The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-08-09
PROBABLY SUICIDE.
A News" Reporters Dis
coVeries Touching Josie
Ferber'S Death.

Clty, VINO was drowned at Lake dOpat-
cong some time Monday night or early
Tuesday morning, was partially cleared
up yesterday by JERSEY CITY NEWS re-
porter. 1t is now believed that the young
woman while suffering from melancholy
committed suicide. This theory was
all the facts in the case and personal
visit to the spot where the girl was
drowned. The reporter boarded the train
which left the D.. L. s. w. r. r. depot at
a quarter past twelve O'Clock and arrived
at the lake at two O'Clock, and drove i'm
mediately to the Mountain View House,
where the dead girl was employed as
servant.
rooms. 1t was built by Fred Muller, of
Hoboken, this year. 1t is about a mile
and half from the depot and has bill
lard and pool room attached.
CAMP NO. 5.
From the hotel to the shore the dis
tance is about a quarter Of mile. Scat
tered along the shore are camping out
parties. Right below the hotel is the
camping out party of yonng men from
Newark. 1t was stated that Miss Ferber
was on friendly terms with the boys in
this camp, and that such was the case
was not denied to the reporter yesterday.
One of the young men in the camp.
who asked that his name be Withheld,
said:-
"We all know Miss Ferber. The boys
of this camp were in the habit of going
up to the hotel and playing pool and
billiards. While there we met the girl
and chatted with her. We invited her to
down at night. She was always accom-
panied by the Misses Muller, and we
went rowing several times. We did not
go rowing at all on Monday night"
"Was there not one young man in your
party for whom Miss Ferber showed de-
cided preference?' asked.
"Yes, there was, but that young man
Is not here now. He left on the 1926
train for Newark on Sunday night. He
is employed by a New York firm and was
obliged to go to work on Monday morn
ingm en-,
Monday morning?"
mo, he was not On Sunday night he
bid us all good bye and several of tn e
hotel guests will bear me out in this state
ment."
The reporter next visited the hotel. He
conversed with several of the guests and
learned the name of the young man from
Newark. He was pretty well known and
before leaving on Sunday night he left
the camp and went to the hotel. He bid
them all good bye, including Miss Ferber.
He was not seen at the lake since that
time and seemingly could in no way be
accountable for Miss Ferber's death.
INDICATIONS OF SUICIDE.
The theory that the young man from
Newark was in any way responsible for
the girls death being exploded. the mys-
terry was as deep as ever. Fred Muller,
the proprietor of the hotel, was next
sought. He told story which. If true,
Ferber committed suicide. Mr.. Muller
said he had talked the matter over with
the members of the family, and they had
all agreed with him that the girl had
done away with herself.
This is Mr.. .Muller's story:-"About
five weeks ago Miss Ferber and the young
woman who is now acting as cook at the
hotel were recommended to my wife in
Hoboken and were hired to work at the
hotel. Miss Ferber was remarkably
we'll developed girl for her age and made
friends among the boys who were camp
ing out. She slept with my daughter,
Minnie. Itwas the habit of the girls to go
down to the camps in the early
part of the night and the camp boys
would take them out rowing. One night
about a week ago, however, my girls and
Miss Ferber remained out later than
usual, and | forbid them to go out again,
and do not think that they have been
rowing since.
"On Monday night when Miss Ferber
was doing some housework she said, This
is the last time will do this work My
daughter laughingly asked her what she
meant. Miss Ferber repeated what she
had said, but in more serious tone. My
daughter thought nothing more of this
incident until the girl was found drowned,
and then the significant remark was re-
called.
When Miss Ferber finished her house
work, instead of coming out on the ver-
anda with the remainder of the family as
was her habit, she remained in her room.
About half-past nine O'Clock my daugh-
ter retired. She asked Miss Ferber if she
was going to bed. Miss Ferber was read
ing novel at the time. She was great
lover of novels. She said that she was
not sleepy. My daughter then filled the
oil lamp in the room and retired. The
rest of the family remained outside until
about half past ten O'Clock. There was a
light still visible in Miss Ferber's room
and my wife peered in through the shut
ters and saw Miss Ferper reading. The
next morning the girl was missing. |
was in Hoboken at the time and arrived
on the afternoon train. l searched for
her and notified the constables at the
place, but no trace Of her was
found until Wednesday morning.
Two young men from the hotel while
out rowing with two young ladies saw
the DEAD glrIS apron on the surface OF
the water and then the body came to
view. One of the young women in the
boat tainted. The body was lying face
downward mid way between Beitrand's
Island and the shore of the hotel.
ABOUT THE BODY.
"In the pockets of the dress were found
the name and address OF the young man
from Newark, ten cents and handker-
chief. The body was terribly bloated
from being such a length of time in the
fresh water of the lake. There were no
marks of violence ON the body and the
clothing was not at all disarranged. An
other story has been told that the girls
hat was found in the water. This Is not
true. The hat was found In her
room the morning after her dis
appearance. That the girl intended
to meet anybody / do not believe
If such was the case she would not wait
until eleven o'clock or after, and then go
out without her hat or wrap. OF course
the morning of her disappearance there
were all sorts of rumors afloat, and my
little boy said he heard that the young
man from Newark had been in the neigh
borhood about four o'clock in the morn
ing. This l thoroughly investigated and
found to be untrue, and my boy has since
admitted that he was lying.
"After all that / have learned" Mr.
Muller continued, II believe that Miss
Ferber did away with herself. Her re-
mark to my daughter early in the even
ing bears out this theory, and the novel
she was reading was very sensational and
might have goaded her on.
'slrhe reason TOR her act can only sur