Evening journal., 1896-01-22
STRANGLED TO DEATH.
A Mysterious Murder In the
Suburbs Of New York.
ROBBBEY TRg APPARENT MOTIVB.


r.. Her Lonely Cottage at Mamaronecis.
Bound, Gagged and Bruisod-Evidencc
Of q Terrible Struggle For Life.
NEW YORK, Jan. 22.-csiss Mary e.
Hills, a rctrad schoolteacher of supposed
ample means, known as a poctcss, whose
verse appeared in New York newspapers
and magazines, was found dead In her cot.
tago at Mamaronock under circumstances
which lead people there TO believe that she
was strangled TO death by a robber who
came for her money
Miss Hills was 80 years old. She for
merly lived at 567 East One Hundred and
Forty eighth street. this city, and taught
school in Fordham. She gave up teach
ing about year ago, and with part of
the money left g her by her parents she
bought "a three st'iy modern frame cottage
in Bronx Brook Park, within 300 feet Of
the New York, New Haven and Hartford
railroad station at Mamaroneck.
She went 20 live In this house all alone,
saying that She would end her days amid
rural scenes. She was very eccentric In
her ways and, though her brother and her
sister, Mrs. George A. Campbell Of 4i2
West Forty third street, this city, protest
cd and tried to dissuade her she insisted
upon living there without servant or COM
panion.
Miss Hills was friendly with the neigh
bors whom she met them, but she seldom
went out and did not court attention She
lived on an income and had a reputation
of being always provided with plenty of
money, and many believed she kept large
sums in the mouse.
Found Dead on the Floor.
Mrs Julia +. Perrin and Mrs. f. I.
Goodwin went TO make "a social call upon
Miss Hills and found the cottage door
locked. On inquiry being made next door
as 10 whether Miss Hills was at home,
neighbors said that they had not seen her
that day.
The ladies looked through a window Of
the sitting room i'm the front OF the house
on the first floor and saw Miss Hills
stretched ON the loor face downward.
Station Ag,pt Kane, T.. j. Goodwin and
others were Summoned, and they forced
open a door. On going into the sitting
room they found that Miss Hills was dead
and her body was cold and stiff Her
dress was disarrangod and was torn al
most from her body. According to Mr.
Goodwin, who was the first TO see the
body, the arms were tied together by a
ladys long black stocking. About her
neck and thrown over her head was a fur
cape Some Of the witnesses are positive
that they saw marks on the woman s
throat, as II she had been strangled.
In the bed chamber on the upper floor,
where Miss Hills slept, everything was in
confusion. The feather bed was thrown
in one corner and the hair mattress in an
other
Tho sheets and quilts were strewn along
the hall, down the stairs and into the din
ing room, giving the impression that the
woman had boon lying on the bed, there
bound and gagged and then stranglcd,
and her lifeless body drawn down to the
dining room.
Supposed Deed Of a Tramp.
A noighhor has "a theory to the effect
that the woman gave food to tramp,
who was seen about the house the day be.
fore, as was her won't when any one ap.
piled, and the man, finding she was alone
in the house, lay in wait for an opportu-
nifty to rob her, and, if found necessary,
to kill her.
Everywhere there were evidences of a
severe struggle, showing that the woman
fought hard for her life.
Dr. Mixsell, who examined the body at
the request Of Coroner Banning, win not
give a definite opinion as to the cause of
death, as he was not one of the first to
view the body Yet he win not deny the
woman was strauglcd to death. DIR. Mix
sell said that the woman's body shows sew
eral bruises on the left leg just below the
knee and on the forearm and elbow. II
viii require an autopsy TO determine the
cause Of death. and this viii be made to.
day.
Tho ncighbors are convinced that a muir
der has beon committed for the money the
woman was generally believed to have al
ways about her. No ono who has viewed
the body believes that it is case Of sui.
nfTn