Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-05-25
A SOMEWHAT MYSTERIOUS DEATH.

1
The Misses MartH.. and Emma Bradley
maiden ladies.of Philadelphia, own little
! farm about two miles west Of Frankliyille.
The house, though off the Main road, is a
comfortable one and nicely furnished.
| The place is an auxiliary home to that in
| the city, and when one or both feel like
going there for quiet spell it is ready for
them. Last February Martha came down
and has been there since. She was not
what in the country is termed neigh
borly, and mingled not at all with the
lneighbors, although civil to everybody
It was not unusual for her to escape the
attention Of the neighbors for day or two,
but when, last Friday, Frank Roth, her
neighbor, recalled that he had not seen her
for four or i've days, he wondered, and
seeing James Downs blowing about her
premises went over. About that time Mr.
Dubois, the mail carrier, came along, and
gave the information that the mail had not
been taken from Miss Margaret's mail box
for several days. Then the men went to
the house and looked in the kitchen win
dow, The sight they saw hlled them with
apprehension, and they opened the
side door and went in. The body
OF Miss Margaret lay beside the kitchen
stove She was dead, and deeompc-
sition had set in.
Coroner Ledden was summoned by
phone, and came at once, bringing DIR. C.
F. Fisler with him. The body lay face up
and the upper lip was cut, and blood had
trickled from this wound down her face
and there was quite "a blood stain on the
carpet. Otherwise there was no scar on her
person, and no evidence of struggle. Her
clothing was in natural position. The
condition Of the house gave no evidence that
anything had been disturbed. A circum-
stance that looked suspicious was that only
two cents in money was found and that
was in her pocket. A valuable gold
watch was found on bureau up stairs.
The Coroner held an inquest at Nute's
store, Franklinville, last Tuesday morning
before jury composed Of the following
good cltizens Sam'l McCurdy, Thos.
Downs, Henry Finger, Jr., Alonza Carman,
Thos. Scott and Rule Mute.
A letter deceased bad written to her sister
in Phila., saying she felt very badly and
asking her to have certain prescription
filled and forwarded to her at once, and
which also said that she did not know that
she would be able TO furnish the letter was
in evidence, and was proven to be in her
handwriting.
Frank Roth and James Downs testified to
finding the body about as stated above.
Bertha Brown, the 7-year-old daughter
Of a neighbor. took her some cottage cheese
on Sunday morning, Miss Bradley asked
her 80 tell her mother to come over, but
she forgot 10 deliver the message.
VIM. Bradley, nephew, identified the
letter as being in her hand writing. A pistol
found in the house he identified as one be
had given her, and sand-bag that had
aroused suspicion he identified as one she
made TO place against door to hold it open.
He also produced certificate from her ply |
sioian, DR.. Longmaker, Of Phila., that she
was sufferer from heart disease.
Ii was in evidence that she she usually
paid her bills BY check, except small
amounts that required change.
The jurv rendered verdict OF death on I