Evening journal., 1904-10-21
lRRESI'IN MURDER CASE
Iusband Of Woman Found Dead Near
Eridgeton, n. ]. held as Witness.
.vpENog 81 AasAuLr TuaNs UP


'lndlns Of Torn Clothing Tends to
Show Woman Was Msltreated Be-
fcre Being Killed - Rough-Lookins
Man warted by Police.
Dridseton, N. j.. Oct. 21.-The only
development in the mystery surround
rg the death OF Mrs. Frank Rasinger,
whose body was found by her husband
est Tuesday in their farm house. was
he arrest Of the husband. He is held
Without bail as q witness. This action
as taken at the instance Of County
rceecutor Fithian. Rasinger was
osely questioned by the county au-
loriiies. but could give no clue.
William BarracliH. who has farm
car that of tho Rasingars. informed
ne police officials that a rough-looking
on With a bicycle came to his farm
"a the day Mrs. Raringer met her death
nd asked the way to the Raainger
arm. He wanted to know whether
my men were about the Rasinger
lace The police are trying TO trace
he man.
The coroners jury viewed the body
of Mrs. Raeinger and made an investi-
cation Of tho farm house and surround
ilgs preliminary to the inquest. The
funeral was held today.
A gruesome feature of the investiga-
ton was the photographing of the
dead body of the young wife. With
only a small cloth around her waist,
the dead woman was taken from the
ice-box in the little parlor and stood
IN one corner of the room. The pic
ture was taken showing the wounds
that killed her.
In the absence of material clues to
ire identity of the culprit the authori-
ties have had to fall back on circum-
stantial evidence. which seems to
place the young husband in an en-
barrassins position. one discovery
wcs made, however. which goes far
to help clear Rasinger Of any sus-
picion which might surround him.
When Coroner Hall prepared TO bum
lie up tho dead woman's clothing to
take them to his office it was seen
that tho under garments were badly
torn AS the Raslngers were by no
means in straightencd circumstances.
IL is unlikely that Mrs Rasingor
would have worn such ragged gar
ments. or If they had been torn she
would have monded them before put
ting them on. This is another strong
link in the chain Of evidence that
points toward an attempted assault,
and. therefore, holsters the theory that
the criminal was not the husband.
Il is evident that considerable inn
portance is attached TO the statement
OF Everett Sheppard. the 11year-old
hoy who works on the Rasinger farm.
This boy was not about the house
when the shooting occurred, or when
the body was found, Strange as it
may seem. this fact IS looked upon as
rather important.
The hoy had not been IN the custom
Of being absent from the house or
farmyard between the hours OF 2 and
IN the afternoon, and his absence
on Tuesday afternoon was. therefore.
noticeable. lie told the oihcials that
no was IN the woods about half a mile
IN the rear of the house picking hick-
oiy nuts. Asked how he happened 20
so there. the lad replied that he re-
ceivod permission from Frank Rasi1.
ger.
At the time young Sheppard was
picking nuts there was considerable
work to be done about the house and
yard Rasinger himself was busy sort
ing potatoes. and for a time he was
helped by Everett but the boy wen,
away and the husband continued at
his work alone The boy returned to
the house at about o'clock. having
been gone about an hour. AS he en-
tered the yard he saw Rasinger ap-
preaching with DR.. Hummill, of Shi-
Ion.