Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-01-02
WAS STRANGLED
ON THE MEADOWS
NEAR HARRISON, N. j., AND THEN
THROWN INTO A POND.
AN UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN.
A Murder that Combines Cruelty and
Mystery Puzzles the PoIce-The
Victim was Evidently a Per-
son of Refinement.

Newark, n. IA murder COM
bining elements of mystery and de-
liberate cruelty that take it out of
the ordinary was committed on the
Hackensack meadows in the town of
Harrison early Thursday and the nude
body of the victim, comely woman
of perhaps 80 years, was found nearly
submerged in the icy waters of little
pond. Only the feet projected when
chance passersby broke the ice in
which the exposed portions were in
crusted and dragged the body ashore.
The dead woman was fine featured;
her hair and nails gave evidence of
recent and scrupulous toilet, and such
of her clothing as was subsequently
found suggested in texture and style
an owner of refinement, rather than
one whose habits might lead her to
frequent the vicinity OF the crime. .'The
pond in which the body was thrown
is made by the overflow from the Pas
sale river and is directly across the
river from this city.
The body had not been identified
last night and it was pretty well es-
tablished that it was not that of
resident of this city or Harrison. It's
description does not correspond with
that of any woman reported to the po-
lice as missing
Two men who occupied a yacht
moored near where the body was
found are detained by the police, but
the most important clue obtained was
furnished by Peter Coogan, a watch
man employed by the Marine Engine
Co, who recognized the body as that
of woman whom he had seen cross
ing the meadows in company with
man early Thursday. Later he saw
the man alone. He then carried
bundle in his arms. The man was
short and stout.
Two girls returning to their home
in Harrison long after midnight heard
a Womans cries floating over the
marsh land. They seemed to come
from the direction of the pond and to
the startled girls sounded like Spare
me- and Help Nearer home the
girls were approached by a stranger,
who accosted and followed them until
policeman was met with, when he
turned and fled. The girls had a good
view of the man under the electric
light and while he was we'll and neatly
dressed, his hands showed either that
he was accustomed to manual labor
or had recently been engaged in work
that soiled his fingers.
Life had been extinct, the coroner
said, about II hours when the body
was found in the afternoon. mark
on the neck indicated that strangula-
ton was the means of death.
Scratches on the leg and trunk and
pieces of cinder forced into the flesh
showed that the body had been
dragged along a cinder path which
skirts the pond. Along the path the
police picked up a white silk waist,
slashed up the back, a skirt and a pair
of silk garters. Following the path
the police came upon the yacht Idle
Hour which was tied up at point on
the Passaic about 300 feet from where
the body was found. On the yacht the
police say that they found a sealskin
muff and fur neckpiece
The occupants of the yacht were
Albert Thompson, Al years old, of
Elizabeth, a boatman, and Frederick
Kirkman, SO years old Both were
employed on the boat. Thompson said
that he found the fur pieces near the
cinder path in the morning. The po-
lice found on the boat dishes enough
for three diners. There were three
plates, three saucers, and so on. The
men, however, said that they had no
visitor on the Idle Hour. Both were
arrested as suspicious characters. The
police said last night that they had
practically nothing against the prison
ers, but would detain them until fur
ther inquiry could be made