The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-11-15
They Threateaed Her With
Death and Other
Disasters.
But SIZE WROTE THEM ALI.
Trapped BY Policemen Who Hid in
the Barn-Will know It When
She Reads "Ths News


other methods OF persecution, the Bay
onne police solved the plot yesterday.
The solution disclosed the fact that the.
supposed victim, handsome young do
nestle. was her own prosecutor. and that
for almost two months tie police, her
employers and the neiehboring families
were the unsuspectin& victims of her
propensity to sensational mischief-mak-
ing.
The young woman whose romantic inn
agination led her to the troublesome hoax
is known as Miss Elizabeth Loran. She
is about eighteen years old, vfyacious,
fairly Intelligent and really quite prepos-
sessing in appearance. She has blond
hair and she wears specta cles which hide
the mischief lurking ia her large blue
eyes and give her face mature aud
sedate look. She is the daughter OF d
herder on the the estate OF a British
noDleman in the vicinity Of Dublin, and
sac emigrated to this country about nine
months ago.
Last June Miss Loran secured employ
ment with the family of William T. Pur-
vince who lives in Il large mansion on the
Newark bay. near the loot OF West Six
teenth street. She proved to be first
class domestic and soon won the friend
ship Of her employers family. In addi-
tion to her household duties Miss Loran
became the family milkmaid. her lie IA
Ireland having made her familiar with
every variety OF dairy work She, how
ever, did not take kindly to that sort of
employment. having left Ireland princi-
pally in order to escape it, aud therein
lies what is believed 10 be the chief reason
for the hoax she perpetrated.
Although she made few aeqaaintances
among the young people Of the vicinity.
and had no callers, Miss Loran
complained within few weeks after her
arrival in the Purvinee household tnat
she was being ANNOYED by yonng men
and boys. She asserted that the annoy
ance was particularly frequent while she
barn. As the house is remote from the
business section, and his wife and
daughters we're alone in the house with
the domestic the greater portion Of the
day, Mr.. Purvince notified Chief OF
Police Mcneil.
patrolmen to special duty in the neigh
borhood Of the dwelling, and on two &C.
casions the officers arrested youths who
were found lettering about the place.
Miss Loran positively Identified one or
two OF the prisoners IS being among her
prosecutors. but the ooys stously main
tanned their Innocence. As The girls evil
dence was not corroborated, the boys
were released with reprimand.
About six weeks ago Miss Loran went
to Mrs Puryince Ia state of excite
ment She held in her hand an aDony-
nous letter containing threats against
her life. The letter was enclosed in an
envelope that bore no post mark, indicat-
ing that it had not come through tie
mails. Miss Loran said that while she
was in the barn while milking the
cow, some unknown person tossed it in
the door. subsequently the girl exhib-
tied at different intervals half a dozen
similar letters. In each instance she
sverred that the missive was found in the
barn. All were in the same hand writ
ing. sEvery time the girl produced a new
letter she appeared to be ia a condition of
hysterical terror.
liza few evenings after the girl had re-
ceived the last letter one of Mrs Pur-
vince's daughters was on her way home
from the Bergen Point railroad station
when she was startled by the screams of
a woman. Being a courageous young
woman, Miss Pur nince investigated. Near
the intersection Of Avenue and
West Sixteenth street she encountered
Miss Loran The latter was apparently
in a breathless and terrorized condition
and her hair and clothing were DISNEY
elled Between her gasp5 Miss Loran
said that she had been attacked by an
unknown man Nho put a pistol to her
head and threatened to kill her. Several
DAYS later she ran into the house in a
similar condition and said she had been
assaulted in barn by two unknown
men. In both instances a thorough search
of the neighborhooa failed to reveal auy
trace of the girls alleged assailants.
As the girls stories of persecution were
beginning to thoroughly alarm the resi-
dents OF the shore and she was looked
upon as q person whose safety was in
grave doubt, Chief Mcneil detailed
several officers for days at a time to
special duty about the house Although
no outrages were perpetrated while the
policemen were secreted about the
premises, the annoyances began again
immediately after tine police were with
drawn.
On Friday afternoon Patrolman John
Yore was detailed on the case Withou t
the knowledge of any of the Purvince
family he secreted himself in the burn in
citizens attire. Roundsmau Humphrey
ID. Lynch was also waiting in the vicinity
for a cue TO either take Yore's place or
assist HIM. They had come to the con-
clusion that Miss Loran knew more than
she chose to disclose about the alleged
outrages. Several hours after Yore en-
tered the barn Miss Loran entered. To
the officers surprise she began a system
attic search OF the place. Finally she
came upon his hiding place aud was
greatly surprised to find him. She was
about TO flee into the house when he in
tercepted her and convinced her that he
was a policeman. Then he left the prem
ises. perceiving that Miss L0ran was
closely watching him.
While Patrolman Yore and Miss Loran
were talking outside the barn Rounds
man Lynch stole in and secresed himself.
few minutes later Miss Loran returned
to the barn. remained there without do
ing anything for several minutes and
then ran down to the Avenue A gateway.
Mounted Patrolman Lord was passing
ana she hailed him. When be drove up
Miss Loran showed him another of the
mysterious letters. She said she mad lust
found is IN the barn aud she thought two
Young men who were walking along the
avenue some distance away might have
dropped It for her.
Lord overhauiea the young men, but
could not ascertain that they were inn
plicated in the letter writing affair. He
who smiled significantly when he heard
the fictitious tale Miss Loran had told
Lord The pair reported to Chief McNeill.
and he laid the facts OF the domestie's
dnpliciiy ana notwithstanding before Mr.
and Mrs. Purvince. They could hardly
believe it Finally they consented 70
have the girls room searched. Evidence
WAS found in quantity Of the same pecn-
liar note paper and envelopes that were
in aflthe mysterious letters save the last.
That one was written uooa 4
scran Of paper torn from d
provisioa bag The piece OF paper
bore the stamp Of the tradesln&o vine