The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-08-21
SAYS DOCTOR
WAS MURDERED
Body Found in Hudson and
Friends Have Awful Fears.
MYSTERIOUS WOMAN IN CASE
She Calls at The Morgus and wesps When
Asks II She Is a Relative
Of Deceased.
MYSTERIOUS WOMAN IN CASE

New York, Aug. M.-Murdered and rob-
he'd and his body thrown into the Hud-
son river is the solution offered by
friends of the mysterious disappearance
or DIR. william j. Larmer from the home
OF DR.. Joseph Il. Messenger. No. sos West
Twenty second street. and whose body
was found floating opposite l6sth street
yesterday.
DR. Messenger, who was probably the
last person who knew DR.. Larmer TO zee
him alive. stated emphatically last night
that there were grounds for grave suspi-
cion In connection with the case and that
he had asked the coroner's office to make
a rigid Investigation.
Dr. Messenger identified the body and
said there were ugly cuts and bruises
about the face Added to this Is the fact
that DIR. Larmer's gold watch was miss
ing The watch was attached 70 q heavy
chain which could hardly have been
broken loose from the waistcoat.
ELEMENT OF MYSTERY.
A further element Of mystery entered
the case, when a well dressed and re-
fined woman. about "a years Of age. called
at the Harlem morgue last evening and
asked 10 see the body. The woman re-
fused to tell her name. nor would she
tell why she wished TO view the body.
II would like TO look at the body found
In the river" she said
John Green. the keeper. led her to the
morgue. Going direct 10 the place where
the body lay, he pulled It out into view.
Silently the woman looked at It, Green
says she clinched her hands as IL striving
to keep back the tears. Then she turned
away.
Are you a relative7'' he asked.
1T is DIR. Larmer. and that Is all can
say" was her only answer.
The police believe that the doctor was
the man who jumped from the ferryboat
Oswego on Monday night. They say that
the body must have been caught In a tow
and drawn up the river. The marks on
the body, they say could have been In
hicted by the wheel of the ferryboat and
from coming in contact with obstructtons
| In the river.
A friend called on DIR. Messenger last
night and told him DR.. Larmer had been
| negotiating during the last week for the
| purchase OF some lots near the spot where
| his body was found. He thinks that. per-
| haps, DIR. Larmer decided to go out 10
| l5Sth street and take a look at the ground
| he intended TO purchase.
FALLEN WITH THIEVES.
1t was a moonlight night and It seems
| plausible that the man may have under
taken the journey and fallen in with
| thieves.
The theory that DIR. Larmer was the
man who jumped from the ferryboat Os-
| wego was secuted by DR.. Messenger.
Dr. Larmer was last seen alive on Mon
| day evening about o'clock. when, after
dinner. he left the home OF DR.. Meseen-
ger to go around the corner and purchase
| cigar. He was expected to return In q
/ v,,tp ma
For the last five weeks DR.. sLarmer hac
been in iii health and spent the most OF
his time on a farm at Gillette. N. j. Sat
urday he came in to the city. and, cas- his
house was In the hands of q caretaker fol
the summer he stopped with DR. Messen-
ger.
| When he did not return Monday nigh
DIR. Messenger wes greatly alarmed. ~
| communicated with the police and with
several OF DR.. Larmers frieAds. thinking
perhaps ne had suddenly decided to go ou
| to spend the evening. No word came o
the missing man until noon yesterday
| when DR.. Messenger identified the body
MUCH DOMESTIC TROUBLE.
| Patrick j. O'Beirne. Of No. 1S2 Nassau
| street had been DR.. Larmer's attorney iv
several years. When asked whether h
believed the physician had drowned him
self. he said he was not familiar enough
| opinion, although he would not have beer
| surprised at such a thing.
''Dr Larmer has had considerable do
| mestic trouble" he said. Early las
spring DrALarmer had his wife placed II
| private sanitarium at Rivercrest, AS
| toria. L. l.. on a certificate Of unsoun,
! mind signed by two physicians. Judg
Beech signed the decree. About on
| month ago Mrs. Larmer obtained her re
lease on a legal technicality. DR.. Lar
| msr had worked the case without legs
advice and had served the papers on Mrs
Larmer himself II was upon tni
ground, as I understand 1t. that she wa
released. They have been living apar
since that time. Mrs. Larmer at Bat
| Beach and the doctor with a friend a
!. / 1u,atta