The sun., 1896-09-09
MRS. BLEY WAS DEMENTED.
SIZE BELIEVED SHE WIS TO COME
INTO 4 LARGE FOkTUTE.


The Woman Feuud in the Wood. Nenr
New Rochelle Had Been Dead for Sew.
erni Months-FriendIeas, Errntie, md De-
spondcnt, she Probably Endrd Her Life.
For three months the body Ut Mrs. Barbara
Bley has been lying on an exposed knoll In
Aden's Woods near New Rochelle. In all that
time no one has searched for her or has even
inquired about her Her sister and daughter,
both Of whom live in New Rochelle, believed,
after her disappearance, that she lad given MP
wandering through the suburban towns along
the Sound MS had been her custom; that che
had made up her mind to s:ny in tho city and
trouble them more. She was friendless
The police authorities in the Sound villages are
relieved to know that they need no longer keep
II watch on her movements.
Mrs. Bley was So years OF age. Thirty years
ago she was married to a man named Herring
who lived in New Rochelle. They had Ave
children, the oldest OF whomls now 20 years old
Herring died, and his wife started a boarding
house in New Rochelle. She was known In the
neiRhborhood rs q shrewd business woman,
but eccentric. 1t is said that three years ago
she set fire 20 the house in which she lived, next
door to the stable in which her body now lies
Two years ago Mrs. Herring married August
Blcy. worker In silk mill in New Jersey.
She went with Blev to his home on the
Hackensack plank road. The two were not
hhppy togctner. Nhr5. Bley, ABOUT year
ago, went to her daughters In Now
Rochelle and complained about Bley. She
begged Mrs. Henrichs, her married daughter.
TO take her in, and hinted that great sums of
money were coming to her very soon. Mrs.
Bley continually dwclt on this fortune that was
coming within the next few months She had
crazy notion, too, that a New York brewer
lad promised to help her in establishing a sa-
loon on Third avenue. At other times she said
that the saloon was to be in Larchmont. When
tho mysterious fortune came. she said. she
would pay Off any ndebtedness that might be
remaining against the saloon. and then turn IL
over to her daughters. while she retired into
luxurious ease On tho remainder OF the imagi-
nary heritage.
Mrs. Bley drank great deal. and was quarrel
some and noisy when she suggested that ker air
castles were not taken seriously by those about
her. She had SO many squabbles with Mrs.
Heinrichs that she was at last asked to make
her home somewhere else. The old woman went
to the house of Mrs. Rohrs with whom Laura
Herring. tho youngest daughter. was living.
Mrs. Bley. or Mrs. Herring as she insisted upon
calling herself after She had left her husband,
told Mrs Rohrs that the amount of rent asked
for was very small matter indeed. Mrs. Rohrs
might have to wait little While she said as that
long awaited Inheritance was disappointingly
slow III coming.
With some reluctance Hirs. Bey was admitted
to the household. She was no sooner In than
she spent all her time inventing stories OF her
abuse by Mrs Heinrichs l. then became evident
were Inventions Mrs meinriehs mad always
been as kind and forbcaring as possible with her
stories of matrcatmcnt at the hands Of her
daughter hat were worse than those that she
had told about Bey.
Not only WAS Mrs. Bley's presence unpleasant
but she paid no rent. 1t became apparent that
her nd m.s m Mns o 1 s1m1pie,ey her
turned out Of Airs. Ronrs's house house early l last
bupR little later went back to New Rochelle,
where she took furnished ROOM and now and
then visited her daughters with much for
inaity. From time to time she was heard from
in Rye. Port Chester. Mount Vernon. Pelham,
wherever She went. At one time she was sent
out TO Pelham by the police and warned not TO
return. u warning Which she disrrRardcd. for
she was seen in Pelham about a week before the
supposed time OF her death.
Rochelle. She had been in town for day or
two. but did not go To tho homes OF her IRugh-
,@erI @ though a, she e was seen hsnKtns about the
Day she went out among tho holiday crowds
ahisinG her daughters and boas,ins Of her vis.
ionary wealth which. she said. hnd come At
last. and wa~ deposited in a New York bank.
Here the story OF the known facts of her life
ends.
Three young men who were hunting In Adrn's
Woods on Monday stumbled upon her body
Eleven handk-rchiefs were scattered around
One OF them was knottei on twig that hung
over the woman's head. 1t was easily visible
from the house OF Frank Stouter. n farmer
| which is half a mile distant from the spot. Mr.
| Stouter sad yesterday that he and his family
| had never pnid any attention to the hand kerr
| chief. Mr.. Stouter added. however, that he hnd
Mt three different times seen from his house
| couples walking over the knoll where Mrs
| Bley's body was found. lie IS OF the opinion
that these persons had seen the body. but for
| known as Its discoverers. and placed the hand
| kerchief on the twig 10 attract attention.
A piece OF cloth. which WAS at time part
pf nF-in fnl hnt, ha
| wrist of the right arm and carried back TO the
| forearm and knotted again. The arm itself
was doubled up that the hand was very
nearly resting in The armpt. The left arm was
| lying across her chest. The appearance of the
clothing indicated that it had been disturbed
| after the wOtnan's death
| Tho body Was removed to the village. and
| Coroner Banning was summoned from Mount
Vernon. \ careful examination OF tho body
| showed that the skull had not been fractured.
and that the woman had been dead ut least
| three months. In a pOcketbnOk found under the
body the Coroner found ~ cents. Il railroad
| ticket from Rye t" Mount Vernon with one hole
punched in ii. indicating that tho holder had
stopped over at New Rochelle. The date could
not he distinguished. There was also {. pawn
ticket showing that rerson giving the name
OF Herring had pIedC. ed n plush coat with "A
New York pawnbroker for Sill? on May 20.
The eleven hnnhKcrcnicrs were OF all sizes
and qualities. One o. two OF them were Of the
sort usually carried by men. One. of remark
ably good quality. WAS marked with al en-
n1oi1erGd ,mon"Ersm ,on,ainrE the letters
IL" ard still another the initial r."
Laura Herring id"nt flied the clothing and the
hat found near the body ~ her mothers prop
eriy. She also recognized n lock OF the hair
which WAS shown TO her hv the oroner. Ch"t
OF Police TimmOns Of New Rochelle In con-
WINGED that Mrs. Bleys death was due to natural
20 into any Investigations tending to prove that
q crime had been committed.