Morning journal and courier., 1880-12-30
NEW YORK..

Woman's Mysterious Death = Found
Strangled i'm Her Bath RoOm-Her Hus-
band Arrested Suspicion.
New York, Dec. 29.-The citizens of Ho-
boken have been thrown into intense excite
ment over the mysterious death of Mrs.
Sophia Frieeken, wife of wealthy tobacco
dealer doing business in this city. Both hus-
band and wife are well known in German cir
cles and occupy prominent position in Ho-
boken society. Mrs. Friecken was found
strangled in her bath room with suspicious
circumstances surrounding her death. For
some time she has been separated from her
husband and has been laboring under great
mental depression. She is the mother of three
very handsome children. The position of
the lady and the want of sufficient marks on
her neck lead to the belief that she was muir
dered and cord attached to her head after
her death. Gerharden Brede, pretty young
German girl servant in the family, and the
husband of the dead woman were placed un-
der arrest and locked up the order of the
coroner. The neighbors say that the couple
lived very unhappily together previous to
their separation and had many desperate
quarrels. The husband visited the house last
night and was also there during the greater
part of the day. He says he did not see
his wife. The servant states that she
usually sleeps next to the wife's
room. She says that last night she was
afraid to sleep in her room as
usual and took another apartment. The
rope around the woman's neck had half a
dozen knots tied at the back and could not
possibly have been SO placed by suicide.
The dead woman had recently been to Eu-
rope at her husbands expense. The children
have been under the charge of the girl Ger
harden. There is a report of intimacy be-
| tween husband and servant, whom the neigh
| bors say is the cause of all the trouble.
Friechen was interviewed at late hour this
afternoon. He said: stMy wife and have
| not lived together for five months We did
| not agree and were always having trouble.
/ sent her to Europe last summer and paid
| her expenses. I have seen her frequently
| since she came back. Every time I saw her
we had trouble. She wanted to return and
live with me. told her we could not live
/ happily She threatened to kill herself sew
eral times if did not live with her. She
| was of jealous disposition and accused me
of things did not do. I was at the house
| yesterday, but did not see her. I called to
| see the children. I received the news of her
death at my New York Office. The servant
/ who has had charge of the children found
she would do something desperate" The
servant stated that she did not hear any quar-
reling between the husband and wife, and
| that she did not know what occurred last
| night. She was afraid to sleep in her room
and went up stairs.
Heavy Loss by Fire I'm New York.
| New YORK, Dec. ga fire occurred in the
table mandatory of Brown & Bliss at No.
1876 Cherry street, this morning. The build
ing being filed with infammab1e stuff, the
flames spread rapidly. The factory, FIVE
story brick building, was destroyed; also the
adjoining buildings, Nos. 1928, $50, 332 and
334, occupied by various manufacturing
firms, and all owned by Mrs Ellen Simpson.
Loss estimated at 100000; probably in
sured. The fremen with great difficulty
| saved the immense furniture factory of III. q
FL. Schrenkeisen, adjoining in Monroe street
The damage to this establishment by water il
$4,000 to $4,000
The snow storm-A Heavy FaII-Rapid
Approach OF a Cold Wave.
New York, Dec. 29.-The snow which
commenced falling last evening has continued
uninterruptedIy up to this hour 6midnight
The snow is very dry and as it falls does no
| mack or melt and thus the obstruction t.
j traffic in the streets is very great. The stage
have double teams and the teams on hors
cars are also doubled, but they are frequentl.
blockaded The incoming mails were con
i siderably delayed, all being two hours behint
the usual time. Down the bay this morning
. the atmosphere was fairly white with snow
! / and the weather was SO thick that steamer
! sailing and nearly all outward bound vessel
! anchored In or near the bay and those com
ing in did not venture to cross the bar. tn
! | cold wave which is said to be rapidly ar
! preaching eastward is expected within tn
: next twenty-four hours. The thermomete
at a. m. II, p. M IA, midnight and sti
8 falling
seeking Possession OF His children.
! New YoKK, Dec 2s.-Dr. J. Parker Pra
. sought by Aa6eas corpus to-day to-~get posses