The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-24
SUSPECT MURDER And ARSON
UOHAN DEAD IN BURNED HOUSE:
COACHUAN MISSING.
Folded Portiere Found Covering the Vic
ums Head-Rlngs and Jewelry She
tsuall, Wore Arc Gone-Man suspect ed
WAS Hired Latcly-Same Is Unknown.

The finding Of the charred body OF Mrs
Gennnh b. Ross, a we'll 20 do widow. Ga
wears old. in the ruins OF her home, which
was destroyed by fire along with three
other houses in High street. MontclaiT.
carly Yesterday morning, has led the
rbllce Of that place TO send ont an alarm
Tor the arrest of a man who was employed
hy the widow as coachman and who has
not been seen since the fire.
The man was engaged by Mrs. Ross on
Saturday last and not even his name is
known He was seen to enter the house
at o'clock on Wednesday evening The
Are was discovered at about $50 the next
morning When no trace could be- found
NJ either the woman or the coachman IL
was supposed that both had persisted in
the flames The closest search OF the ruins,
however. failed to disclose any trace Of
the mans body.
The body Of the woman was found yes
terday noon in a corner OF the basement,
resting on a set OF bed springs, on which
the mattress had been almost completely
destroyed. The woman was lying on her
side. with her right hand under her head.
over her head and this is one OF the cir
c:nstances that has aroused the sus-
plcons Of the police, and set them looking
for the strange ooachman-was thick
po7tiAre. folded neatly four times
The edges OF the porti ere appeared to
have been tucked in around the head and
pressed down. In fact 80 tightly was the
cloth pressed against the woman's face
that it contained a well formed impress
sion OF her face. II had been made
tof, and shapeless by the fire. but was
burned only around the edges on the under
eide OF the body. Some OF the brass rings
by which the curtain was hung were still
In IT, Near the head also was piece OF lace
curtain, and this looked as though II hadn't
come beside the body through chance.
Enough clothing remained on the body
to show concusively that the woman had
not retired Tor the night. Both legs were
burned of at the knees and the left arm
was also gone.
Mrs Ross is known TO have bad good
many jewels, most Of which were old-fash-
toned and quite valuable. She wore sew
eral diamond rings, it Is said, on her left
hand The closest search was made by the
police in the ruins, but no trace OF them
could he found, although they did find the
remAins Of the hand. There were two
IlNRs On tHt IlRhI bdlti, bIN ~ wan VII
cealed under the head. No trace could be
found either of the old fashioned, heavy
earrings which the woman was known to
have worn or of large gold watch which
she carried
The coachman who IL missing was en-
gagged by Mrs. Ross Saturday last. She
had the reput8 ton in Montclair Of being
eccentric and irasclble and was always
having trouble with her servants. She
used to tell her neighbors about these quar-
rels and how hard II was for her TO keep
servants Richard Christian and his wife,
coorsd Of ii3 Mechanic street. Newark,
worked for her longer than anybody else
in the memory of Montclair folks. and 1t
vas Christians decision to leave which led
Il old woman to advertise for a coachman
In a Newark paper.
On Saturday afternoon a Newark lawyer,
Edward S. Black. was with Mrs. Ross at
her home consulting with her regarding
the drawing OF her will when three men,
each less than 80 years old, approached
tNe house together. They had come. they
.I answer to the advertisement. Mrs.
Ross was about 70 sign the will when they
arrived and invited one OF them in TO
act as witness. She got the wife Of
reghbor TO be another witness. Lawyer
Black lett az soon as the document was
signed and does not know whether the
man who signed it was the one that was
hired or not At any rate, one OF the three
men got the job
The Montclair police refused last night
TO make public the name OF the man whose
signature was on the document. but they
nay that he gave q Newark address and
that Investigation has shown that no man
Of that name ever lived there.
Mrs Ross new ooachman was short and
s,ocky with pronounced Irish features.
brown hair and dark blue eyes. He had.
II "a said, the look of a pugilist. He began
work at the Ross house on Saturday night.
The negro and his wife who had been
employed by the widow were not TO leave
until Monday and the stranger, who told
his predecessor that he was known IA
Bob was lodged temporarily in the widows
bird room on the second floor
This bird room, which adjoined the !
widows bedroom. was rather notable
feature Of a somewhat peculiar house. In
u hrs Ross kept several parrots and
large number of canaries. squirrels and
Other pets In II also was an oil stove,
out this, II Is said, was lighted only on the |
coolest nights, and the temperature on
wednesday night was fairly moderate.
those who arrived on the scene first say
mat the fire could not have started from it.
The new coaohman, II is said, continued
10 occupy the -aviary' as a sleeping apart
ment after the old coachman and his wife
eit He did not associate with any Of the |
other workingmen and was seldom seen
downtown except as he was sent on errands
oy the old woman. About noon on
Wednesday, according 10 the story which
one Of the Montclair postmen tell the police,
The coachman was quhrrelling with Mrs.
Ross in the house.
Inc postman said that he heard their
voices when he approached the door but
te did not think anything Of that, because
le knew that Mrs. Ross often had words
WIN her servants. few minutes later
ne saw the coachman leaving the house.
me next seen Of him by neighbors. and so
Jar "a IL known the last was when he re-
turned about 0 o'clock in the evening.
Ars Ross was seen by neighbor about |
o'cock Wednesday evening, but not 10 |
talk 70
10 Mrs. James I. Peck, the woman who |
acted as witness for the will. Mrs. Ross