The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-10
THE BARROWCLIFF CASE
DR.. Variek's Statement This
Morning-Her Condition
Improving.


the City Hospital who was found insensible
on vacant lot in Marion two weeks ago,
recovered sufficiently yesterday to be able
at least to begin the story of her fearful ad-
venture on the night of December 49,
She had been slumbering for some time
when she opened her eyes, and, addressing
one of the two nurses who are continually at
her bedside, she asked:-"Is this Sunday"
ssNo," replied the attendant, "this is
Tuesday"
Miss Barrowcliff appeared surprised and
and then remarked
Don't you think GeItie is behaving very
badly in not coming ia see mes"
(Gertie referred to Miss Dexter, the lntl-
mate friend of Miss Barrowcliff). Then
she closed her eyes and murmured some
thing unintelligible to any body around
her
A few minutes after she tried to get up,
and her nurses propped her up with pillows
in sitting position, SO that she could look
out of the window facing Montgomery
street.
Repeatedly she called the nurses attention
to vehicles and people going up and down
the street. Late in the afternoon, when
DR.. Varick came into her room, she began
to tell the occurrences of the Friday night
when it is supposed the assault took place.
The doctor asked where she went to after
she left Mr. Smiths house. She remembered
having called at Mr.. Smiths, giving the
music lesson and talking to Mrs. Smith at
the door, and telling her that she had an en-
gagement to meet Miss Dexter at half-past
six o'clock.
'Well," asked the doctor. ''where did you
go after you left the housew
II went along to where the trains turned
got lost-Don't you think my head" and
,Iy- Itan
effort to explain seemed too much for her
and the physician wisely forbade any further
questioning.
MERE CONJECTURE.
The remark about going along the road to
where the trains turned round puzzled the
police. There is only one place where the
trains are in that vicinity and that is at
Marion, fully half mile away. At first it
was thought that Miss Barrowcliff may have
walked towards the Marion tracks to reach
the footpath leading to the depot and then
come south along Tonnele avenue, but her
remark ON Monday knocked that theory on
the head She said then, when the doctor
asked her if she fell:-'sYou must think
am goose not to remember how | came to
fall" From this the police deduced two
theories one is that she really knew who
assaulted her and was trying to screen him;
the other that she may have fallen over the
rocks.
L
Detectives Hottie and Clos and others made
searching inspection of the ground yester-
day on which Miss Barrowclitf was found.
They examined every square foot OF the
rocks for any proof that she might either
have fallen or been thrown over, but ''divil
bit of proof" said one OF them after
weary search.
If the detectives didn't find anything in the
lot, they found a piece of evidence which, if
true, establishes the fact that Miss Barrow
cliff did go up Sip avenue sand not across
the lot as many hold.
MARGARET MURPHY'S STORY.
A young girl named Margaret Murphy,
living on West Side avenue told the detec-
tives that she saw Miss Barrowclif leave
Mrs. Smiths home and walk up Sip
avenue Another witness found yesterday
was D. w. Colbert of No. 140 Beacon avenue,
who is connected with Grace M, E. Church
at Marion. He says that on Wednesday,
prior to the night of assault, he gave relief
| to a tramp who was neatly dressed. That
individual wished, he said, to leave town
and received money for that purpose. Mr..
Colbert SAYS that the tramp did not leave the
city, but was seen hanging about Marion as
late as Friday afternoon. District Attorney
Winfield, to whom it is said clue was fur
| nished, refused to affirm OF deny the state
ment.
MISS BARROwCLIFF AT THE WINDOW.
The room in which Miss Barrowclif is
confined in the City Hospital is situated at
| the northeast corner of the new building, or
women's ward. 1t is lighted by two small
windows high from the ground on the Mont
| gomery street side and one large window at
| the east side, overlooking Cornelison avenue.
Miss Barreweliff, who is greatly improved,
was assisted to the window by one of the
| nurses, about half-past eleven o'clock this
morning. A quilt was thrown about her
shoulders and she was permitted to sit there.
| She grew tired of this in about
a quarter of an hour. She then took
some nougishment, and lying down again,
| went to sleep.
| Superintendent Smith gave an audience
to the reporters this morning at ten o'clock
He said there was nothing new in the case.
DIR. vARICK's STATEMENT.
DR.. H. H. Varick, in an interview this
afternoon, said that it is his opinion that Miss
Barrowcliff sustained the injuries from which
she is suffering by falling at least half
dozen times on the rocks near where she was
| found. He says that he believes she slipped
| and fell once incurring some slight injury.
In attempting to get out of the lots she
| fell again and again, and, finally, becoming
unconscious. He explains the finding of her
glove some distance from where the body
| Law. by maintaining that where her glove
was found she fell first, and rising, knew
nothing of her loss.
| This morning when DR.. Varick began
questioning Miss Barrowcliff, she asked:
| s'Don't YOU think there is something the
matter with my brainF'
| Nothing further could be learned.
1