of place, | The Seventy-ninth, or Highlanders, as it used to be | called, was organized in 1868 by a number of Scotch residents of this city. In the course of a very short time its rolls became well filled, and it soon took rank among the best regiments of the State. The Scotch, or Highland dress worn by the men, consisting of kilt, sporran, bonnet, hose, spats, shako and feather, attracted a great deal of attention whenever the regi- ment was paraded, and excited no end of enthusiasm among the Scottish portion of the community. On the 15th day of April, 1861, the regiment offered its services to the general government to aid in sup pressing the rebeliion. The offer was accepted, and on the 2d of June of the same year the gallant Highlanders, 1,012 strong, left New York for the national capital, ‘The regiment was then under command of Lieutenant Colonel 8. M. Elliott, and before embarking was marched up Fifth avenue to the residence of Mr. Cameron, & brother of the then Secretary of War, where it was presented with a stand of handsome silk colors, On arriving at Washington the regiment was quartered in the buildings of Georgetown College. On the 18th of June Colonel Cameron joined and took charge of the regiment, baving been appointed its commandant by the Secretary of War. The tirst op- portunity the regiment had of smelling powder or list- ening to the music of the Minté ball was afforded by the skirmish at Blackburn's Ford on the 18th of July. Three days later the Scots went into the memorabie battle of Bull Run, and bistory records that they con- ducted themeelves in a becoming manner. Here it was that their intrepid colonel met a glorious death while | gallantly leading a charge, the second headed by him on that dreadful day, The regiment lost in this en- gagement 198 men, killed and wounded. Unhke many other malivia regiments, the Seventy- ninth enlisted for “three years or during the war.’’ After getting back to Washington from Bull Run it wns stationed on Arlington Heights, near the Chain | Bridge. On the llth of September a reconnoissance was made out toward Leesburg and at Lewinsville the “Johnny Rebs’? were met and gave the Seventy-ninth a lively littie tussle. A few months later the regiment went with General T. W. Sherman to Port Royal, and while on this eervice participated in the battles of Coosaw River, January 1, 1862; Pocotaligo Bridge, nes Island, 8. C., June 16, 1862, Returning from this expedition the command landed at Newport News, in Hampton Roads, for the purpose of reinforcing McClellan, He, however, bad already retreated to Harrison’s Landing, so the High- landers were re-embarked and conveyed to Arquia Creek, from whence they proceeded to join Pope at Fredericksburg. The famous retreat from this place to Manassas and the two days’ fight there on August 29 and 30 was warmly participated in by the Scotchmen. At Chantilly on September 1, 1862, the regiment lost heavily from the murderous fire of the Confederates, and were doomed to see that magnificent soldier, their former colonel and then division commander, General Isaac 1, Stevens, fall mortally wounded while waving the Seventy-ninth colors over his head in an endeavor to rally the boys to a charge. General Stev- ens was the sixth tan who had been killed while hold- ing that same flag. South Mountain, Md., September icksburg, Va, December 13 and 14, 1862; Vicksburg, Miss., July 4, 1863; Jackson, Miss. July 10 to 17, | 1803; Blue Springs, Tenn., Oclober 10, 1863; Campbell Station, Tenn., November 16, 1863, were successively passed through, the regiment by this time Laving been reduced to less’ than 200 men all told, But it was at the defence of Knovilie, Tenn., Nov. 29, 1863, that the Scoteh regiment covered iteelf with glory. It wasat this time defending, together with Battery E, Second United States artillery, what was known as Fort Saunders, the key to the position held by Burnside. On the day above montioned two brigades ot Confederates undor Gordon, of Georgia, assaulted this fort with the utmost fury. The three lines of telegraph wire stretched from stump to stump in front of the fort served to break the enemy's line as it came sweeping up, but this checked them but for # moment, and then on they came again, notwithstanding the sons of Bruce and Wallace poured upon them a deadiy and incessant storm of lead. At one time there were eight stands of Confederate colors upon the top of the works, but now the bayonet was | Wrought into use, and soon the intrepid fellows who | had so bravely stormed the place were either all killed, captured or dispersed. The Seventy-ninth took three stands of colors in this engagement. | ‘The regiment was now transferred, with the Ninth | corps, to the Army of the Potomac, aud shared with | Grant the glories of that campaign which began at the | Wilderness, and