The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-01-02
A REFINED WOMAN
SLAIN IN A SWAMP
Well Dressed Man Seen Flseing From
the Scene.
YACHT FIGURES IN THE MYSTERY.
Nude Corpse Of Unknown Comely wo-
man Of 80 Years, of Scrupuious
Toilet and Fine Raiment, Found
Frozen In Pond in Hackensack Mea-
dows N.sr Newark, N. J.

Newark, N. ]. Especially "A muir
der, combining the elements of mys-
terry and deliberate cruelty, was COM
mitted on the Hackensack meadows
in the town of Harrison, and the
nude body of the victim, a comely
woman Of perhaps 80 years, was
found nearly submerged In the icy
waters of a little pond. Only the
feet projected when o chance passer-
by broke the ice In which the exposed
portions were incrusted and dragged
the body ashore.
The dead woman was finely fea-
tured; her hair and nails gave evil
dence OF q recent and scrupulous toll
let, and such OF her clothing as was
subsequently found suggested In tex
ture and style an owner OF refine
ment, rather than one whose habits
might lead her to frequent the vicini-
ty OF the crime. The pond in which
the body was thrown is made by the
overflow from the Prassic River and
Is directly across the river from this
city.
The body has not been identified,
and 1t Is pretty we'll established that
II is not that of a resident of this
city or Harrison. Its description does
not correspond with that Of any
woman reported to the police as misc
ing. Two men, who occupied yacht
moored near where the body was
found, are detained by the police,
but the most important clue obtained
was furnished by Peter Coogan,
watchmen employed by the Marine
Engine Company, who recognized the
body as that of a woman whom he
had seen crossing the meadows in
company with a man. Later he saw
the man alone. He then carried
bundle in his arms. The man was
short and stout. Coogan, whose du-
ties keep him in the neighborhood of
the murder, told the police:
While outdoors at o'clock A. M.
saw this woman in company with
man cross the meadows. going in
the direction of the pond. They
passed SO near me that / was able
to recognize the womans features.
Sometime later, perhaps an hour, the
man returned and again passed me,
this time going in the direction from
which the two had come when l first
saw them. This time the man was
alone. In his arms he carried bum
die which he did not carry when first
seen. In build he was short and thick
set" Coogan could not give a bet
ter description of the man.
Two girls returning to their home
in Harrison long after midnight heard
woman's cries floating over the
marsh land. They seemed to come
from the direction of the pond, and
to the startled girls sounded like
Spare met" and "Help!" Nearer
home the girls were approached by a
well-dressed stranger, who accosted
and followed them until a policeman
was met with, when he turned and
fed. The girls had a good view Of
the man under an 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 IL hours when the body
was found. A mark on the neck in
dicated that strangulation was the
manner of death. Scratches on the
leg and trunk and pieces of cinder
forced Into the flesh showed that the
body had been dragged along Gin
der path which skirts the pond.
Along the path the police picked up
white silk waist, slashed up the
back, a skirt and pair OF silk
garters. Following the path the pol
Ice came upon the yacht Idle Hour,
which was tied up at a point on the
Pa3saic about 500 feet from where
the body was found On the yacht
the police say that they found a
sealskin muff and fur neck piece.
The occupants of the yacht were
Albert Thompson, IL years old, of
Elizabeth, boatpah, and Frederick
Kirkman. Ss years old. Both were
employed on the boat. Thompson
said that he found the fur piece near
the cinder path The police found
on the boat dishes enough for three
dinners. There were three plates,
three saucers, and 80 on. The men,
however, said that they had no visit
tor on the Idle Hour. Both were
arrested as suspicious characters.