Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-06-20
A MYSTERIOUS MURDER.
A story Which Gave Edgar A. Poe n
Plot-The Killing of Mary Rogers.

| New York Tribune
The suit of Mrs. Mary Maud Carr
Watson to test the legality of the will
of Millionaire John Anderson, who
died IN Paris few years ago, recalls
one OF the most mysterious murders
IN the criminal annals of this city.
Anderson was wealthy tobacco man
ufacturer, and left real estate and per
sonal property valued at about Sl0,-
600, coo. He left the greater part to
| his SON, John Charles Anderson. The
contestant claims that the Will is
fraudulent and invalid, alleging that
Anderson was insane when he made
Ii, and was unduly influenced by his
| son and Kate Anderson, his second
wife. The contestant is the grand
daughter of exJudge Bernard, who
was impeached and removed from the
supreme bench. The case will be
heard by Surrogate Coffin, at White
Plains, next week.
Though the mysterious affair occur
red forty years ago, it is not forgotten.
The popularity of the crime, the ap-
parent absence of motive, its brutality
and fiendishness, the absence of clews,
and the successful defeat of detectives
at every point by unknown but pow
erful persons, invested the case with
additional mystery, and it was not
only the sensation of the day. but was
talked about several years, The offer
of rewards, aggregating $40, 900, avail
ed nothing.
Mr.. Anderson had an office and to-
bacco warehouse ia Nassau street in
1914 Nav, Naa,l;a hno,1tI
full girl of 81 years, the only daughter
of mother in her dotage, was en-
ployed in Anderson's family. Suisse
quently she kept cigar store in the
rear of Anderson's office. One Sun
day morning she left home, telling
her mother that she would spend the
day with her aunt at Weehawken.
Payne, her lover, to whom she was
betrothed, was to call for her at night,
but as it rained, he chose to let her re
main at her aunt's-so he stated.
Three days aiterward the girls body
was found in the Hudson river, her
wrists tied with ropes in sailor knot,
and strip of cloth drawn SO tightly
across her throat that it was imbedded
in the flesh. The body was taken in
Vial cy Ol1S SShO Hastily
buried, in spite of the remonstranceS
of the mother. The newspapers cast
so much suspicion on Crommelin,
Payne, and a young naval officer, that
the body was exhumed for further ev-
ldence. Several arrests followed, but
no conviction. The mystery has ever
since remained a mystery.
Edgar A. Poe worked the tragedy
into Partisan romance, under the IT,
tie of ''The History of Marie Roger"
He transformed the cigar girl into a
pretty flower girl, and made her mo-
Their the keeper of boarding house,
among whose favorite dodgers was NJ
LIE Blanc. perfumer Nassau street
was the Rue Pavee, the Hudson be-
came the Seine; Cromme lin was Beau
vais, and Payne, Marie's lover, who
committed suicide by swallowing
laudanum, was styled Jaques st. Eus-
tacho.
Payne left note stating that he
loved Mary, and could not live now
that she was dead. He was also sus-
pected of being her murderer; but his
sad death removed suspicion. The
naval officer, whose name was not
mentioned, was suspected of being the
one who tied the sailor knot. A rud
derless boat was found near the float
ing corpse. One night the boat was
stolen from the barge office. The
broken rudder was left But no clew
could ever be found of the missing
boat. So completely were all traces
concealed that the secret of the crime
remained buried with the unfortunate
girl.
Poe invested the horrible crime with
a glamor of romance, and depicted the
incidents with wonderful dramatic
realism.