The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-06
STOPS BURIAL OF MRS. M'BRIDE
CORONER SHRADY ORDERS THAT
AN AUTOPSY BE MADE.
Services at House Not Int errupted-Physt-
clans say n Died After an Operation
Police Not Satlsied-WOman Was tho
wife Of AIle9edswtndler. Walter Mcbride

Coroner Sbrady interrupted the funeral
VI Mrs. Katherine NJ. Mcbride at go West
ii5th street yesterday afternoon and
ordered the body sent to the Morgue for
.autopsv. While the service was being held
in the house two or three Central Offioe
men lowered around the door looking for
Walter Mcbride, the dead wOman's hus-
band. Tho detectives believe that this
Walter Mcbride Ii the one wanted in con.
nection with a s,s.O o mining swindle.
Coroner Shrady acted on the strength
Of an anonymous letter which was received
on Thursday by Police Commissioner
Bingham. This letter advised an investigs-
ton into the death OF Mrs. Mcbride. which
occurred on Monday. The letter ended In
this way &c inquest. Operation. Imms-
diate," 1t was signed a neighbour
Central Of!ce detectives. when they
called at the house on Thursday. found q
man and a woman In charge who refused
to give their names or tell ANYTHING about
Mrs. McBride's death. IL was the refusal
Of these persons to give the police full
information that led the Coroner to decide
definitely upon an autopsy.
Mrs. Mcbride was rs years old and the
mother of five children. She was attended
by two reputable physicians. both Of whom
operated upon her for an sbscess This
was given az the cause 81 death In the
certificate filed with the Board Of Health.
Both physicians give il az their opinion
that there was nothing suspicious about
the case. They found Mrs. Mcbride suffer-
ing with the abscess when they were called
IN.
The mourners had assembled and the
Rev. }. Milton Oakland. pastor of the
Washington Heights Methodist Episcopal
Church. was about to begin the reading
Of the Scripture when word came from the
Coroner's Office that an autopsy would
have to be performed When Coroner
Shrady learned that the service at the
house had already been begun he ordered
his men not to interrupt IL but to have the
body sent to the Harlem morgue mmedi-
ately afterwsrd. The autopsy will he
performed this morning.
Central Office men have been keeping an
eye on the Mcbride house on and ON since
last Nav. but have never been sblet to get a
glimpse Of Walter Mcbride. the supposed
mining stock broker
The husband Of the lead woman Ia down
In the directory AS a broker. One time
when two Central Office men called at the
house a woman %grappled with n Of them
and blocked the doorway. at the same time
screaming loudly. IL was several seconds
before the second detective could get past
her, and when he did he found the house
empty.
The mining swindls for which Mcbride
Is wanted occurred in 1905. but the news OF
II didn't come out until last May. IL was
u case Of working the old Larry summer
that a valuable lode had been discovered
in the mine and who had q lot Of stock that
could Do bought cheap. James Spears.
president Of h 1t. Lawrence County
National Bank AT Canton. was the eas,
maSk;
arrested on account of the swindle. caught
Banker Spears when he was on his way to
Florida with his family to spend a few
winter months. They talked with him
from O~gdensburg to New York. m then
from New York TO Philadelphia. Banker
spears got 10 enthusiastic at Philadelphia
that he dropped Cd the train and let his
family go on to Florida alone. After get
ting a little encouraging Information from
the Philadelphia Consolidated Exchange.
which has been used for many queer mining
transactions. Banker Spears jumped with
McBride n Mossness TO Prescott, Ont.
There he found the silly old miner, who
not only had the stock but a pair Of brown
breaches and a jaw full Of tobacco. The old
miner parted with 5O.OOO shares at ~ cents
a share. Mr.. Spears coughed up also
81. 600 commission to Mcbride for his work.
Mossness when he was arrested was charged
with grand larceny.
Walter McBride's picture sdorns the
rogues' gallery in Buffalo with no less "A
prominent individual than Big Strosnid or.
who has dealt In almost anything from
wire tapping to queer mines. Strosnider
and Mcbride had 4 sad tale to tell in Buff
falo. They knew the widow Of an old mule
driver who had once saved the life of u
mine owner. The grateful mine owner
gave the mule driver a large block OF stock.
The mule driver died whep the mine was
supposed to be worthless. but IL had turned
out rich and the widow Ill n't know it.
Ii was said at the Mcbride house yester-
day hat the husband Of the lead woman
10 in California now. The house is owned
by Mcbride. 1t ia splendidly furnished.
II was at one time the property Of former