only ended with Lee’s surrender on the 9th of April, 1865. ‘This, then, ig the history of a regiment which it is proposed to blot out of existence, that the city and county of New York may be saved an expense of $8,000 or $10,000 a yeur, Its present commander, Colonel Joseph Laing, served with the regiment during the en- tire war, and wae wounded no fewer than seven times. ‘The regiment never once lost its colors, but brought The following is a list of the officers as shown by the last report of the Adjutant General:—Colonel, Joseph Laing; Adjutant, Thomas D. Hughes; Surgeon, James | Norvel; Chaplain, Stitier Merritt, Jr. Captains—Whlliam ©. Clark, Alonzo Dutch, Joseph Ross, William A. De- you, William Lindsay and John H. Munroe, THE FIPTY-PIPTH REGIMENT. This regiment—one of the doomed—was organized about fifty years ago as the Garde Lafayette. Ten years later it was designated as the Fifty-fitth regi- ment, New York State militia The regiment was mustered into the United States service August 28, 1861, RK. de Trobriand then commanding. A few months jater it was consolidated with the ‘Thirty-eighth = N York volunteers, a regiment organized in this city. De Trobriand assumed command of the consolidated organization, The regi- | ment parucipated in the following battles:—Bull burn’s Ford, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, Fred: It was what was | Bla ericksburg and Chanceliorsyilie, known ag & two years’ rogiment—that is, it enlisted for two years. Tbe officers now serving in the com- | papd are as follows :—Coionel, Edward Gilon; Lieuten- nt Colonel, Francis A. Schilling; Major, Sebastian Zusehlag; Adjutant, Louis A. Jackson; Quartermaster, William H. Quincy; Surgeon, Gilford R. Morse; Assist- apt Surgeon, Valentine Schreiner, Captains—Soobodine Merinsky, Francie J. Wokals, Albert Marrer, Frederick Fieischbein, Jacob Hay, Joho Lieutenants—Frederick Gebhard, Gustave Moehring, Charles First Alting, Henry ©. Bertrand, Jonn Ross and George M. Berge. Second Lieutenants—Joseph B. Paper, George F. Giminder, John Von Gerichten, Charles H. Weyer, Will- jam Polge, Caries Borrer, Jokm P. Hay and Joba “2 THE RIGHTY-POURTH REGIMENT, Tegiment, ag the =‘ Ninety-eixth, ait 8 home guards dure and they filled that pore in the mort gallant manner possible. jelow will be found a list of officers of the Eighty-fourth :—Colo- nel, Frederick A. Conkling; Lieutenant Colonel, Law- Yenee C, Beattie; Major, Charles C. Conklin; Quarter. master, Charles Birch; Surgeon, Frank L. Satterlee; ‘Aseigtant Surgeon, Charles K. Kreizer; Chaplain, Alval Wiswell. captains—Ell Taylor, James Douglas, Joseph Mc- Kinley, James Kerr, John Fullerton, William H. Head, cis C. McCready and George Cartwright, First Liewtenants—Charles Birch, Alvert J. Calling, Charles Hankinson, Thomas Laba, Jobn ©. Major, Henry Guy, Otuwell Heginbotham and Willam A, G, Hootan. Second Lieutenants—Charles Butterfield, Benjamin J. Bradshaw, Alexander D. Gardiner, James G. K. Washburn, William Campbell and Andrew RK, Gibson, ‘THE NINRTY-SIXTH REGIMENT. The following is a complete list of oMfcers of tho Ninety-#ixth regiment:—Colonel, Andrew Stauf; Lieu- tenant Colonel, Peter Hammer; Major, Frederick Kioeppel; Adjutant, Max Ebler; Quartermaster, Conrad Taucher; Surgeon, Albert Schutt; Assistant Surgeon, Julius H. Tyndale; Chaplain, Frank R. Lawrence, Captains—Charlos Moebring, Francis Koehiberger, Richard Vabrig, John Scheider, Frank Rodenbur; — Seeman, William Kiefer, John Kopt and ado, W. Mey This was organized liek. First Lieatenants—Conrad Scbullian, August €, Hor- nan, Conrad Hangioiver, and Edwin Herrnig. ‘Second Lieutenants—Max Frohwein, Alfred Kitterlee, Albert Wallack, John Langer, William Kruger and Au- guat Burger. SALE OF A UNITED STATES STEAMER. ‘The United States steamor Delaware will be sold at auction, by order of Vice Admiral Rowoe* at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, on Tuesday, Dewombs | goods on hand, probably amounting | Russia, whose baggage with his wife THE NORTH RIVER BULKHEADS. PRELIMINARY BEPORT OF THE EXAMINING EN- GINEERS, The engineers appointed by the Mayor to examine | and report upon the King and Canal street bulkhead wall—Mesars, Newton, Gilmore and Worthen—have made a preliminary report, the principal points of which are as follows :— We have now, with the aid of divers, made thorough examinations of all the exposed faces of both bulk- hi the examination of unportant points being by two divers at different times, thereby checking their ports, The water has been pumped out of the cais- n and the shaft at King street, and we have made a personal examination of the exterior face and centre of the wall We have also had a shaft sunk in the ntre of the Canal street wall and bave had a caisson constructed there in which we are making trial of con- erete construction, under, a8 