The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-19
Twenty Pound Weight Attached
by a Hitching Strap.
SKULL is FRACTURED
And There Was a Stab Wound
in the Abdomen.
Identity Established by Testi-
mony of Her II usband.

New York, Sept. 19.-Detectives of
New York, Jersey City and other near
gerher to unraveI the mystery of the
death of Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer, whose
nude body was found yesterday III the
Morris canal in the outskirts of Jersey
City, under circumstances indicating
murder.
The husband of the woman. tailor
of this city, was brought from Jersey
City to police headquarters in this city
early today and closely questioned.
Sergeant Phaler. in charge of The de-
tective bureau, last night said that
Pulitzer told the police that he was out
night, and that when he got home he
decided to have light repast and
asked his wife to prepare some coffee.
house and she went to get some, and
also some bread and fruit. According
to the police, Pulitzer learned later that
his wife had been to the bakery for the
bread and there he lost trace of her.
Sergeant Phaler added that Pulitzer
had made statement to the New York
detectives which was considered so inn
portant that it would not be made
public.
Mrs. Eva Fleming. who keeps the
boarding house where the Pulitz.rs
said the couple had been living there
about four weeks, that they were quiet
and that she had seen Mrs. Pulitzer
only two or three times and would not
zer told her they had been married
about five years.
| The story told by Mrs Fleming about
Mrs Pulitzer going out for eatables on
Tuesday night differs somewhat from
| that given out at the detective bureau.
According to Mrs. Fleming, Pulitzer
told her. after his wife's disappearance
and before it was known she had been
murdered that he had come at about
II o'clock Tuesday night feeling sick
and that his wife suggested she would
get some fruit for him. He told her
that the streets were crowded with men
who had been attending the primaries
and that it would not be wise for her to
go out She disregarded his advice
however, and taking OF some of her
| jewelry, went out for the fruit and
| that was the last he saw of her until
| he identified her body at the Jersey City
morgue.
At the detective bureau this morning
| it was said that the Central office had
been notified by the Newark police to
be ON the lookout for black runabout
with solid rubber tires and also for
small bay horse. both of which have
been missing from the livery stable of
| a man named Mullins since yesterday
morning.
The police say that Pulitzer formerly
had a business of his own, but gave it
! up and Of late has been working at
times for his brother who has a tailor
store in this citv.
The dead woman was a Dane
G. NJ Pulitzer, a brother of Joseph, call
ed at police headquarters this morning
and was closeted with the detectives
The discovery of the body was made by
the driver Of an express wagon. passing
canal on the Meadows. An attempt had
been made to sink it with a 20-pound iron
the s,s other end Of which was s tied around FOUND
| the waist. A long stab wound was found
| by County Physician Converse revealed
| the fact that the woman's skull was frac-
ably abb two days had elapsed since the - wo-
man was killed, but that the body had
been in the saasS water only & few hours: % The The
| Chief of Police Murphy put all his avail
able detectives on the case.
said he had simply called to Joseph
Pulitzer and that he had no connection
Captain Titus said that the murdered
| woman's husband was in the hands of
two detectives let d ana thnashh that they Would % go
| captain said he believed that Pulitzer's
story was the truth.
clues he had. He replied that the most
| important clue he had at present was the
the Pulitzers lived on Tuesday. He said
| that detectives were now at work on that
The theory of Chief of Police Murphy of
Jersey City is that the woman was killed
Mew ra xork ana fe raer tne on fev boat
and taken to Jersey City where II was
| found in a wagon. The chief thinks that
| some one who admired the woman killed
| her in fit Of jealousy. He does not be-
| lieve robbery was the motive.
The 2o-pound weight which % was attach. cn.
the dead woman's waist was identified to-
day as the property of Charles Evans.
| who keeps a stable in Hoboken. Mr..
| Evans SAYS that early Wednesday evening
| a man entered the stable and said he
wanted a rig that was cable of carrying
a large valise. hitching strap and
| weight which he asked for were given to
| him He did not return the rig until eight
o'clock the next morning.