Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1879 — ONE MORE LONDON MYSTERY [ARTICLE]

ONE MORE LONDON MYSTERY

Discovery of the Body of a Young Girl Murdered a Year Ago. Shortly after ten o'clock yesterday morning, May 9th, the inhabitants of Custom Square were alarmed at learning that a discovery had been made in one of the houses there, which may prove to indicate the commission of a horrible crime. The house No. 4 is the place in which the discovery was made. It is occupied by a German named Siwerin Bersendoff, and he has lived there for about three years. Before hat the house was occupied by Mr. Mills, a scalptor, and a Mrs. Taylor. Mr. Bersendoff has recently let off part of his house to some lodgers, who ordered a load of coal from Messrs. Woods. Messrs. Woods sent one of their carmen named George Pulcher. to deliver the coal yesterday morning. When he reached the house Pulcher had occasion to go down into the cellar to loose the chain holding the grid which closed the aperture down which the coal would have to be shot. This cellar is approached through a sort of pantry, and when the carman had passed this and opened the door of the cellar, he states that he was almost overcome by a terrible stench which issued. He opened the grid and was horrified at seeing the head and upper portion of the body of a woman starting out of the mass of rubbish which lay there. Half sickened, he called to the inmates of the house, and leaving the cellar, returned to his wagon. A gentleman passing saw his agitation, and learning what ne had seen, at once informed a policeman. Two constables went at once to the house.

It was then about a quarter past ten, and on getting into the cellar they found that the woman lay face downward, with her head apparently resting on one arm, and the other arm drawn as if to cover the head. The stench was so offensive that before further examination could be made they felt it needful to disinfect the place with chloride of lime. Then the search was continued, and the body was found to have on it a black dress and a skirt distended with crinoline. Dr.-H.P. Davis was called in, and found that the body was so far decomposed that identification was impossible. As the hands and feet were not at first seen, it was surmised that an attempt had been made to mutilate the body; but, after further examination, it appeared more probable that the limbs had dropped from the trunk by the natural action of decomposition. From the state in which the remains were found it is almost certain that quick lime was thrown over them when they were placed in the cellar, for the purpose of destroying all chances of recognition. By searching about almost all the remains were found, and such as were missing were traced through a servant girl in the house, who said that a short time ago she was shoveling coal in one of the cellar and came upon some bones which, supposing them to be ordinary meat bones, she threw them into the dust bin, where they were fortunately found. Such as they were, the remain were placed in a cell and taken to the Mortuary at St. Pancras Work House. Almost all the flesh had gone from the face, and when the searchers tried to lift the remains the pulling of the clothes brought off such skin of flesh as remained on the covered part of the body. The most startling discovery made was that of a rope tied tightly twice around the neck, making it certain that the woman had died from strangulation. Dr. Davis is of the opinion that death must have occurred about a year ago, and that possibly two or three years have passed I since the crime was committed. Some years ago a young woman who lived in Seymour street, in that neighborhood, whose name was Jane Willis, was missing, and no trace has been ever found of her. She used to earn her livelihood in sitting as a model for sculptors and painters. The house Is now under the immediate supervision of the police, and detectives from Scot land Yard are making every inquiry that can lead to any clew.—[London Telegraph. How the Sea is Salted. Many people imagine that the ocean water is naturally salt, and will be surprised to know that the salt comes from the rocks and is washed into the sea. The sea depends on the disentegration of rocks on land for its saltness. It does not originate in oceans and seas. Rains wash it and hold it in solutin as particles are liberated by violence, decomposition and gradual action of many natural forces. All streamlets and rivers, therefore, are constantly transporting salt to the sea. If there is more than can be held in solution, then it accumulates in masses as very deep points, which, in the reyolution to which matter is subject, may again be a stratum of salt somewhere remote from where the mass was formed. Thus the salt mines of Portland and the vast horizontal bed of pure salt in Texas, as well as that mountain of rock salt in Domingo, was collected at the bottom of ancient seas, which are now dryland remote from water. There are places in Africa where the process of disintegration of salt from water is regularly going on, but there is not water power enough to force it onward to the sea. Hence the par ticles are spread abroad and mixed up with the soil. The negroes of Kalhul, in northern Africa, having discovered its distribution where there is no water to dissolve in the ground, bleach it. In that way they separate the salt. By evaporating the water holding it in solution, an excellent article for domestic purposes is produced. Salt pervades the earth. It exists in the grasses and most vegetable products on which animals feed. In that way they derive enough in most countries to meet the demands of their natures. They require as much as civilized huinanity. With them salt is necessary as ourselves, for keeping the organs of vision in good condition. Stop the supply and blindness would be universal.