The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-01
IDENTIFIED.
Continued from Page IL



the various openings In the woods from
the wall Of trees themselves, but the man
whose fast driving awakened Charles
Hopkins and his wife at IL o'clock
at night was able to go to
a branching cart path opening into the
thickest part Of the woods, drag into IL
the body OF woman, and after aiming
several well directed blows at her head
turn his horse and drive back q mile
in less than half an hour
There was not even moon
last week and even murderer would not
have the nerve to risk attracting atten-
tion by using lantern TO find some place
OF concealment for his victim.
A Possible Suspect.
Not long after the idea had dawned on
the people of Scituate that the person who
had furnished them with a record break
ing sensation must know as much as they
did about their road and cross cuts and
woodland. A rumor was started about
young man named Oatley of the town of
Johnston was driving toward the city
Saturday morning with his father
when the latter remarked
here comes Medical Examiner Smith on
his way to see the murdered woman. No
sooner were the words said than the
younger man jumped from the wagon
and concealed himself behind a clump of
trees by the road side until the doc
tor had passed on, then he
rejoined his father and came into
the city. This young man was not at his
home on Thursday evening and was sup
posed to have stayed in town over night
not with the approval of his family but
in accordance with very questionable
habits contracted within the last
two years. And he is the
only one in the three aroused
townships who has shown an aversion to
discussing the murder. He walks away
when the subject is broacbed and very
empathically refused to go with the rest
and see the remains. IL was at first sup
posed that young Oatley owed the
doctor bill and for that
reason wished to avoid him, but
the medical examiner does not know the
man and can in no way account for his
leaving the wagon at his approach.
Exploded Theories.
Until the announcement of Detective
Parker this morning that the body was
identified there were enough theories i'm
scituate as to whom the victim was for
every townsman to have one of
his own. The local officers did
good work in considering all the
more reasonable ones and last night they
had followed up every possible clue, only
to lind that they amounted to nothing.
For instance, the statement that the
murdered woman was Mrs. Lucy Shippee
had been received with credulity
and was taken for fact
late yesterday afternoon when
a milkman from Foster named GrinpelI
looked at the body and declared that it
was that OF Lucy Shippee, a woman whom
he had gone to school with, and who had
not changed so in the six years since he
had seen her last, but that he could
recognize her. This Identification
was taken as absolute and a messenger
was sent post haste over the pike to the
home of old Welcome Shippee in Foster.
to tell man 50 years old that his daueb-
ter had been murdered while on the way
to visit her home after an absence OF wears.
1t was gloomy message TO bear and
the road over Beaconpole hill
on stormy night makes a
black ride, but the messenger made good
time in covering the nine miles through
the woods and at s O'Clock he was at
Welcome Shippers farm, only to learn
that the daughter, Lucy, was safe and
sound at her uncle's on Chestnut Hill.
Just over the State line, and that her |
father had received a letter from her
writtea Saturday morning, II hours after
the finding Of the body.
On Wednesday afternoon Mr.. Thomas
Penny and a Mr.. Anthony of this city.
while driving on the Hartford Pike, saw a |
woman In company with three men sit
ting on the roadside, within two miles |
OF the spot where the body was found. |
and one OF the men had Jug. This |
was all reported to the authorities when /
the fact OF the murder came out, and |
there seemed to be plausible connection
at first, but In contradiction to that fact
is the surety that horse and carriage il
figured In the tragedy, the conditions of |
the dead woman's shoes was such as to
show that she had not been trampinp
over the dusty Scituate roads. There was
no indication OF alcohol brought out in
the autopsy to show that the woman had
been drinking, and the jug that suggested
he possession OF liquor and debauch il
an old piece of crockery that had been
on a stone wall at that particular
corner for weeks. SO theory number two
was discarded.
Coroner Wood concluded his INQUEST nj
a late hour this afternoon, but nothing
new was brought out as all the witnesses
were the men living in Scituate. who had
already told their stories to the news
paper reporters.
Emily Chambers maiden name was
Drummond. She had been twice married
and has two brothers living in this city.
David j. Drummond OF Grand View street.
and Frank Drummond of Fillmore street.
The remains will probably he delivered TO
them tomorrow. Mrs. Cham bers, preyi-
ous TO her work for Mr.. Gilbane, had been
employed as table girl at the Hotel
flallett.
The ringing OF the bells for yesterdays
forenoon and evening services i'm the lit
lie wayside meeting houses i'm the towns
,f Foster and Scituate. did NOT stop trag-
sdy talk or the swapping OF rumors. The
people went to church but they talked of
he murder going and coming, whispered
about 1t between the opening hymn and
he benediction and there was more than