Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-02-20
GUOSlE HART IS VICTIM
She Had Been Appearing In "ThH Child
Wife" at a New York Theatre and
Was Widely Known as a
BlaCk-iaCe Coincidence
FELL DOWN A LONG STAIRWAY
According to a Dancing Masterf
Arrested Today.
CAB SCENE OF DEATH, SAYS POLICE
A,,ooIatod Pros Dl.paiobs, By speolal wlro.

Associated Press DIspaiohss by Special wiro.
New York, Feb. 2O.--A murder mystery
with some features not unlike those of tho
Patterson case, is engaging the attention
OF the police. As in the crime which cost
CRsar Young his life and Nan Patterson,
an actress, moro than year of her liberty,
a cab and woman of the stage are the
principal features in the mystery of today.
The woman, Gussio Hart, was the victim,
and the carriage. according to the theory
OF the police. was the scene OF her DEATH
Several persons who are thought to know
something of tho manner In which she was
killed have disappeared. Tho first inti-
NATION that a crime had been committed
came 20 tho police when n physician noti-
fed them that he had been called 10 the
house at POI West Thirty-eighth street
TO attend woman and had found her
dead. Her skull had been fractured
Miss Hart had been appearing in ''The
Child Wife" at n theatre In this city and
had theatrical engagements here until
May 9th next. The police were unable TO
learn this morning where she was from
the time she left the theatre last night
until several hours later, when a cab
stopped before the house where she
roomed, in West Thirty-eghth street.
Then, they say two men took her from
the cab and carried her into the house,
and few minutes later the physician was
called. He was told that the woman was
IN. When he reached the room, he found
the two men at the bedside. Miss Hart
was dead When a coroner, who was
notified at once, reached the room, none
Of the watchers remained. The body Of
the woman, with the head terribly bat
tered, was lying on the bed, which was
undisturbed and the walls along the
stairway up which the body had been
carried were smeared with blood. The
police are searching for the cab and the
two men who carried the womans body TO
her room.
Miss Hart told the landlady Of her
clearinghouse a few days ago that her
family resided in Washington, d. @.
DANCING MASTER ARRESTED.
Later.-The police have arrested
Edward Murphy, dancing master, who
said that he was with Gussie Hart last
night and that he called the doctor.
Murphy said that he went with Miss Hart
and another actress about midnight TO
the Little Savoy, cafe and saloon at 200
/ West 1hirty-fifth street. They remained
there drinking some time, he said, Miss
| Hart taking only soft drinks. She was the
first one 20 porpose leaving the place, and
as she was leaving, Murphy said, she fell
down a fight Of 20 steps. She was un-
conscious when he reached her. Assisted
by walters, he carried Miss Hart 10 a cab
and took her 10 her room.
The pOlicedetained as witnesses a colorod
waiter at the Little Savoy and a boardeI
at the houselin West Ihirty-eighth street
where Miss Hart lived, who is said to have
seen her brough home. The police are
also looking for the actress who Murphy
says, was in the party last night
Miss Hart was about 90 years old
She was widely known as a black-face
comedienne. She has a son living in Gin.
cinnati. A daughter died recently.