The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-07-27
DENIES MURDER TALE
Mary Hand Says Charge is
Result of Spite.
eREWSOME STORY OF CRIME
Woman at Holly Beach, N. J.. Ac-
euseo Of Poisoning Man. Hiding
Body in Marsh and Then Burning II
IN Kitchen Stove.

In Kitchen Stove.
Holly Beach y. J.. July -. -- John
Woodruff. state detective. who
reached lere TO assist Detective Lore
ia solving the murder mystery. de
clared shat no arrests would be made
IN connection with the case at present.
Mrs. Mary COMBS. who is known as
Mrs Mary Hand. who is accused BY
Joseph Watson with having done away
with an aged Ph.'udelphiau. one smith
~ schmidt takes the whole matter as
joke. and SAYS Watson told the tale
20 get square with her for having
spurned his love. Watson SAYS the
man was druggcd. robbed and his bolv
AZ first thrown in the marshes and
later burned piccemeal In a stove.
John Hand saws the whole Business
is a case OF spite. lie declared that
ior some weeks his wife" had been
sick. and that be had spent a consid-
cradle portion OF the time az home.
When was absent" said Hand. "a
boy named john johnson remained in
the house and did the work ana cook
ms. lie never saw or heard of 4 ua n
in the place from Philadelphia. aud
neither did T."
Watson who has known Mrs.
COombs for years. SAYS:
"One evening as We were walking
along the boardwalk in the centre OF
Holly Beach She c.uns 10 my arm anu
looked back toward the land side. as
u she were In mortal terror What
ais yon2' I asked I'm afraid.
DO not Ike 70 walk pas; this spot at
night. because over there where there
are no houses for block. there is
mans body lying in slash. he was
middlc-aged man from Philadelphia
by the name of Smith or Schmidt. WHO
frequently came 10 see me. lie was
old and grew tired OF his attentions.
50 7 gave him love powder ana
L killed him. I kept him ia the house
for severa. days. until l became afraid
oi the neiShbors. 50. with the assist
ance of man. I carried him az night
TO low place about four squares from
the house and threw him into the wa
ter that collects there in the winter
and early spring
on the way over We met several
people walking along the pavcr.ents.
To hide our victim we put him down
In the tall grass and sat unol him. I
covered him as much as possible with
nay dress. We placed a heavy log upon
him 20 keep him ont Of sight under the
water and an was well for two weeks.
But now the water is drying up
and The body may be- discovered AZ any
moment People are passing it on the
boardwalk an the time anu in the day
time when ! so by here can imagine
/ see his upturued face peering out 1t
me from the lowering water
~ few days later went to her
house. While the horse ! was driving
Tor Mr.. Young was feeding. 1 found tha
woman and the man she said had
helped her carry the body ont Of the
house together in the kitchen. There
was fire in the kitchen stove that had
all the stove plates red hot. The wo-
man was in a good humor. It's an /
right now she said. We have jus,
burned that man mp that was ont in /
the slash.
How did you got him in the s,ovee" /
I asked.
We cut him mp she said. The man |
had on one OF her long white aprons.
tied about bis chin. and there was a /
dreadful odor In the house.
a few days later she came TO see I
me and threatened TO Kill me as she /
had killed the old man II breathed a /
word Watson told the police
Watson declared the woman had /
given him some berries TO eat in which /
he said she told him she had put poi /
son He believes that he was selected 4
as victim o. slow poisoning.
Watson is well known here and /
bears a good reputation. He worked |
Tor ]. W. Young. until last Friday.
when he disappeared