nearly as poasible, the fame conditions a3 those under ‘which the bulkhead was made, We are also having experiments made of the comm rative set and strength of concrete of Portland and osendale cements, in the position and under the cir- cumstances obtaining in the construction of the bulk- head, All these experiments require time for the set- ting of the cement and are at present incomplete, We cannot, therefore, at present give a full answer to all the queries proposed; but im auswer to your first inte ry, “the facts as to the condiions of such struc- tures, together with Narod opinion as to their safety and durabthty,’’ we would respectinily report that from all our examinations we find that the mode of construction adopted, in connection with the details, appliances and materials used, is uncertain in its results. We havetound that the component parts of the con crete have settled in layers or strata, with varying pro- portions of cement; that the broken stone and sand are in excess at the bottom of the layer aud the cement at the top; that the cement has washed out and deposited itself as laitance, in combination with the soil in the water, in layers by themselves, presenting the appearance of seams between the different layers of concrete, or of pockets im spaces in the concrete, bg | portions of the wall we find strong, with a good set, but the faces almost invariably weak and the set impertect; but we do not find any but the shghtest settlement or delignment of the wall, nor is it probable that either of these will increase to any injurious or unsightly extent while the bulkheads remain under their present conditions without back filling; but be- fore the earth filling is put in behind the walls we should propose some further protection against the thrust outward of the embankment, Whatever of weakness there may bo in the present structures we think it may be remedied without any” removal of structure or any large expenditure, We would propose, at any rate, to leave it as it is for the present, We do not wish to be understood as condemning as a system the method.of constructing submarine masonry by passing froshly mixed concrete through and de- bagee Y itin the water, On the contrary, it 18 well nown that excellent work can be executed in that manner under suitable precautions in respect to the quality of the cement used, the proportions of the cement to the coarse ingrediénts, the kind of apparatus employed in laying itand the case with which it is operated, These criticisms will be set forth more fully in their final report, and tn the meantime they suggest that nothing be done toward completing those portions of the walis for which the pile foundation has been wholly or partially prepared. THE CANAL BOAT QUESTION. MEETING OF THE COMMITTEES OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND PRODUCE EX- CHANGE, The committees of the Chamber of Commerce and Produce Exchange held a joint meeting yesterday morning for conference on the question of removing | the canal boats from Coenties slip to the foot of Gan- sevoort street, North River. There were present Messrs, P. M. Spofford, Z. W. Blunt and James S. T. Stranahan, representing the committee of the Chamber of Oom- merce, and Messrs. W. H. Philips, Benjamin W. Floyd, Franklin Edson and L. N, J. Stark, of the Produce Ex- change, Mr. Blunt opened the conference and stated that he was in favor of the resolution reported from the Chamber of Commerce at its meeting in June last, Tho resolution was as follows:— Whereas in the judgment of this Chamber the towing of the canal boats und barges down the North River and around the Battory is not only unnecessary, but adds much to the hazard of navigation; therefore, Resolved, That the Dock Commission be requested to con- struct a breakwater and piers on the North Kiver, between Gansevoort street and Twelfth street, on property belonging to the city, for the sole use of canal boats and barges. Mr. Blunt approved the suggestion, but did not sup- port a compulsory iaw. ‘The committee then went into a general conversation on the matter, and the sentiment of the Produce Ex- change was stated to be totally opposed to the removal. ‘The canal interests, the grain and flour interests and the banking interests have centred around Coenties slip, and a8 one member emphatically declared, it would be like turning the city upside down to move these boats to Gansevoort street, North River. 