The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-12-11

Stanton residents are Of the opinion
that murder has been committed in
their midst. The dead girl is Martha j.
Manson. the 20 year old daughter Of
Frederick Munsou of Christiana, but
whether she lost her life on the p. w, Il
B Railroad, or at tho hands of unknown
barties, then thrown into White Clay
Greek to dispel suspicion will be deterlniu
ed by Deputy coroner Chambers jury
which will in all probability meet to.nor
row.
. Miss Munson YVES n Comely colored girl
who had been living with the family Of
Charles Ewart in Philadelphia. She went
to Chrtstianu several days ago to visit hor
parents aud about . o'clock Wednesday
night left the home, not telling her par.
ents where she was going. She did nutrn-
turn and the next time the parents saw
their child she WAS dead. This was s
o'clock yesterday morning. Tho girls
limbs were broken
There We're no external wounds, but
there vera bruises about the throat and
breast. The absence of any cuts and the
facts that the body was found 25) yards
from the railroad, and several pieces Of
clothing soue distance Eruu tho railroad
bridge whore the young girl would have
been struck had she been hurled into the
creek By a railroad train, give rise to tha
suspicion OF foul play which the deputy
coroner Ia now lLYeSh gazing.
No one knows how Martins reached the
railroad bridge which Il this side Of the
Stanton depot, but every ona knows that
she lost her lilo whereabouts, The most
suspicious facts in the case are that the
the young woInan'a pocket book and coat
were found some distance from the bridge.
Bow this Will hG explained remains TO he
seen. In the pocket book was found a
ticket from Stanton to Newark but o
money which her parents say they were
positive she had when leaving home.
Another fact which has given rise to
tbs foul play theory is the variance be
tween the railroad COlnpany's report Of
the time Of the affair, and the time it must
have occurred. 1t ia q setriad fact that
Martha left her home at s o'clock. The
distance to the bridge is not over four
mi ~ hour and a quarter walk for her
anu ~ reach 1t from the Munson home
the girl would have to pass tho Stanton
station. If she had been on her way to
Newark and hi d intended to walk, she
would not have como to Stanton, and bad
she intended to take the train she would
not have walked down the railroad OOO
feet below the station.
These are taGJs which can be explained
by no ons but the girl herself. a railroad
man reported he had struck an object late
that nlgh6 in the vicinity of the bridge,
but it could nov have taken the young
girl over an hour and quarter to have
reached the spDs, therefore IL could not
have been the body Of the girl unless she
had fingered about the bridge several
hours, which seems almost Incredible.
Tie probabilities are that the body
would not have been recovered, yet had
II not been for tie finding Of the girls coat
bat and pocketboo5 on the railroad. The
trackmen who rnade the find spread the
s7ews and soon half dozen men wero
dragging the creek, and then efforts were
successful after half an hours search
Tie body was under the water and cover
ed with mud. In this condition Deputy
Coroner Chandler received it. He doubts
the foul play theory as a ring and brace
let both Of poor quality were found on
the girl.
Tho quality Of the jewellery Is o solu'
tiou to this apparent problem OF why
these should be Untouched by murderers
But the official says lie has NOT seen The
pocketbook, railroad ticket, nor was he
sufficiently familiar with the parts Of thu
case to form an opinion in the matter