The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-06
Frederick W. Elliott Was
With Victims Husband
After the Murder.
MYSTERY BEING SOLVED
Whitmore Responsible for Fake
Telegram..Did He Write the
Letters, TOo?.-Harry Hen
Erickson and Caleb Evans
Arrested in Brooklyn.

Following damaging admissions made
by Theodore S. Whitmore, of 236 Adams
street, Brooklyn, who is locked up in
Harrison on suspicion of knowing about
| the murder of his wife, Lena, whose
nude body was found in the Five Cor
ners pond, that town, the morning after
/ Christmas, detectives of Harrison, New
York and Brooklyn are working hard
| today to clear the big mystery.
Whitmore admitted that he had
written the telegram which was
sent Friday, December 81, to Mrs. Mar
garet Schmitters, of 4S6 East 10th
street, New York, a sister of the dead
woman. He gave it TO friend to send,
he said This friend may be Frederick
w. Elliott, formerly of Springfield,
Mass, who was until two weeks ago
employed as a fireman on the Boston
and Albany Railroad, and who was
with Whitmore on Christmas night,
probably, and for three or four days
thereafter. Elliott has not yet been
caught.
This telegram was sent December 20,
from a branch of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, at 313 Fulton
street. Brooklyn. 1t read:
"Take care Of trunks. Send Monday
or Tuesday. ELENA"
The Harrison police believe now that
Whitmpre was in league with Elliott
and possibly one or two others. Ef-
forts are being made to find whether
he or Elliott or the others sent the
IDkk
Whitmore to Mrs. Schmitters and to
Mrs. Whitmore's relatives in Schenec-
tady, N. Y. These letters were written
in a mans handwriting. presumably,
and sent after Mrs jWhitmore had
been murdered.
In addition to Whitmore there is held
at the Harrison police station his
friend, Bartlett, the New York Bowery
waiter. IN Brooklyn there is held un-
der 81 900 bail Harry Hendrickson, of
9S Claremont avenue. that city, who
had paid attention to Mrs. Whitmore.
Caleb Evans. a telephone operator,
employed by the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company, who lives at
1920 Fortieth street, Brooklyn.
was arrested at his home by
Policemen Ward Murray and Ruddy,
of Brooklyn, yesterday on the charge
of being a suspicious person. He had
told several persons, the police say, he
was well acquainted with the Whit
mores and could clear up the mystery
if he so desired. Today he was dis
charged.
Martin Salter, of Schenectady, N. Y,
brother of the victim, sent a tele-
gram to Chief of Police Rodgers, of
Harrison, today, stating that all ar
rangements had been made there for
receiving Mrs, Whitmore's body and
holding the funeral. He asked that the
body be shipped at once. This cannot
be done until Hudson County Ply
sician Converse signs the death GER
tificate This he has not done. Morgue- |
keeper Walsh sent word to DIR. Con- |
verse about the matter this afternoon. |
The body may be shipped Wednesday |
or it may be held until after the in
quest, which is now scheduled to take !
place in Harrison Thursday night
This afternoon Acting Prosecutor |
Vickers, Chief Rodgers and Judge |
Branegan began ''swea ting" Bartlett. |
He was taken from his cell to pri- |
vate room in the Town Hall and ques-
toned sharply, Whitmore will again |
be qIlizzed.
ItendrlckSon has resolutely refused to |
go to Harrison, and steps were at once |
taken to procure extradition, unless he |
changes his mind today.
While the police obtained nothing of |
essential importance from Hendrick- |
son. they said they were not at all sat
isfed with his statements or his atti-
tude to the case. They characterized
his manner as "shifty and weak" and I
said he contradicted himself repeatedly
as to his relations with the Whit
Ccontinued on Third Pnge.)