The Portland daily press., 1898-09-22

the Crime-GirPs Remains Positively
Identified by Her Brother-Mole on
Her Neck Completed the Identification.
Hartford, sConn., September 2l.-Wal-
ter G. Foster, young man employed as
salesman by the Fleischman Yeast Com
pany Of this city was arrested this morn
ing by Detective Walter Smith, for alleged
completely in the Bridgeport murder
mystery. The arrest was made at the in
stance of the Bridgeport police. and Fos-
ter will be taken to that city this after
noon.
For the first time since the discovery OF
the dismembered portions of woman
in the Yellow Mill Pond on the afternoon
of September 12, the police have shown
their hand, but the result has been SO
startling that it is believed the mystery
is about to be solved.
Last night it was the general belief
that the identification Of the woman
would never be known; and today not
only is the body positively identified to
the satisfaction of the police, but the
young man, who is the alleged accom-
plice in the crime, is under arrest. Super
intendent of Police Birmingham is posi-
tive that the dead girl is Emma Gill, a
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Harry Gill of
Southington, and acting under irstruc-
tions from him, Detective Smith of Hart
ford, arrested in that city this morning
Walter G. Foster of Hartford, for alleged
com Dlicitv In the oirl'S death.
The Identification that thoroughly satis-
fled the police they had at last reached
the solution of the mystery was made this
morning by a brother of the murdered
girl, and in speaking of the matter Su-
perintendent Birmingham said:
"No further proof of the Identification
should be required than glance at the
was prominent in the face of the dead
woman is duplicated in the feature of the
brother.
Furthermore, Superintendent Birming-
ham has all along maintained that the
dead body was that of country girl
and Miss Gill. who was born at Reynolds
Bridge, Conn. has always lived in the
country.
Miss Gill was "a years of age and had
been employed as domestic in the fam1-
Iy of James q. Pratt of Soutbington.
1t was apparent that the arrival of the
brother was expected at police headquar-
ters, for when he reached here accompa-
MED by companion, he went at once to
the police headq uarters spoke to the offi-
Ger in charge and was Immediately ad
mitted to the office of the chief and then
the entire party proceeded to the morgue.
The similarity Of the features OF the
dead woman and the living man was too
striking to admit a doubt, but that the
Identification was at last made thorough
before there was attempt to enuer INTO
the details, the brother said:
eff you can show me brown mole
on one side of the neck, will believe 1t is
my sister I" ,
An examination was made and for the
first time the mole was noted. The
young man broke down completely and
for nearly IS minutes the officials left him
turned to the police headquarters when
further information WAS CLEANED. Ihe
brother told how his sister started on a
vacation, which she said was to be OF Two
weeks and was to be spent according TO
her story at Light House Point, New
Haven. At the end Of two weeks the
sister returned home, but announced to
Mir. Pratt that she was ill and unable to
work and was going away again, but
wanted him to save her place. 10 her
parents she stated that her suitor, Walter
Foster of Hartford, had sister living
in Stratford and that he had invited her
to go there and spend week with them.
1t has been learned that letter ad-
dressed to Miss Emma Gill has been in
the Southernton office uncalled forlfor
more than a week.
After hearing the Erother's story, Su
perintendent Birmingham telephoned to
the Hartford police headquarters asking
them to get from Foster, who had been
previously placed under arrest, the Dames
and addresses of relatives in Stratford.
To the inquiry, "Do you know that
Foster has ever been in Bridgeport"
Superintendent Birmingham replied:
eyes, he has been here at different time;
but will say no rnore about that, how
ever, as it might cause Some people to
leave town in a hurry and we do not
want them to do that"
Detective Arnold left here for Hartford
this morning and will return with the
prisoner this afternoon.
The young man, VINO accompanied the
brother, is just as positive in the identi
fcation.