"STUTTERING JACK."

A Shocking Example of
Human Depravity.
______

    BRIDGEPORT, September 30.--The most horrible and atrocious crime which ever shocked this vicinity has just come to light. It seems incredible that one man should be willing to murder another for what profit could be derived from the sale of his remains, but revelations point to the conclusion that this atrocity was consummated; that the crime was successfully concealed; that an attempt was actually made to sell the body to the Yale Medical School, it being offered to Dr. Leonard J. Sanford; and, singularly, that Dr. Sanford gave no information concerning the mysterious offer of the remains until after the body had been found packed in a barrel, in a deserted ravine in the town of Shelton, by Bridgeport police officers, whose only clue was obtained by a roundabout path.
    The story, as told by Police Officer Arnold of this city, concerning the affair, is one of the most singular and thrilling imaginable. The substance of it is as follows: A few weeks ago a man by the name of McKay, who was here selling belting, from the West, lost his pocket-book. He stood at the corner of William street and East Washington avenue while writing a postal card. In taking out the card from his pocket he took out also

and laid the book down on a fence and left it when he went away. Some time afterward word was brought to Chief Marsh of the police department by two girls, that a man named Frank Bassett, who lived on the corner mentioned in a room in an old carriage factory, had taken up the pocket-book and carried it away. Bassett was captain of the sloop Franklin, which was then loaded with iron and lying at a wharf bound for Norwich. The officer found that the vessel had started, and Police Officer Jennings was dispatched to that city to intercept the Franklin and arrest Captain Bassett. Thus he did and brought Bassett back here. Bassett lived at the corner of William street and East Washington avenue with a woman named Elizabeth Alexander and this woman was on the stoop at the time of the arrest. The sloop subsequently returned to Bridgeport with the Alexander woman, but in the meantime Bassett had sold all the household furniture in his place to satisfy the claim of McKay and had been locked up. Bassett was not the husband of the Alexander woman, and when she came back and found the furniture all gone and learned how it had been disposed of she was very indignant, claiming that it belonged to her and that she had been robbed. She then began to intimate that she knew something about Bassett

    She talked to City Attorney Holt and revealed to him that she could account for the whereabouts of one Frank Weinbecker, or, as he was known otherwise, as "Jack Rufus," whom she said had been murdered by Bassett at Bassett's place, and that she was an unwilling witness to the deed. This conversation occurred last Saturday forenoon and the City Attorney then talked with Chief Marsh in company with the woman, and the Chief sent for Officer Arnold and entrusted to him the task of ferreting out the affair. The story the Alexander woman told was substantially as follows: One night, some time ago, Bassett brought "Stuttering Jack" to the house to supper, and after supper he persuaded him to lie down on a sofa, and "Jack" speedily fell asleep. Bassett then approached him with a sponge saturated with chloroform, and applied it to the nostril of the sleeping man, and held it there until life was extinct. She started to run out of the room two or three times to give an alarm, but Bassett threatened her that "if she did not come back and be quiet that he would serve her in the same way." When the victim was dead Bassett took a pair of scissors and cut off Weinbecker's coat down the back, taking it off in two pieces. He then took off the shoes Weinbecker had on, also, and the coat and shoes were by Bassett

    After Bassett came back, he took the body and doubled it up (the knees being placed against the chin), and crowded it into a flour barrel in that position and then rolled the barrel under a shelf in a corner and left it. On the following day Bassett took the body and put it in a wagon which had been hired, and she got in with him, having her child, aged about three years, with her, and Bassett drove to New Haven, starting about 7 o'clock. In New Haven he sent her into Dr. S. J. Sanford's office to see if the body could not be sold to the Yale Medical School. Dr. Sanford would not buy it (the price asked was $30) until he was placed in possession of a proper certificate. Bassett then started out of the city, driving out through West Haven, then striking north and going through Derby and Birmingham, crossed to Shelton and turned to the left and took a back road to the river, going through "Orinoco," and went down about four miles and rolled the barrel down a hill into a ravine and returned home.

    Officer Arnold, on being entrusted with the case, went to Bassett's place and found the coat and shoes where Mrs. Alexander had stated they were placed. In the pocket of the coat was a memorandum book and a piece of cloth. Officer Arnold, accompanied by Chief Marsh, Sunday morning took a team and drove to New Haven, taking the Alexander woman with them, and visited Dr. Sanford. That person recollected the visit of the woman at the time the body was offered for sale. His recollection of the interview was very peculiar. As he told Officer Arnold, the woman was excited and crying on making known her business. Bassett didn't come into the office. She offered the body and said that she had found it under her window, but Doctor Sanford did not question her closely, and when she went away made no mention of the circumstance. When he said that he would not take the body without a certificate, she asked what she would do with it, and he told her to take it back. Having been satisfied that there was enough truth in Mrs. Alexander's story to make search as she directed necessary, Officer Arnold rode back over the course she said Bassett drove. About eleven miles from Bridgeport and four miles from Shelton

