Bridgeton pioneer., 1896-04-23
DEAD AND ALONE!

A Post Mortem Held Over the Dead Girls
| Body. The Coroner's Jury Hold John
Nickerson, of yineland, to An
swer. Taken to Salem.
Word was received in this city Mon
day that young woman had died under
mysterious circumstances at the home of
Samuel johnson, at Greenville, a small
settlement about two miles from Elmer.
I A PIONEER reporter visited the house,
and found that the report was true, and
that in story and half house at the
quaint country settlement of Pennytown,
lay dead on the bed a pretty young
woman.
Who she was no one seemed to know,
not even Mr.. and Mrs. johnson. Or, if
they did, they were very reticent about
the matter. In fact they refused to say
much about the case at all. Everybody
seemed close -mouthed, and it was with
great difficulty that even word about
the case was dropped
1t was by mere accident that the dead
woman's name was learned. The re-
porter picked up a slate in the shed, and.
turning it over, read in lady's hand
writing: "MIss IDA HoFFEY,
''Vineland,
IN. j."
This was the first those outside the case
knew anything about her name.
The news of this sudden death was sent
to Salem, and Prosecutor of Pleas John
Action, Constable Carney, County Physi-
clan Clifton Sharon and Coroner Louis
Hoelzel hurried to the scene. Mayor
Packard, of Elmer, and Constable Sith-
ems were also at the house.
The Johnsons acted very queer about
the case, and Mr.. johnson at the APP
proach of Mayor Acton's party met them
with double barreled shot gun and be-
gan harangue at the party. Constable
Carney took the gun away from him.
johnson became rather boisterous, so
much that way that Mayor Acton ordered
him taken from the house and put in
irons, while he interviewed Mrs. John
son.
While the officers of the law were up
stairs, the reporter got the Johnsons to
talk little, but they would not tell the
woman's name. They said she came 70
their house, or rather was brought there
by an intimate friend of theirs to board.
They had never seen the woman before
and at first refused to take her, but the
party who took her there insisted so hard
that they finally agreed to take her.
She told them she was feeling bad;
that she worked in Keighley's shoe fac
tory in Vineland and had worked so hard
she felt bad and wanted to rest. She was
of cheerful disposition and was as lively
as a cricket, and "we never suspected
anything wrong about the woman" said
Mrs. johnson. She has been to our
house about three weeks; we liked her
ever so much; while here she was visited
by two men. The names of the men the
Johnsons refused to reveal, but they
were known and were there at the house
at the time. The girl was about twenty
two years of age, rather slender and deli
cate and her complexion was between
blonde and a brunette. She was cheer
full under the heavy cloud of disgrace
which hung over her.
John Nickerson, son of Constable
Nlckerson, of Vineland, who was
charged with being responsible for
the girls condition, was sent for,
Constable Sithens, of Elmer, went over
to Vineland and brought him over to the
house. Mr.. Nickerson did not say much
about the case, but while a post mortem
examination was being held he called the
reporter one side and told him that he
knew the girl and had been paying atten-
ton to her for over year. 81 feel terri
BILE bad over this affair as 1 thought a
great deal of the girl and intended to
marry her. 1 was never more surprised
in my life than when heard of her death.
l had not seen her for two weeks previous
to this. Mr.. Nickerson seemed to feel
his position keenly and while he did not
take the girl to Johnson's house, he had
her sent there and paid her board at the
rate of one dollar per day.
County Physician Sharon and DR.. Dare
performed the post mortem and found
that the woman had died from criminal
operation performed either by herself or
some other person. The women was
taken i'll at five O'Clock a. m. Sunday and
did not receive medical attention until
ten O'Clock p. m. when DIR. Rulon Dare
was called.
The woman was very weak then and he
did all in his power to save her. Had he
been called when she was taken. he sees
no reason why her life could not have
been saved. DR.. Dare said the woman
was alive when he arrival at tho bouso
and she said to him, Cant you do any
thing for me?" He did all in his power
to save her, but it was too late.
There she lay dead on the bed yester-
day, surrounded not by friends, for she
was alone in the world, but by officers of
the law, and the only known person that
was friend in life was John Nickerson.
Her face bore an expression of grief even
in death. So far as could be learned she