The Washington herald., 1907-12-27
BODY THROWN IN POND
Boat Of Suspect Is in Winter
Quarters Near By.
Condition of the Remains Shows
That Slain Woman Was Brought
Some Distance - Clothing Found
Scattered Along Bank-NOfhinE TO
Indicate Her Identity-Jacket She
Wore Purchased in Brooklyn.

Ind women who live at the edge of the
backyard Of Harrison, \. j., a great
stretch of dismal and filthy swamp
through which the Passaic River moves
slugglshly, heard, or fancied they heard,
woman's screams about 3 o'clock on
Christmas night.
They are a dull and phlegmatic colony.
not easily moved 10 excitement, any OF
them, and the cries of a woman in pain
or in terror are not uncommon enough
10 fetch them in haste at night from
their huts on the shore or the cabins of
their scows; not II there is stm beer in
the can and tobacco left for the pipes.
Besides. they have cultivated the habit
Of attending strictly to their own affairs
and discouraging the intrusions of others.
blow on the jaw or a slap in the face
for woman, what does it matter?
1t is miserable stretch Of ground this
Lamp Black Swamp back of Harrison.
where all sorts of unpleasant things
have happened; a dumping ground for
the towns garbage. II is wretchedly
lighted, and has an odor distinctly its
own. Occasionally at night a policeman
strolls ae3ng its border. turning thank
fully enough back to the firm and lighted
streets.
Heard Nothing That Night.
policeman walked that way from
ume to time on Christmas night, but he
heard nothing except snatch or two of
rough song from the oyster beats and
seo"s IN the river. or an oath. perhaps:
and saw nothing but the pale. yellow
lights shining feebly over the black river.
a young man named Irving Crane. who
has JOB in boathouse not far from the
Pennsylvania Railroad bridge over the
Passaie. walked out to the end OF First
street in Harrison this morning climbed
down over the railroad embankment and
strolled along by the edge Of the swamp
He wanted to see If the ice was thick
enough for skating.
Not far from a catboat. the Idle Hour
which lay in the river. Crane saw two
naked feet sticking awkwardly out OF
threSfee of water and black ooze. First
he thought somebody had pitched an old
taliors dummy into the swamp, but he
was curious enough to make his way
carefully over the soft ground until he
got within a few yards of the protecting
feet Then he saw that they belonged 10
the body Of a woman.
Helped Get Body Out.
He waded back to hard ground and
ran over to the Idle Hour. where two
men were smoking in the cuddy Alhars
thompson the owner Of eatbcat. and
Frederick Kirkman, first mate. cabin bo,,
and crew. Crane suffered out his nez,s
ana the men went back with him. and
after deal Of trouble, helped him tug
the body out Of the mire in which il
was almost completely sunk.
The woman had been very good lool,-
ing at one time. She was thirtv-ave vAars
DID, maybe little older. Her go,,ro
was full and shaDely. She had brow,
hair, a bit touched with gray AT the
roots; brown eyes. fair complexion tTer
heisht was feet 6 inches, and she
weighed about 155 pounds. Her nationalitv
was a matter of guesswork. She m}ybt
have been Of German origin. Her baDds
ana ieet were rather large and she had
not taken very good care Of her hands
"hen the body was examined nv D-
Henry Alters. deputy county nhvs;c,o,,
not mark or a bruise could ba fo,,,7
Ihere was absolutely no indication from,
me condition Of the body as 10 the wav
she mad been murdered-that she had
been Killed was hardly a matter Of do,b+
TO anybody Dr. Alters didn't believe g.
had been poisoned There were Dona 90
Inc external characteristics that death
py poison leaves. the doctor concluded
Find Her Clothing.
Then they looked for her cro,b,.-
a Diaek SILK muff was found on a half
ruined wharf 800 yards from the place
where the body was discovered. a neck
piece OF imitation seal lay on the rrornd
near the edge OF the swamp. In one n,aco
was pink garter tied with a 1ufYy ho,p
Oh SIX ribbon. In another place was y
PINK garter without a bow. That Noe
an the clothing they found. though de-
tecuFes rowed up and down the river
examining the banks and searched as
best they could the wide swamp The mo-
Ice thought the rest of her eIotbjns
might have been sunk in the river b,,t
why the fur pieces and the pink carters
were left puzzled them.
Chief Rodgers, of the Harrison force
questioned Thompson and Kirkmsn The
mum and the neckpiece were found ver,,
close to their catboat. lying in Main
sight The men laughed at the idea of
their having anything to do with the
woman's death, or that they knew anv-
thing about the way the body got there
The chief thought it best to arrest them
and they are now locked up In the police
station at Harrison. charged with being
suspicious persons.
Body Brought There.
The police do not believe the wor,a,
was murdered near the spot where her
body was found. Il was far more lnsaIv
they thought. that she had been killed in
Newark and brought to the dumn,ne
ground in a boat or IN a wagon. Eitber
way would have been, at night, perfectly
simple. There were no wheel tracks the
police could discover. but the ground
to point near the edge OF the swami
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