The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-19
MISS BARROWOLIFF IMPROVING
Captain Lange scouts the Board
Walk Theory.

DR.. Varick has given orders to the nurse
attending Miss Barrowcliff, that she is not to
allow her to speak any more than is abso-
lutely necessary. She is still in very weak
condition although she is improving daily.
She seems to be anxious to talk on various
subjects and to keep her from doing SO, the
nurse reads to her. Occasionally she boil
sters her up at the window and let's her get a
a glimpse of the outer world for a few
minutes Miss Barrowclif has not yet
been able to move out of her cot
without assistance Miss Dexter calls to see
her often, but Mr.. Vernon, who said of her,
'sShe was as a daughter to me-" never
goes near the Hospital Captain Lange
laughs at the boardwalk theory, and
explained to JERSEY CITY NEWS reporter
how it would have been impossible for her to
have been assaulted there and carried to
where she was found without someone see
ing the deed. He sticks to his original
belief that she took the path to
Corbin avenue, which was between
the two houses that stand directly
opposite Smiths house and that when she
was assaulted she was crossing the lot in
which she was found. Now to his reasons
for disapproving the boardwalk theory:-In
the first place the lot in which the theory
has it that she must have been assaulted IS
well lit up by about ten street lamps
which are scattered around it. Again the
path which she would have taken across the
lot to reach the walk is only a couple OF
hundred feet from the Pennsylvania
Railroad watch tower On the Friday
night when the assault took place the
keeper of the tower had the window facing
the path open and would have been sure to
have heard the slightest approach to a
scream if there had been any.
The third and most convincing fact against
the theory is the fact that between the hours
of six and seven o'clock every evening
between seventy-tive and 100 people pass
over the path from Marion station to West
side avenue. The people return from their
work in New York via the Pennsylvania
Railroad, three trains stopping at the
station within the hour. Two detec-
tives stationed themselves at the
station and questioned each and everyone of
these people as to whether they saw Miss
Barrowciiff on that night Most of them
know her by sight, and all agree that she
did not pass that way. Patrolman Fitz-
patrick also knows Miss Barrowclif
by sight, and if she had passed
along West Side avenue to
the board walk he would
have seen her as he was in that neighborhood
from $40 until 6 AS o'clock, when he pulled
the box at West Side avenue and the rail
road. "The most amusing part of the whole
theory" said the Captain, lis that after as
saulting her near the board walk, her as
sailant should have carried her for one-half
a mile to where she was found, when There
are half a dozen lots between the two
places Sthat would have answered
his purpose much better And then, too, is
it probable that he would take the troble to
carry the music roll SO far, and how do they
account for the torn glove? Miss Barrow
cliffs mind has evidently not yet cleared or
else she has told the board walk story to
shield someone, I can't judge which, as am
not allowed to speak to her any more than
YOU are"