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Case File: Brown, Carrie née Montgomery (1891)
[Link to original] – Page 2, Column 7
IT IS YET A MYSTERY --- THE POLICE STILL AT SEA IN THE EAST RIVER HOTEL MURDER CASE
There was no startling development in the East River Hotel murder yesterday. The police seem to be absolutely at sea. They will say nothing, perhaps because they have nothing to say. They display an irritability that is in itself strong evidence that they are completely baffled.
The official statement made by Inspector Byrnes late Saturday night to the effect that he was almost satisfied that the perpetrator of the crime was a man known as “French,” a cousin of George Francis, also known as “Frenchy,” the last named now being in the hands of the police, is generally believed to have been what in police circles is called a “throw-off.” Byrnes as much as said that he would be able to put his hands on “Frenchy” as soon as he wanted him. He has not got him yet. If he believes “Frenchy” to be the murderer, and he can find him, why has he not done so?
Byrnes said, when he made the official statement, that he had not got “Frenchy,” the suspect, in custody. Many were inclined to believe that he did not have the man, for in the arrest of the suspect was found Byrnes’s only warrant for publishing him as a suspect. This belief, however, is effectually contradicted by the work that the policy did yesterday. Byrnes himself said yesterday that “Frenchy” had not been arrested. This and the statement that the descriptions of the murderer were conflicting, thus rendering identification extremely difficult, were the only statements that the Inspector would make for publication.
The manner in which the police are working is almost conclusive evidence that they are just where they started, so far as the actual capture of the murderer is concerned. They are simply pursuing a drag-net policy. Inspector Byrnes, Acting Inspector McLaughlin, Capt. O’Connor, a force of Central Office detectives, and a force of ward detectives, said to be forty in number, were scouring the lodging houses and resorts of the Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Wards. Every police precinct was ordered to search the lodging houses in its district last night. It is hoped that in the results of his wholesale search something of value may be brought out.
The man who is wanted is the man who went to the Glenmore Lodging House, at 2 o’clock on the morning of the murder, with blood on his hands, face, and clothing, and was refused a room because he had not money to pay for it. That man answered the description of the man who took the murdered woman into the East River Hotel, as he is described by Mary Miniter, the housekeeper at the hotel, and the only person yet found who saw the murderer and his victim on the fatal night.
Mysteriously as the police are moving, it is known that they made a number of arrests yesterday. Most of the prisoners after cross-examination were discharged. Two of the arrests may prove to be important. A German, whose name is unknown, was ataken from the steamship Philadelphia of the “Red D” Line, yesterday, and taken up to Police Headquarters. The Philadelphia arrived from Caracas Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock – the day of the murder. The arrested man answers the description of the murderer. He was one of the crew. The police refuse to speak of him and even deny his arrest.
The other arrest was made by a City Hall Park policeman. The prisoner was arrested simply because he resembled the description of the murderer given by Mary Miniter. After he had been cross-examined by Capt. O’Connor he was taken to Police Headquarters. The police denied that his arrest had anything to do with the murder.
The body of the old woman who was murdered has now been fully identified as Mrs. Carrie (or James) Brown. It will be buried in Potter’s field at once.
