The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-10-20
LAKE LETHE.
A Sad Mystery ofCentraI Park-The
Body OF Respectable Lady Found
Floating In the Lake, and AFTER
ward Recognized by Her Husband
Among the Dead I'm the Morgue.

NEW YORK, October 1S.-One OF the
bostmen on the Genital Park Lake,
while rowing toward the shore near the
new boat house, early on Wednesday
afternoon, found floating in the water
the body of q refined looking, hand
somely dressed woman. A heavy black
silk dress, mud-bedrsggled, straw bat
trimmed with the costllest feathers, and
fine kid CATERS, showed that she could
not have ended her lie for want Of the
necessities OF lie. An empty pocket
book WAS in her dress, and fine pocket
handkerchief, on one corner Of which was
embroidered the letter al" IL the ears
were fine gold ear rings. with pendent
gold balls. IN several places on the face
were slight bruises. The body was taken
TO the morgue.
Before quite dark this evening, the
Times says, two gentlemen drove to the
Gwenty-sIXth street entrance to the dead
house and asked to see the body. 1t was
then incased IN one of the rough morgue
cotins but one OF the gentlemen At once
recognized it AS that OF his wife The
gentleman was Thomas Otis Leroy,
general manager Of the Calwell Lead
Company. His wife was Mrs. Caroline
Leroy, formerly Miss Caroline Clark,
daughter OF Richard 5. Clark, Fifth av-
enue
Mrs. Leroy had for some ,lme been
suffering from sicknesc and great mental
depression, caused, it is believed, by her
husbands business difficulties, which had
resulted, without any domestic troubles,
IN the separation for time Of herself
and her children from Mr.. Leroy. He
had been a wealthy man, and his style
OF living was always IN accord with his
wealth. His house was happy one,
and his wife and three daughters had
every luxury. a year and halt ago be
became embarrassed in business, lost
heavily, and borrowed 100000 from his
faLher-ln-law. His family remained in
the same house, but the economy made
necessary troubled Mrs. Leroy.
This summer she went with her
daughters into the country, and, upon
their return. they went TO her fathers, at
mis- solicitation, where they might still
enjoy the luxuries TO which they had
been reared. This arrangement seems
to have been sanctioned by Mr.. Leroy,
who was distressed to deprive them of
any thing to which they had been sc-
custCmed. But he declined to 90 with
them, and continued 10 keep bach FolOr's
quarters in his house on Thirty-frst st-"e'.
IL WAS believed in the family tina Nj.
Leroy's mind was sometimes uns, tiled;
but after her return from the country she
manifested no sigLs of this, seeming To-
be in better spirits than before. She was
in the habit of walking alone. On
October 10th she went out handsomely
dressed, and wearing her valuable jewel
rv, and after about the usual time re-
turned and went 10 her room. Soon al
terward she went down stairs, kissed one
or two of her daughters and went out.
Thisl excited no suspicion, and she
had been gone tor some time
before one of her daughters, hap
penIng to go to her mothers room, found
the iewelry that her mother had worn
earlier in the day laid away IN very
unusual manner. OLhcr things aroused
the daughters fears The household WAS
alarmed, and word Was ~ once sent to
Mr.. Leroy. He WAS greatly alarmed,
and gave notice OF her disappear 'nce TO
the police. None OF her friends again
saw Mrs. Leroy till her husband found
her dlsgraced body in the morgue.
1t is matter OF speculation how Mrs.
Leroy passed the frs. par. OF the sIgbt
DAYS that she WAS away from home. 1t
was the opinion o! tue officials that she
bsd been in the water about three DAYS.