The Daily Dispatch: February 14, 1861., [Electronic resource]

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The St., Louis Mystery — an extraordinary
Development.

We gave, a day or two ago, the particulars of the finding under a street bridge in St. Louis the dead body of a young woman, who was supposed to be Mrs. Aun Maria Durmea, a well-to-do but dissipated German resident of that city, and who was thought to have come to her death by violence. It has since appeared that Mrs. Durmea is still living, and that the corpse was that of Mrs. Young, an aged and highly respected lady, mother of John M. Young, Esq., a Justice of the Peace in that city. The St. Louis Republican thus relates the remarkable developments of the case:

‘ Esquire Young was walking on Fourth street yesterday morning when he met Dr. F. M. Cornyn, resident physician at the City Hospital. After a few moment's conversation on common-place matters, the Justice remarked that he would like to go down to the Hospital with the Doctor and witness the post mortem examination about to be held on the body of the woman, supposed to be Ann Maria Durmea. Dr. Cornyn replied that he should be glad to have him go and take dinner with him, and then he could have an opportunity of witnessing the post mortem examination. They dined together, and a short time afterwards proceeded to the dead-house of the hospital. As the cloth was removed from the face of the corpse, Esquire Young turned pale, and started back speechless. The corpse was that of his own mother. Without making any remark to Dr. Cornyn, he went out, got into a carriage, and drove immediately to the house of ex-Recorder Samuel H. Young, corner of Nineteenth and Division streets, where his mother had been accustomed to visit, and made inquiries respecting her.

Mrs. Samuel H. Young informed him that his mother came to their house on Wednesday afternoon to make a call. She took tea with the family at an early hour, and arose to go, remarking that she was going to call on a lady acquaintance of hers, whom she had not seen for several years before that morning. She mentioned the name of the acquaintance, but Mrs. Samuel H. Young cannot remember it, as it was an odd name. The locality was somewhere on Mullanphy street, Mr. J. F. Young, a son of ex-Recorder, states that he saw Mrs. Young leave their house, and watched her till she got out of sight. She went in the direction of Mullanphy street. That was the last time she was seen by ex-Recorder Young's family. Esquire Young went to the Hospital again and took Mrs. Samuel H. Young along with him. She recognized the corpse of the dead woman as that of Justice Young's mother. The grief of the son in thus beholding his mother cannot be described. He was devotedly attached to her, and provided for her every want. They lived together at the corner of Twelfth street and Christy avenue, and Mrs. Young frequently left home to visit her friends, ex-Recorder Young's family, on Division street. As she sometimes stayed a day or two with her friends, her son was not alarmed at her absence. The matter now is enshrouded in mystery. It is supposed that the deceased lady went to the house of her friend, and stayed till quite a late hour, and then started for home; that she was way laid on the road and murdered.

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