The morning journal-courier., 1907-12-30
AN AUTOPSY HELD
Newark Murderer Stunned and Then Drowned His
 Victim.
HER IDENTITY ESTABLISHED
Water Filling Lungs Shows That the Woman Was Still Breathing
 When Submerged.

New York, Dec. 29.-Blows on the head which stunned her and then be- ing drowned by being thrust into a pool of water was the manner of death of the woman whose nude body was found on the Hackensack mead ows, in the town of Harrison, last Thursday, This grewsome fact be- came known tonight at the autopsy, which was conducted with the great est care and took several hours, leav- ing no doubt as to the details of the murder
 The body is believed to be that of Agnes O'Keefe, a domestic who had been employed by several families in Orange. The identification, however, cannot be said to be positively estab- lished.
 The absence of easily detected bruises upon the body had added to the mystery of the crime, but the medical examination proved untenable any theory of accident and establish ed that a deliberate murder was com mitted.
 The autopsy was made by Dr. c. 1T, Schultze. of New York, with the assis- tance and authorization of the coroner and county physicians.
 At It's conclusion lungs and intestines were removed to a laboratory for mi croscopic examination.
 The physicians discovered that the woman was struck twice on the back of the head with such force as to ren- der her unconscious and that while in that state and still breathing, She was pitched into the pool where she drowned
 The water at the spot was shallow and her head struck the bottom with sufficient violence to roil the water. Her dying gasps drew into her lungs bits of ashes and cinders. There arc two abrasiops on her head at the base of the brain behind the right ear. Af- ter inflicting these, the physicians de- termined, the murderer slit the wom- ans clothing from her neck down. This feat was skilfully done, for though the cutting was made with hardly more than single movement of a keen edged weapon which made it's way through every thickness of clothing, did the point of the knife enter the body.
 That the weapon was not used to aid the murder is believed to be due to the hope of the assassin that the case might be taken for one of suicide Her shoes and stockings were pulled off with brutal haste and then seized by the feet the woman was fairly stood upon her head in the water until she perished. The water that filled the lungs contained both cinders and ashes, quantities of which are tc be found at the bottom of the waters which cover the marsh land. The or. gans indicated that the woman had usel alcoholic stimulants but that shc had not done so to excess.
 The authorities are inclined to believe that the woman was Agnes O'Keefe as declared by Detective Sergean Drayhell, of Orange.
 Inquiry on this theory is being made Miss O'Keefe bore a good character according to families who had em. ployed her.
 Thousands of persons visited thu scene Of the crime to-day, and toward evening, when the autopsy was bein6 made crowds surrounded the morgue and were restrained by the police only with difficulty. Only those whose evi dence might De Of value to the author tiles were permitted to see the body.