New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-18
SHOWED FREEP0RT ROAD
WOMAN MUCH EXCITED.
Hem pstead Man Identifies Clothing
Hundreds VieTc the Body.

James O. Birch. an electrician and dealer in
bicycles. of No. 1l9 Henry-st. Hampstead. II
became known yesterday. saw and talked with
the young woman whose body was found a week
ago IN the woods near Freeport. Long Island,
four or five days before the discovery Of the
body She was walking from Hampstead tow
ard Freeport, while Birch was taking his usual
after dinner walk. lie in Henry-st. near
Hampstead. when she stopped him
Would you be kind enough 10 direct me on
the way to Freeporty' she asked in perfect Eng
lish.
Birch gave the direction. and the woman's
failure 10 thank him caused him to notice her
especially.
she appeared 10 he laborinE under extreme
excitement and deep depression" said Birch 10
n Tribune reporter last night. Il never saw ,
sadder face. Her cape was silk lined. She left
me. and did not see her again until this even
sng when visited the morgue at District At
ssornev NJiemann's request. I recognized the
satchel and the cape and other clothing but
not the woman. The woman in the morgue
appears to have been roughly handled, and It
would be impossible 10 recognize the body def
sitely with no better acquaintance than that
irelated The satchel and cape I positively
identified"
District Attorney ,Siemann believes the fact
ahat the woman was going from Hampstead
toward Freeport strengthens the suicide theory,
especially as Birch laid such stress on her APP
g,earanoe Of deep depression. Justice Wallace
and some OF the detectives believe that the meet
sng and the woman's lonely walk add force 10
she murder theory. She expected TO meet some
one on the way TO Freeport they contend The
meeting between the woman and Birch occurred
"a mile from Greenfield Cemetery. The harm
where the murder may have been committed
was not far distant
We Will so through Hampstead as with
fine toothed comb tomorrow" said District At
sorHey Niemann last night. We want 10 know
ar any one else saw this young woman. and to
trace her back to ascertain her identity"
The body viii be buried to-day in Greenfield
Cemetery. Part Of the 500 sent anonymously
on Thursday for the purpose win be used 10 de-
fray the burial expenses. DIT. Denton. who re-
ceived the money. has retained it, hoping it may
help to identify the body. but he viii use it with
out scruple. however as he has no doubt it was
sent by some person who should pay for the
young woman's burial.
All day Saturday Justice Wallace was be-
sieeed with requests for permission to view the
body He granted the requests more freely
than he would otherwise hoping that some one
might recognize the body. Most OF those who
visited the morgue seemed to he onlv morbidly
curious. There were several hundred altogether
Some even took children Win mem, Dll AUNT
stance was refused TO them.
The man who sent a letter from Philadelphia
signed Benjamin J. Lang. IN which the belief
scvas expressed that the dead woman was his
missing wife did not 60 to Freeport. as the let
ter promised.
The authorities did not credit the statement
made in the letter IS an irreconcilable error ap
seared Lang said he had seen his wife last on
April 10 IN Philadelphia. whereas the body
found near Freeport on April u had been dead
ahree days
DR. Denton. who performed the autopsy, took
She contents Of the stomach 70 a Manhattan
chemist. The examination was unsatisfactory.
and the chemist has asked for the stomach.
II IS TO he sent to-day. report from the chem
Asst IS expected on Thursday.
Since the Maybee murder Long Island has had
no such mysterious crime as that Of Freeport 10
ainravel. except the "Dimple" Lavrence-Clar-
sence Foster tragedy. which remains unexplained.
Mrs. Josephine Sneider Of Newark. has told
she police that she believes the body found near
Freeport Long Island. that Of young
LIs-oulan who had long boarded at her home.
The boarder had left Mrs. Sneider's five weeks
ago after the latter had demonstrated with her
sor staying out late at night. She had received
500 by the death Of a relative short time be-
fore. The published description OF the dead
woman. says Mrs. Sneider. tallies exactly with
shat OF the boarder. and she also declares the
verses found IN the girls satche were Of kind
She young woman had frequently carried.