1t was further said that the expense of building a breakwater would be very great, and this was nota time for any increase of expenditure that could be possibly avoided. The committee will report to the Chamber of Commerce next Wedhesday at two P. M. CUSTOM HOUSE SEIZURE, A. DE GRIEFF & ©O., OF BROOME STREET, CHARGED WITH UNDERVALUATION OF TRIM- MINGS. Since Tuesday last the establishment of A. De Grieff & Co,, Nos. 489-498 Broome strect, has been in the hands of tho seizure department of the Custom House, the charge being an undervaluation of trimming goods valued at from $40,000 to $50,000, Some six weeks ago the Collector of the Port received the first intimation of the alleged undervalution and placed the matter in the hands of Deputy Collector Phelps, who having thor- oughly examined all the particulars, concluded that the allegation had been well founded, and placed Deputy | Surveyor Nichols and a sufficient number of officers in charge of the premises of the firm and tho large stock of goods therein, The object of thts was as well for the seizure of goode for forfeiture as to secure from the firm a bond for protection until such time as the trial of the case should come before the courts, The law in casos like this is that the goods un- dervalued in the invoices presented at the Custom House shall be seized and forfeited; and not only this, but under the Moiety act a fine, for each particular fraudulent transaction, of not more than $6,000 nor less than $50, may be imposed by the Court. The Collector is also authorized, m order to secure the bond, to seize goods to double the amount of the extreme limit of the Penalty, which in this case would be about $450,000, in the case of De Grieff & Co. there was a full stock of in value to $600,000, so that there can be no doubt of the ability of the firm to mect the requirements of the law. It LN a that the frm will Ole the required bond to-day, CUSTOM HOUSE NOTES. A large number of visits were received yesterday by General Arthur from friends who came to congratulate him on his reappointment as Collector of the Port. Ho likewise received a large number of letters to the same effect. The news of of his reappointment gives general atisfaction among Castom House employés of all polit- ical stripes and grades, ‘The only seizure made yesterday was that often | cases of wine, by the French Transatlantic steamship Pereire and which it appears were not on the manifest of said vessel. A good deal of contraband work is re- ported to be carried on by the crews of these French steamships. There was A good deal of speculation as to what steps Secretary of the Treasury Bristow will take with refer- ence to the false oath alleged to have been taken by Mr. Mason Hirsch, of Philadelphia, passenger by tho was seized by Deputy Surveyor General Nichols and Inspectors Eagan and Carroll, the latter two of whom it is said he at- tempted to’ bribe with a present of $100. Customs officials state that if Hirsch is not held for perjury and attempted conspiracy the sworn declaration of pas- befsigea as to coy ey or bgecmiaeed contents of their baggage will, j page of unscrupulous people, henceforward be oa Phe Be rs FREE TRADE ALLIANCE. ‘There was an interesting meeting of the Interna. tional Free Trade Alliance last evening at No. 43 Wash- ington square. Tho President, Mr. Frederick H. Harri son, opened with a few remarks explanatory of the progress of the association; and Mr. Abrabam L, Karlo, the Secretary, followed. Mr. Earle read interesting letters from Mr. William Cullen Bryant, A. J, Lamo- reaux; Henry Bryan, of Grafton, W. Va; J. H. Jor- dan, of Chicago, and about eighteen others, in which the’ writers warmly indorsed the alliance. Mr. Urquhardt, of Nebraska, sent five new subscribers to the club, and there was, besides, cheering news from In the course of some interest- “legislation is an Wisconsin and Illinois. ing statements Mr. Earle said th obstacle to the growth of the coun he laid down several propositions, viduals of this country and the world are engaged in production; second, that makes a business necessity and the business of the world is to exchan hogan then the efforts of the country and world are to facilitate the exchange of those productions; third, while science and the mechanic arts are endea- yoring to facilitate these exchanges the legislation of the country and of the world is impeding all reciprocity. Therefore the mnstincts of the people are in advance of the government.” The journal of the International Free Trade Alliance, called the New Century, was cireu- lated among the members and freely discussed, The mooting Was called 10 report progress, and the mem- bers all seemed hopeful of great resulta. A HOBOKEN OPHELIA, Ellen Wood, of Hoboken, who was formerly @ resi- dent of the Hudson County Lunatic Asylam, has been again arrested asa Innatic for riding in cars, refusing to pay her fare and acting in an eccentric manner, Sho was committed yesterday to Uae Couuty Lunaie Asyluuy 4 WOMAN’S ADVENTURES. On the Sth inst., as Mr. Anton Pearse, proprietor ey the Carnolia Chemical Works, Long Island City, was crossing the East River, he was accosted by a young man who stated he was seeking employment as a farm