The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-03-10
EXPLAINS WHY
MURDOCH WOMAN
WORE SLIPPERS
Domestic Whose Body Was
Found in PassaiC Suffered
with Sore Feet.
FRIEND SCOUTS SUICIDE
AND MURDER THEORIES
River Victim Had Said Hearing
Dime Novels Being Read
Was Driving Her Crazy.

The police have not yet abandoned
their investigation into the mysterious
circumstances surrounding the death of
Mrs. Jane Murdoch, the Harrison do
nestle, whose body was found floating
Friday afternoon in the Passaic River.
While Captain Carroll, of the detective
bureau, is leaning more strongly at
present to the theory of suicide, a
police drag-net is now on to locate the
persons with whom Mrs. Murdoch spent
her last hours prior to the time that
she jumped or her body was thrown
into the Passaic.
Mrs. Sarah Hull, OF S07 John street,
Harrison, said today that it was hard
for her to believe that Mrs. Murdoch
had deliberately committed suicide.
u have heard that Mrs. Murdoch had
said that she would end her life" said
Mrs. Hull. but Mrs. Murdoch never
said anything of the sort to me-; |
don't believe that she committed sui
eide.
~ also am not inclined to believe
that she was murdered. 1t is probable
to my mind that il she did not commit
suicide she may have fallen In the
river from the Bridge street bridge"
Novels Driving Her Mad.
Mrs. Murdoch had told me. though
continued Mrs. Hull, that she was get
ting too old to be of any use TO herself
or to her friends. A week ago Monday
she called on me and said that she
didn't know what she would do. She
told me that it was hare for her to fill
the position she held. She complained
that her head was going crazy be-
cause she was Obliged to sit at night
and listen to the hotel boys read dime
novels. Mrs. Murdoch was an old
fashioned Scotch woman, one who liked
her glass of beer and sometimes a lit
tie toddy. But, the poor thing. this
was caused by the absence of her only
boy. who had to cave this country and
go back to Scotland, where he found
the climate more %congenial. Oftentimes
she would say to me: Mrs. Hull, |
want TO see my boy before / die, and
it is breaking my heart to think that
J. am in this country and he is so far
sway
Always at such times" continued
Mrs. Hull, the good woman was des-
pondent. She tried to fight her love
for drink, and ofttimes she has said,
L will get five cents worth OF beer
ana bring it home and maybe it will
keep mo away from the hard stuff.
She meant whiskey.
Obliged 10 Wear slippers.
Much has been said observed Mrs.
Hull. "because Mrs. Murdoch wore felt
shoes. Mrs. Murdoch was suffering
from sore feet, and it was impossible
sometimes for her 10 wear shoes. She
often came to my house from the
Lhote home, wearing nothing but these
same felt slippers, and in the coolest
weather she wore them.
Il don't think she had an enemy In
the world. She never associated with
mon. and I don't think she was muir
dered.''
The one mysterious fibre remaining to
be solved is the story Of the three Bar
anzags wine own the house in which
Mrs. Murdoch was employed and who
conduct q grocery on the first floor.
Mrs. Baranzag knew Mrs. Murdoch in
tlmately, because the latter purchased
the food and other articles for the Lhote
home at the Baranzag store. Every
day Mrs. Murdoch took a run down
stairs and visited the Baranzags-
Mrs. Baranzag said today to an
EVENING STAR reporter: u am
positive that Mrs. Murdoch was in my
store Friday sat II o'clock. She SAID
she had a headache
Mr.. Lhote says that he did not see the
woman since last Thursday. These two
statements cast the only mystery on the
dead woman. and what at first looked
like a murder may not be one.
10 Seek Son in scotland.
II has been arranged to hold the
funeral of the dead woman tomorrow
afternoon from the undertaking estab-
lishment of James Brierley in Kearny.
Services will be held in the undertake
ing rooms, and the Hull family and a
few Of the dead womau's acquaintance
viii be the chief mourners. The woman
was insured for $500 ana Mrs. Hull was
named as beneficiary.
Mrs. Hull viii Try to communicate
with the dead woman's son in Scotland
and apprise him of the death of his
mother.
Mrs. Hun, after the body Of her
friend has been given q decent burial,
will try to find out il there was any
thing OF value left, and if this is so, the
son in Scotland will be told Of 1t.