Morning journal and courier., 1881-08-09
The Jennie Cramer Mystery.

The jury of inquest in the case of the un- cording to adjournment yesterday morning at 10 o'clock in Thompson's building in West Haven, but nothing was done. the im- portance of the holding of an autopsy de- termining the jury to postpone the hearing until this morning in order that an autopsy might be made, and the results reported to them by the physicians before making up their verdict. Meanwhile such an excite ment in the city has not been known since the Hayden trial. The affair is everywhere the topic of the hour on the streets, in the shops, stores, factories, at the hearthstone and the summer resort. The least kind of information was eagerly heard. All sorts of vague rumors and all sorts of stories get into circulation, arising frequently out of sur misses and conjectures. The mystery at taching to the case deepens rather than di- minishes, and the theory of murder is strong ly held by great many, while as yet no sat- isfactory clue has been obtained to unravel the mystery. Below is given an account of the autopsy. In the morning the gathering of people in the vicinity of Thompson's
 building and their appearance told it's own story that some unwonted deed
 had occurred, and that the quiet old
 town si was deeply stirred. Across in front, the quiet greensward of the West
 church with it's pointed spire, and below the
 dun-brown Episcopal church with it's gothic turret, spoke of restfulness, peace and pur- ity. The throng gathered was discussing with grave faces the sad event by which a young life had been cut of, perhaps by 8 crime most foul The throng awaited with patience the assembling of the jurors, and watched for all new corners with eager inter est First came 8 carriage in which was Mrs. Cramer, the mother of the
 dead girl, her son Edwin, about 23 years of age, telegraph operator in New York, and her daughter Minnie, young lady of 12 or IS. Signs of weeping were visible on the mothers face They were escorted by 8 grand juror, MT. Hull, to the room over the postofice to await the coming in of the jury. Then came another carriage in which came Judge Blydenburgh. accompanied by Miss Blanche Douglass, and then another in which
 WOAO cdA4C5 0Au W d4tC1 u4dAACy. 1AACAAdCA w |. Malley, accompanied by friend employed in the store, also drove down close behind the cousins. Judge Blydenburgh made ar engagements with the family of E. B. Brad ley, the Orange street picture frame dealer, whose residence is next door to the Borough Hall Postofice building), for Miss Doug lass accommodation, and left her there away from the gaze of the interested. crowd that had collected. She remained indoors until she was called to testify. Lawyer T. J.. Fox, of this city, reached the scene on the
 next horse car. He was counsel for the
 young Messrs. Malley and Judge Blyden-
 burgh represented Miss Douglass. Lawyer Bush, of West Haven, was on hand to advise
 Grand Juror Hull, who is taking great inter est in the case and rendering the jury of in- quest every possible assistance Later ar-
 rivals were Chief of Police Webster, Police Commissioners Catlin and Bollman, s. Har-
 rison Wagner and many others from this city. Ten o'clock came but with it no sign of opening the hearing. Deputy Sher if Peck, of West Haven, arrived, and many stood | about Asa Curtiss, getting an account of how
 the body lay and looked, and what the theory was of the cause of death He said that there was no water in the body of any account when he found it, and he was satisfied it had not been over twelve hours in the water, at most. He knew this from experience, he having in his time found quite number of drowned persons. MT. Curtiss spoke of mark or cut
 on the lower lip and gave the impression that he thought it had been caused by the hand of some person being pressed tightly against l the girls mouth. There were other marks ! about the head, but these, he thought, came from contact with the sand. MT. Curtiss was evidently of the opinion that the girl had been foully dealt with.
 MT. Curtiss exploded the theory that the girl seen in fainting fit, thought to have been drugged, was the deceased or this party, as there were half dozen persons who saw her taken home and knew she was another
 person.
 Soon Foreman George R. Kelsey arrived
 and told the people that the jury were to consult privately, for while, in the Borough Hall, and that afterward the investigation would be resumed in Thompson's Hall The people then Hooked to the hall and soon
 filled it, and waited. A stenographer MT.
 Conan, in E. s. Wheeler & Co.'s employ, ar
 rived, and MT. Kelsey telephoned to Stahl * Hegel, the undertakers, to delay the funeral
 preparations. It had been decided to have
 an autopsy. Coroner Bollman of this city
 interviewed the jury, and it was announced
 that he had been engaged to assist Justice
 Metcaf in conducting the examination. Fi-
 nally, at 11:3O word came that the jury de-
 sired the presence of the witnesses in the Borough Hall. With the latter came their
 counsel and the reporters. Mrs. Cramer
 entered the room leaning on her sons arm.
 The Douglass woman was attended by her at torney, and close behind came the Malleys,
 Walter seating himself beside the girl, while his cousin stood up behind. She looked very attractive, despite her paleness and evident distress of mind, which was increased by the gaze of almost every person in the room being fixed upon her.
 When all was quiet in the room, Coroner Bollman arose and said Being requested by the coroner and jury to assist in this in- vestigation, would state that in their opinion it is necessary to take another ad- 1OurumeuIS Auu tuo Jury uoW ueS1ro CO ask the witnesses if there is any reason why they cannot be here at nine o'clock to-mor- row morning." The speaker then read the names of the witnesses as follows Blanche Douglass. Walter Malley, James Malley, jr., Mrs. Cramer, Joseph Marvin, John Galway, John Gilchrist and Richard Waite All res bonded but MT. Waite, and he subsequently arrived. None of them objected, and Mir. Kelsey moved the adjournment.
 Remarks followed between the counsel, MT. Kelsey, MT. BoHman and others No objection was taken to lawyers being present as counsel. MT. Fox claimed it as a matter of right and justice to the Messrs- Malley, and MT. Blydenburgh said that Miss Douglass was stranger alone in strange city, and she had been reflected upon. It was but fair that she should have legal adviser. MT. Bollman as lawyer saw no objection to counsel being present. The jury then ad- journed to meet again this morning at g o'clock.
 Many people stationed themselves to get look at the principal parties in the case as they left.