hand, being satisfied to work for hts clothes and board. (Mr. Pearse told him he would give him better pay— namely, board, clothing and $8 per month. This was accepted, Board was obtained for the young man op Jackson avenue, He remained there until the follow- ing Friday, when he left, and, meeting bis employer, stated that his room was so overran by vermin that be ‘was obliged to leave. On Sunday onion he retarned for his clothing, when he was ace of denied the shares, it was proposed to search ‘him he ob- jected. He was finally compelled to the result being the discovery that the (young man? was a woman, and she was locked up, Ar- raigned before Recorder Purcells B evongen she gave her name as Alice Holmes, and told her story as ‘fol- 2, a shir, He lows:—Sho was born in Marios Mass. re- pectable parents. Ab the age of fourteen she married @ telegraph operator, Two months atter the birth of her first child, in consequence of unpleasant domestic re- lations, she left him. Unable to obtain employment she ‘Graaid ap nxaan, ‘and became a Lookkeeper in a coal office; her disguise being discovered she was obhged to leave the town. She went into the country and under the same guise worked e4 a farm hand. Tired of this she came to Brooklyn and engaged as a cabin boy on the vessel Argonaut, bound {or Jamaica, On the return trip she was guilty of some offence and was put in irons on bread and water; the second day sho man- aged to escape and came to New ‘ork. Afraid of being detected she engaged on m® sloop bound for Bridgeport. Daring = the severe cold weather, about a month ago, she was re- turning to New York on the sloop, loaded with stone, and when in Long Island Sound the captain was over: come with the cold and the management of the sloop devolved on her. She landed safely at the foot of ‘Thirty-second street, New York, when bye oe sought employment in New York. Unable to obtain any she determmed to look for work as a farm hand, when she met Mr, Pearse, She said the step she had taken might appear rading; ‘*but,’’ she remarked, as her dark eyes flashed fire," would sooner sacrifice my right hand than submit, for a livimg, to the whims of: any man,” She {s elghiecn years of age, about five feet eight Inches in height, with black eyes and hain and weighs 198 pounds. The Recorder discharged Alice on the promise that she would leave the city. BROOKLYN COMMON COUNCIL, WORKS—RAPID TRANSIT—INCREASE O} THE POLICE FORCE. Aregular meeting of the Brooklyn Board of Alder- city the chair, In expectation of a successor to Genera! Woodward in the Presidency of the Board of City Works being appointed, there was very large attend- ance in the lobby, A petition was recetved from prop- erty owners on De Kalb avenue who sustained loss by the bursting of the large water main, asking to be reim- | bursed, Referred to the appropriate committee, A communication was received from the Mayor, transmitting remonstrances (rom owners of property on the line of the proposed Rapid Transit Railroad, against what they consider a damaging process to their individual interests, and asking the privilege of being peat ‘hat they may state their grievances, Re- ferred, The name of Mr. James Murphy, of the Fourteenth: ward, was again sent in, despite the fact that that nomination had becn rejected December 6 by the Com- mon Council, for President of the Board of City Works. Alderman Strong hoped Mr. Murphy would be con- firmed, Alderman Kenna thought Mr. Murphy was not’ fitted for the office, though he might have an intimate knowledge of dry goods. ‘lhe tact was that Murpby was a fairfweathcr democrat, who had voted for the republican candidates Schroeder and Daggett at the late election. The nomination was rejected by @ vote of 10 in the affirmative and 23 in the negative, Alderman Bergen moved that the Corporation Coun- sel be instructed to draft an amendment to the charter which should raise the rate of incerest on tax certificates from ten to fifteen per cent and invest the city with the right to purchase property for the non-payment ot taxes, The motion was made the special order of business for next meeting. A communication was re- ceived from the Police Commissioners informing the Board that the existing police force was inadequato for the proper protection of the city. Accompanying this statement was a resolution authorizing an expenditure of $312,000 for an increase of 200 men. The commu-. nication and resolution were laid on the table until the next meeting. The Board then adjourned, THE EAST RIVER BRIDGE. Yesterday afternoon a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the East River Bridge was held at their office on Water street, Brooklyn, Senator H. C. Murphy inthe chair. The President was by resolution author- ized to pay the bills due the Champlain Blue Stone Company, the South Brooklyn