The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-10-22
TWO BOYS FOUND SLAIN
Their Bodies Discovered in a Field
Near Haddon Heights, NJ.
POLICE ARREST A COMPANION

with Them Last-Hc Stoutly Main
tained His Innocence, Although Posi'
tiveiy Identified by . Girl-Poison
Theory Advancsd by the Authorities.
Camden, N. jim finding the bodies
of John II. Coffin. eleven years oiu'
and Price Jennings. three years MS
senior, in q weed-grown field on the
farm Of Hulings Lippincott. on the
Chew's Landing Road. near Haddon
Heights. about seven miles southeast
of Camden, the police had q bafnins
mystery on their hands.
The dead boys were sons OF we'll
known Camden men. They disap'
peared from their homes shortly after
noon Wednesday. The body OF Jen-
uinSs was found Friday night. That or
Price was found the following morn
Ing. A short distance separated them.
Murder is strongly suspected. faul
Woodward, Of Camden, sixteen years
old, was placed under arrest, charged
with the killing Of young Coffin only.
Not a single mark Of violence was
found on the body Of either lad. Poison
was what killed them, perhaps. The
police officials are inclined to this the.
ory. The stomachs Of the victims were
taken for analysis to George NJ. ber'
ringer, q Camden chemist.
Young Woodward stoutly maintained
his innocence. Shortly after his arrest
he made a voluntary statement. He
traced his movements from Wednes'
day to the present time without hesita.
ton. He admitted seeing Jennings and
Coffin on Tuesday, but not since then.
His story, however, Is contradic'ed
BY Lillian Martin. She Is fifteen years
old and lives in West COllingswoOd.
She declared that on Wednesday after
noon, between and q o'clock, Jen.
nings and Coffin. with an older boy,
entered the Cycler's Rest on the White
Horse Pike, where she was clerk. and
bought pies and soda pop. She was
confronted with Woodward In County
Prosecutor Lloyd's office. and she iden-
tilted him as the youth who was with
Coffin and Jennings. This is practical
ly all the police have learned.
The two boys were great chums.
Wednesday afternoon they met outside
the Jennings home and walked north.
They were last seen alive In the 'Cy-
cler's Rest" within short distance OF
where their bodies were found. I'M
mediately after their disappearance the
police were informed. No clue was dis.
covered, although the country was
searched.
Clarence Krusen OF Haddon Heights.
and Frank johnson, boys Of Philadel-
phla, found the body Of Jennings. They
had been shooting blackblrds on Fri.
day. and ut dusk were hurrying
through the Llppincott farm toward
Krusen's home. Following path
along the brink Of pit, leading from
a chestnut grove. they stumbled over
the body Of Jennings, which lay
under tree. They ran to Haddon
Heights and told Frecholder Samuel
Wood. He in turn telephoned Coroner
Paul Litchfield.
No search was made for the second
body until Jennings had been identified
by John Coffin's father. 1t was then
searchers found Collins body In a
clump Of weeds forty yards from
where Jennings had been found.
Soon after both bodies arrived at the
Morgue the autopsy was begun. The
police lost no time. and acting on clue
given them by Mr.. Coffin. Woodward
was arrested. For more than an hour
Prosecutor Lloyd and Detectives Cher.
~ and Hart cross-examlned Wood
ward. Three times he was confronted
with Lillian Martin. and each time as
she left the Prosecutors private Office
she declared that he was the boy who
was with Jennings and Coffin ut "Cy-
cler's Rest"
The only explanation given rs to
why Woodward was charged with
killing Coffin was that the authorities
were not sure Of their ground. and SIM
ply wanted to hold the suspect until
something more definite could 6e
learned.
Young Coffin was n son OF William
Coffin, Division Freight Agent Of the
Pennsylvania Railroad. Jennings
father is Josephus Jennings. a we'll
known musician and director OF the
Third Rapi,npnt Rand of Camden