sixty feet below the roadway. When the spot was reached opposite the ravine the woman began to cry violently, but said nothing. Officer Arnold went down into the ravine and found the barrel. One of the barrel heads had fallen out, and through this opening protruded a human head. Decomposition had far advanced. To get the barrel up the hill Officer Arnold was compelled to get the aid of three men from a house about half a mile distant, the nearest house. Then the barrel was headed up again, put on poles, laid on the wagon bottom and brought to this city. The remains were composed as decently as possible, and this forenoon a jury of inquest was summoned, Justice Walter Goddard acting as coroner. As Bassett is locked up in jail, no warrant was issued for his arrest, nor did he know of the revelation up to the time of holding the inquest today. The greatest excitement has been manifested over the case, and crowds were inquiring eagerly about it this morning at the police office.

    Before the jury the first witness was George F. Olmstead. He testified that he had seen the body at Athington's stable today and identified the pants, but no other clothing. The pants he should say were those worn by Frank Weinbecker, otherwise known as "Jack Rufus"--when he last saw him, which was in or previous to July. Weinbecker worked for witness three years, the last work being summer before last. Since then he has been on a vessel, and last winter worked at dredging for the Beardsley Brothers. Witness also had seen a ring taken from the body. The deceased wore a ring but the witness could not identify this as the one. He could not identify the body. He identified the shoes as "Jack's," which were before the jury, but couldn't identify the coat. "The shoes look like Jack's foot to death." He did not notice the kind of shirt Jack had on the last time he saw him. The ring exhibited was similar to one owned by Jack. William Hayes testified that he was a seaman commanding the tug Kate Miller. He thought the pants on the body looked like a pair for the purchase of which he furnished money last winter to Jack Rufus. "Jack" was aboard the witness' boat all winter. Witness had known Jack for five years. The last time he saw Jack was July 5. On the 4th he was aboard of the Miller. On the 5th he was aboard and worked on the schooner Mary E. Baylis. He had worked there for several days. Witness had missed "Jack" and inquired about him. "Jack's" place of residence was Bridgeport. The coat in court the witness thought, as also

The coat looked like one he wore last winter. Witness could not identify the ring, though Jack had worn one similar. The last time witness saw Jack he had on a checked shirt, and the one on the body was similar to that. Patrick Sullivan testified that he was a saloon-keeper; knew John Rufus and saw him last time on July 4 at saloon owned by me in Water street; knew the date by finding an account against him on that day for ale; had missed Jack, but knew nothing of his whereabouts. John Hammond testified to knowing Jack Rufus for a long time, last saw him July 4 on a wharf, and talked with him, the coat in court was the one he then had on. Officer George Arnold testified that he had seen the body at Atherton's stable, it was the one brought by him from Huntington yesterday, eleven miles from Bridgeport, Chief Marsh and Mrs. Alexander were with him when the body was found in Huntington, story told by Mrs. Alexander prompted him and Chief to go to Huntington, she directed witness to the spot (details of procedure preliminary to bringing the body to Bridgeport given at length), could not identify the remains, as I did not know the deceased well; found the shoes and coat back of the old Brewster carriage factory; (as stated above) Mrs. Alexander told me that Bassett buried them in the yard; body was found in following out Mrs. Alexander's story (shoes and coat identified). John Wynkoop testified: Knew

for eight years; last saw him on Friday morning, July 12; shipped him (being mate) as sailor on schooner Baylis; Jack was on schooner night of 11th, when we arrived from Norwich, and was paid off with others; he had about $4; we left boat together, and I treated him to beer twice, and then he left me, and that was the last I saw of him, had missed Jack since and inquired about him; never found out anything; he said he was going to Sullivan's saloon; coat in court and shoes resemble those Jack wore very closely; Officer Arnold showed me book found in pocket of coat, which I can positively identify; Jack couldn't write, but made figures; (book indentified.)
    Business engagements here caused the absence of some of the jury, and the hearing further was suspended until tomorrow at 10 o'clock. The Alexander woman was in the room, having a child in her lap. She is a rather hard-featured woman, with a square face and an erect figure. Her attention during the hearing seemed to be more engrossed in the child than in events about her, and the child laughed and played. She will testify tomorrow, as well as Dr. Sanford. Bassett, the alleged murderer, is about twenty-four years of age, rather small, lightly built and weighs only about 125 pounds. He has a previous criminal record, and on one occasion was arrested for an assault on the Alexander woman. The murdered man is described as having been a well-meaning fellow whose only failing was drink. He was unmarried.

    Dr. White and the man in charge of the Yale Medical School were seen this morning, and both denied that any such body had been brought to the school. Dr. White said the report was "absolutely untrue in every particular," while the assistant said they did not do business that way--they must know all about a body before they took it. Persistent questioning failed to reveal more, nor could either tell of any other place in the city where bodies were likely to be offered for sale.

Source:

Unknown, "Stuttering Jack," The Boston Globe, Boston, Mass., Tuesday, 1 October, 1878, p. 1.