New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-17
MISS PORTEES DiS..PPE iRINCE.
MYSTERY CONNECTED WITH TIE CAs.;-sHE WAS
OF UNSOL,ND MIND-EEARS OLE EOIL. PLAY

| MYSTERY CONNECTED WITH TIE cAS.;-SIIE WAS
OF UNsot'ND MTND-FEARs OF FOUL PLAY.
| The case Of Miss Minnie l.. Porter. OF Norfolk.
Conn, who disappeared January 7. continues
! to be n great mystery. Her friends afraid
she Is the victim of foul play. Others believe she
has persisted from cod and exposure somewhere
during her wanderings Miss Porter is forty years
old. She Is a daughter OF the late Lucus p Por-
ter. who was the founder Of the Ncw-York Rub
Der Company also of the Norfolk and New-Bruns-
wick Hosiery Company. After her fathers death
Miss Porter came into possession OF considerable
money. and in May of last year she purcha sed .
home In Norfolk and moved there from New-Bruns-
wick. living without any companions except q
housekecper Mrs Pettbone. and the latter's daugh-
ter.
For thirteen years Miss Porter has been afflicted
with mental trouble. Her physician. DIR. Porter.
recommended that she take long walks for exercise
without companion. How why and when she
left her home is not known. but about O'Clock
| on the morning of January the housekeeper
discovered her absence
Searching parties organized. and the
country about Norfolk Was thogousny searched
F. T. Porter uncle Of the missing woman. offered
a reward of 800 for her discovery. dead or alive
Evidence has been found that the day OF di,-
| appearance she had eaten lunch a, Winstei
and a wn on b 562y nS iT ff from Nor
IN the little village Of Canaan had seen her in that
Edward L. Gates. a cousin of Miss Porter, who
lives In Charlton-ave. South orange. awakened
BY his sister, Miss Charlotte Gates last Sunday
morning, who told him that she had been awakened
by the ringing of the front doorbell. but that on
going To the door one there. The sister and
brother made an investigation but no one could he
seen. Miss Porter had been a frequent visitor at
the (;ates's homo. and when her disappearan
heard OF on Wednesday. Mr.. Gates and mis- sister
thought that 1t was likely that 1t was their cousin
who had rung the bell on Sunday morning. Being
almost convinced Of this. they also started a vigor-
Gus search In South Orange.
\ rumor was circulated yesterday that a mkman
had seen woman answering the description Of
Miss Porter going the mountain road above
South Orange early Sunday morning. The police
however. could find clew to this mlknlar and
did not give belief TO the rumor.
officer Stevie. of the South Orange police said
that several gangs Of tramps and Italians were
camping about that town, and that II the missing
woman did reach South Orange sunday morning
Of these men and met with foul play. as It was
known that she had on her person enough jewelry
TO tempt an avaricious person or tramp The hills
abou, South Orange would afford an excellent op-
portunity for such a deed. and several tragedies
have occurred In that vicinity within the last few
years
Miss Porter has friends at Morristown and New
Brunswick. She has often visited Colonel Janeway's
family at the latter place. Colonel Janeway IS
friends believe that her body Will be found in the
neighborhood OF Norfolk. and that she froZe to
death during one of the cold nights last week.