The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-04
Wife of a Brooklyn Elevated Road Motorman, Who is Held on Suspicion
 by Police.
QUARRELED CHRISTMAS DAY
Later Made Up, But That Day She Left the House and Never Re- turned--Knows Nothing
 of Murder.

police tonight, as suspect in the death of Lena Whitmore, the "Wo- man in Red" who was beaten insen- sible, stripped of her, clothing and drowned in a pond on the Hacken- sack meadows in Harrison, on the morning of December 26. Whitmore, who had been detained in New York, was taken to Harrison tonight, and having definitely identified his wife's body, was vigorously questioned by the authorities. The nature of his testimony determined the police to keep him within the jurisdiction of the local courts.
 With a touch of emotion that added to the puzzling features of one of the strangest of crimes with which the police have had to deal, Whitmoe told the police of his struggle to live down an unpleasant past and how a faithless wife held over his head a threat of exposure--to make known to new acquaintances here what he now admits, that he was serving a sentence in Dennamora prison when he was pardoned by Governor Black. Bitter quarrels and as many reconcil- iations marked their married life of fifteen years. His wife, he said, be- came infatuated with sailor known to him only as Harry" but when she returned home on Christmas af-. ternoon, after five days he greeted her with "A Merry Christmas" She failed to respond and they quarreled on the street. He thought that she had bottle of acid and he attempted to take it from her. In the strug- gle they both fell Later they made up and had dinner together Then he went out on an errand and when he came back to the house she had left never to return.
 Whitmore said that he came origin ally from Schenectady and that he was married by justice of the peace in Albany. He gave lis age as 3s years. He said, according to the police. that several years ago he was sentenced by Judge Griffen at Troy to sentence of two years and ten months in Danne- mora state prison for having assau ted a companion during a drunken row on the Albany bridge. He said he had served about eight months when he was pardoned by Governor Black through the intercession of his Wife and her family Twelve years ago he said he came here and worked in var ious capacities until he secured his po- sition on the elevated road. He said that on the day his wife disappeared he had given her fifteen dollars. He knew absolutely nothing, he said, of how she came to be in New Jersey or Of the manner of her death.
 It was only after a half dozen SUD- posed identifications had be n disprov- ed, the police were satisfied tonight that the woman murdered on the flats that border the Passaic river in Harri- son, N. J., was Helena Salter Whit more, who with her husband, Theodore 5. Whitmore, conducted furnished room house at 235 Adams street. Brook lyn. The Identification was made by the woman's sister, Mrs. Susan schmit- ter, of the Bronx, and was corrobor ated by Mrs, Schmitter's husband. Martin, by Frank Englert, a friend and finally by the murdered woman's s husband. Whitmore has yen detained by the police, and summons was is- sued tonight for Englert. The latter who admitted an intimate acquaintance With Mrs. Whitmore, was able to go in- to so minute details in his Identification that the authorities believe he will prove valuable witness.
 Mrs. Schmitter also furnished inc no- lice with what is believed to be most important information. She told them or series of letters and telegrams re- ceived by herself and a sister in sche- nectady, N. r., purporting to come from Mrs. Whitmore. Some of these she said must have been written after Mrs. Whitmore's death. A trunk be- longing to Mrs. Whitmore had also been mysteriously sent to her home Mrs. Schmitter said.
 Mrs. Whitmore left her home on Christmas day with the intention. ac- cording to her husband, of visiting her ] sister Mrs. Bessie Hughes. whose home is at S15 Victor avenue, Schenectady
 At ? o'clock the next morning she was seen in the company of a man on the Hackensack meadows. That afternoon her nude body was found nearly sub. merged in a pool of water near where she had been seen. The next day Mrs | Whitmore's trunk was delivered at her sisters home in the Bronx.
 Whitmore is a Brooklyn elevated railroad motorman who ordinarily works nights. He did not go to work Christmas night. He explained to- day that he was taken i'll with the grip after his wife left their home. and that he had not been able to work since. He frequently uuarreled with his wife, he said, and he was not surprised when she failed to re- turn home. They quarreled, he ex- plained, because she had accepted at- tentions from two other men. To- day Whitmore placed an advertise ment in a Brooklyn paper offering his furnished-room business for sale.
 Attention was attracted to the Whitmores when it was learned that Mrs Whitmore had purchased a red coat such as was found near the body. Last night Whitmore visited