Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-09-23
TOMS RIVERS MURDER.
mrsrrKy or wa,Swnruars KILLING
suspicion Pcintins co n PrUminent Maa and
Candidate Tor sncTin--rhe story
OF the Strange tragedy.

suspicion Pcintins GO n PrUminent Niao and
Candidate Tor snorin--rhe story
OF the Strange tragedy.
The murder of James Wainwright is
the only topic OF discussicn in Toms
River, n. J. He was murdered early on
Monday morning last In tho thicket near
his home. The body was found Sunday
afternoon several miles away in the water
near the source OF Cedar creek, A search.
ing party discovered it by the odor. 1t
was nude. Not far distant was cram
berry bog owned by 4. X. Rockwell, a
prominent man and q candidate for sheriff.
Rockwell was net early on Monday morn.
ing going toward the creek IN wagon
partially filed with straw. The story is
that ho had been very intimate with
Wainwright's vile aud that rupture be-
tween Wainwright and his wife was
caused by it. Suspicion, which had
pointed for day or two towards Rock
well, was deemed strong enough to war
rant his arrest, and he was taken into
custody AID oonmitted to Jail. Warrants
were also sworn out Ngainst WainwriGht's
wife, his three sous and daughter and
jefferson Thompson and his son.
Interest in the case doubled since the
arrests. Everybody in Ocean county
knows Rockwell and no had pleasant
word fer everyone he met. Toms Rivers
population is equally divided politically,
and while the Republicans refuse to be.
lieye that he is guilty of murder, the
Democrats eagerly search for. evidence
against him. The latest is that
Georgc Wainwright lied when he
he said he was milking the COWS in the
barnyard on Monday morning at the time
his father passed him with q scythe on his
shoulder on his way to NOW eN,sheriff
Aumach'S yard, and that the fact was
that George, before his father started from
home went into the woods where bis
father died, taking his brother Charles
shotgun, to shoot some quail for break
| fast. IL is said that Justice Dilkcs has
the sworn statement Of q young man who
visited Emiline Wainwright at her homo
on the night before the murder, TO the effect
that Wainwright and George, the eldest
son, had bitter quarrel, in which the
father accused the son Of being lazy and
| worthless and commanded him TO go to
wcrk, and that whom they parted for the
night each threatened 70 take the life Of
the other.
RockwelIs friends encourage this
theory s0 lar as Georgs is concerned, but
point to a discovery made Monday which
! they think important. An examination of
Thompsons red wagon shows that
blotohes oil the paint have been rubbed
| off the spread OF the wheels is the same
| as that of tho wagon which took away
Wainwright's body and the width of the
wagon tire suits the tracks in. width
Thompson's horse is lame 10 the off for
ward foot and the track OF the horse in the
| woods shows evidences of that limp from
the pointing of the toe into the ground.
sl,rV ,v4l - ho,-
! recently shOd and the old shoes are not to
be found. the officials have become mys
terIous and uucommunicatiye and drop
hints that revelations of . nature calcula-
| ted TO freeze the blood are on the point OF
| being made. l. Ii surmised that one, or
| perhaps two of the prisolers have made
| written confessions duplicating outsiders.
| Rookwell's daughter Lizzie visited her
| father in his cell on Monday for the first
time. He was tender and sympathetic,
| and tie young woman had to be led to her
carriage. In few minutes her composure
| wholly broke down, and when she reached
| home she faintod aud afterwards became
hysterical. Rock well has talked with
friends who report that he refuses to say
! whether he is guilty or innocent.
| Coroner klippel empanelied a jury at the
oourt house and it viewed the body in tie
| L
members of tho Wainwright family were
brought from their cells and separately
conducted into the rooms. Mrs. Vain
wright's face paled as she looked at the
| body. mo, no it is not possible. |;
caa't DO possible" che cried. She spoke
further incoh6rently and with hysterical
| rapiiity. Finally she said she recognized
the body as that OF her husbands by a
scar on his foot. Mrs. Wainwright ID
almost forty i've years old ard her face,
though scanned with wrinkles, is lighted
with bright black eyes. Her. features are
| coarse aud unattractive. Emsine, her
daughter, is neither plain nor pretty, but
| looks intelligent. She shrank from the
body and leaned on Sheriff Allen as il
| about TO faint. Next she became hysteri
cal and was lead into the hail. Presently
she said sho would sec If she could identify
the body. Holes had been pierced in thu
ear for ear. rings aud those she remem bercG
her father had. George walked around
the body and noted carefully seYera
marks Of indentiication. He did no
| saom to DO shaken Ia bis selt-posses.
| sion.
Ora. /. &. Schureman and r. l.. Disbrov
held n post mortem on the body, which /.
much bloatcd, aud discovered that he VA
+; shOt i'll the face aud in the back several o
I tho oh YiarnaH ha hnarf