Ptaning Company and’ other creditors, and to audit them as correct, and as soon as there may be sufficient money in the treasury to pay them. The bills of Edgar M, Cullen and Judge McCue, for legal services, were laid over for the pres- ent. It was stated that expenses had been reduced to: the minimum and all work had been suspended for the winter, HOW A STABLE WAS BURNED. Assistant Fire Marshal Hill held an investigation’ into the charge of incendiarism in the case of Dr. Guernsey’s stable, on West Twenty-second street, which was burned on Sunday afternoon, and elicited the facts which were published in yesterday's HeraLp. William A. Jones, the accused, made the same state ment which he made at the time of his arrest, with the additions that he, the coachman, John H. Jones, and another negro named Charley, who sometimes came to the stable, were in the habit of smoking pipes about the building, and that he had lost all his clothin; cept what garments he had on, by the fire, as, alone in the stable, asleep, when the fire broke out, and was awakened by the smell of smoke. When ho | Jumped-up he saw he could save nothing without assist- ‘ance and ran out to give the alarm. Jobn H. Jones, the coachman in the employ of Dr. Guernsey, testified that he allowed the prisoner to sleep: and keep his clothes in the stable, because he was out of employment; witness never knew the prisoner to- do anything wrong; witness sometimes smoked in the stable just before going out. Marshal Hill stated to a Henaxp reporter, after the examination, that he was of the opinion that there was | ty to apsad to prove William Jones to be the cause of the fire, The case will come up to-day before the Washingtow Place Police Court, 4 THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. To tug Eprror ov Tak Herarp:— ‘There are some inaccuracies in your account of the fire which occurred yesterday in a stable in the rear of! No. 166 Fifth avenue which I deem it due to the Fire Department to correct, if you will kindly aid me through your columns in doing so, I was sitting with my father in the dining room of our house, when J ob- served a volume of smoke and flame issuing from one of the upper windows of the stable referred to. It is opposite and within ten fect of our rear fence. I at once sounded the fire alarm to the District Telegraph Company, and within seven minutes a steamer and ladder truck were at hand and the fire was promptly extinguished. Itis alleged that the horses were re- moved before the firemen arrived. I saw one horse Jed out by Dr. Guernsey's coachman about five or ten minates: r the firemen came, and I believe that this ‘was the only animal in the stable at the time, It seems to me that the Fire Department deserves commonda- tion, instead of censure, for their prompt appearance at the fire and for the good judgment they showed in extinguishing it, And let me add that the police were early ou band and did excellent service. Very respect fully, JOHN W. DIX, No. 3 West Twenty-first street, THAWING OUT THE HYDRANTS, The Fire Department find it necessary to thaw out a large number of hydrants about the city, many being ~ frozen, The thawing is done by the means 0} sai, ST. THOMAS’ DAY. This is St, Thomas’ Day, and the shortest day in the year. In England and Wales and Scotland, and in some parts of Ireland, St, Thomas’ Day was formerly looked forward to by the poorer classes with antici- pations of relief, as the “beggars” have the privilege on the one day in the year of openly entering tho kitchens in large farm houses to obtain food and cloth- ing. In some places a very good cold lunch i spread, either in the kitchen or in the barn. “The beggars,” who come up in crowds, make their courtesy and stereo- typed speech—‘Please, mum, l’ve com ‘St. Thomis- ing,” and obtain as much as they can eat or From 400 to 600 people have been relieved at farin house, In some whero tho applicants are known to be wholly destitute, money 1s also given. The “beggars” rise at an early hour, and return at dark, having sometimes travelled many niles, loaded with’ provisions and clothing, which will last for some time, During the past ten years tho custom has not been folll ‘go much as in former years, but even at the present time, 1m the middie counties of England, this day will be welcomed by the poor, THE COTTON EXCHANGE. ‘A vote of the members of the Cotton Exchange was taken yesterday in regard to the advisablility of closing ‘the Exchange on Monday, December 27, and on Mon- day, January 3. The reason for the proposition is that the Cotton Exchange of Liverpool is closed on thore days. The members decided to close the Exchange on the first of the above mentioned days, but the motion on the latter was Jost by 93 to 60 votes. two-thirds boing required, = men was held yesterday afternoon, President Bergen in: