Evening journal., 1897-03-08
THE TUCHTON MYSTERY
She Was Last Seen Alive
Here Late Saturday Night.
WAS ON A DELAWARE AVENUE CAR

A1A-AN O4N IlL OAil Al = " OLOOh
AT NIGHT.
A statement which may have much
to do with clearing up the mysterious
death of Mrs. Fannie Tuchton was
made to the police this morning, and
is now being investigated 1t is that
Mrs. Tuchton was seen alive in this
city on the Saturday night on which
she met her death. She was on a Della
ware avenue car, and man passenger
on the car spoke to her. The state
ment that he had seen the girl was
made by the man to a Mrs. Burton, who
lives on West Fourth street near
Adams street.
Should investigation prove that this
statement is correct, it will account for
many things that have hitherto been
dark. Up to the present time, though
the police have worked diligently on
that point, no one had been found who
had seen the girl alive in this city later
than the Thursday prior to her death
This led to the conclusion in the
minds of some of the officers that she
had not been here alive since Thursday.
and to the further conclusion that if
murder had been done it might have
occurred outside of the city, possibly in
Philadelphia, and the body might have
been brought here.
The state officials have come to the
conclusion that it is a case of murder.
and Deputy Attorney-General Cooper,
who is pushing the investigation, has
stated that in his opinion murder was
committed. He also stated that some
arrests will be made in a few days
The theory that the woman might
have been murdered in Philadelphia
and brought here originated with the
Philadelphia authorities, and is due to
the fact that heretofore no clue to the
girls whereabouts here after Thursday
had been found. and the further fact
that nearly all of the people who have
any cognizance of the principal facts
in the case are Philadelphians.
ANOTHER MAN IN THE CASE.
The police attach great Importance
to the theory that there is another man
/ implicated in the case, having as a ba-
sis for their belief, the fact that Mrs
/ Woods, in her testimony before the
cOroners jury, stated that it was not
| Tuchton who accompanied his wife to
her place when the arrangements for
placing the child were made.
This man called himself Robertson
and Mrs. Tuchton gave the name OF
Mrs. Robertson. They are hunting fol
the mysterious Mr.. Robertson.
In spite of Mrs Woods failure Il
identity Tuchton as the man who ac
companied Mrs. Tuchton, she gave F;
description Of the man, before seeing
Tuchton, which fully fits him. Tuch
ton was not asked by the coroner'
jury whether he had accompanied hii
wife to Mrs Woods house. but wher
he was asked about it by the police OF
Saturday he denied it.
Detective Witsil has gone 10 Phila.
delphia, and will remain there for sew
eral days on the case. He will work
with the Philadelphia officials in ar
effort to find Robertson.
TuchtOn was in conference for sew
eral hours on Saturday night witt
1 Chief of Police Dolan, and he agair
went over the story of the murder, de
failing his whereabouts. All his state
ments were found to be correct. AS fal
as can be learned he gave no explanation
as to how he came to sleep in Philadel
)phia at the house where his wife stayeC
on the night of her death, though sh'
was missing from the house at thu
time.
There have been for some days ru
mors that Mr.. Tuchton purchased
yacht and had it stocked with provi
sions for the purpose of leaving tn
city. The only basis for this statemen
yet found, was that Mr.. Tuchton and
friend returned from a trip on tn
yacht down the Delaware bay on Feb
ruary 21. and that since that time b
has sold the boat.
The tragedy still forms almost tn
sole topic of conversation throughou
the city, and yesterday thousands O
people went out to Brandywine park I
view the scene Of it.
Rev. W. w. Sharp, pastor of Wesle
NJ. E. Church, alluded to the tragedy i
his sermon last night, saying: Mr.!
Tuchton, around whose death ther
seems to be some mystery, may hav
| been murdered. Mark my words,
| the murderer is living in twenty year
he will be found out
Governor Tunnel may be asked
offer a reward for solution OF tn
mystery.
1t has been suggested that the r'
ceipt of a message by Mrs. Tuchton o
the Friday night before her death, an
which she went out in a heavy sno
storm to answer, may have had som
connection with her death. The not
was brought by a messenger boy. Mr.
Tuchton went out after receiving 1t an
returned in about an hour, but refuse
III. NaH