The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-04
Mystery Of Newark Muir.
der Partially Solved by
Positive Identification
HELEN 5yVHITMORE
is WOMAN'S NAME
Her Husband, Theodore S. Whit-
more, Tardily Admits Her
Identity, and Is Held on
Suspicion of Having
Killed Her After
Quarrel.

=. ~ Z
NEWARK, N. j., January y33.--E'ollow-
Ing an examination, during which many
Incidents of his life were laid bare,
Theodore S. Whitmore the husband.
was held by the New Jersey police toe
night as a suspect In the death OF
Lena" Whitmore. who was beaten in-
sensible, stripped OF her clothing and
drowned In pond on the Hackensack
meadows. in Harrison, on the morning
of December 26th.
Whitmore, who had been detained ~
New York, was taken to Harrison to-
night. and having definitely identified
his wife's body, was vigorously sques-E
toned by the authorities. The nature
of his testimony determined the police
to keep him within the jurisdiction oe !
the local courts. s
fications had been dlsproved. the po-
lice were satisfied tonight that tho
woman murdered on the flats that
border the Passaic River. in Harrison.
was Helena Salter Whitmore. who, with
her husband, Theodore S. Whitnlorc,
conducted furnished room house at
235 Ada ms Street, Brooklyn.
The Identification was made by the
woman's sister, Mrs. Susan Schnitter.
of the Bronx. and was corroborated
by Mrs. Schmitter's husband, Martin:
by Frank Englert. a friend, and finally
by the woman's husband. a summons
was issued tonight for Englert.
Received Suspicious Letters.
Mrs. Schmitter told Of a series Of
letters and kilograms received By her
self and the sister In Schenectady, pur-
porting to come from Mrs. Whitmore,
but some of which must have been
written after her death. A trunk be-
longing to Mrs. W.itmore had alsH
been sent mysteriously to her honls. 5
Mrs Schmitter said.
Mrs. Whitmore left her home on
Christmas Day with the intention. ac-
cording to her husband. of making {.
visit to her sister. Mrs. Bessie Hughes.
whose home Is in Schenectady. AT :
o'clock the next morning she was
seen In the company of man on the
Hackensack meadows. That afternoon
her nude hody was found partly sub
merged IN q pool OF water near where
she had been seen. Next day Mrs.
Whitmore's trunk was delivered at
her sisters home in the Bronx.
Whitmore Is a Brooklyn elevated
railway motcrman, who ordinarily
works at night. He did not go to work
Christmas night. He explained to-day
that he was taken Ill with the grip
after his wife left their home. and
that he had not been able to work
since He had frequently quarreled
with his wife. he said. and was not
surprised when she failed to return
home. They had quarreled. he said
hccause she had accepted attentions
from two other men, To-day Whit
more placed an advertisement In a.
Brooklyn paper, offering his furnished
room business for sale.
Red COnt Figures In Case.
Attention was attracted to the Whit
|mores when 1t was learned that Mrs.
IWhitmore had purchased a red coat
such as was found near the body. Last
night Whitmore visited the morgue at
Harrison, and though he admitted q
familiar appearance. he would not say
that the body was that of his wife.
, To-day Whitmore was examined at
police headquarters in Brooklyn, and
finally expressed the opinion that the
Harrison identification was correct.
I He was certain, however, that no
| had received two messages from his
wife after she left him. When Whit
more entered the morgue tonight he
gazed for some time upon the face os5
| the dead woman, and then said: That's
my wife, right, i think W,hitmore cA-s
amined the woman's hair. the hllingss
| in the teeth and a scar on ths neck
very carefully. and then. turning 10
the officers, said: Yes, am perfectly
satisfied" Whitmore was then taken
into custody by officers who took him
to the town hall for further eSamina-i
| ton. s
Another Identities Body.
Mrs. Margaret O'Neil. a neighbor of
! the Whitnlores. Went to Harrison to-s
might and identified the body, as did
1 William Bartlett, Il waiter of Brooklyn.i
Both We're examined. Mrs. O'Neil said.
that the Whitmores We're at her homo
i 1870, after having had q quarrel in her
/ presence.
Mrs. Schmitter tainted after recog-
nizing her sisters body to-day. When
she had regained her senses she said
! that ever since her sister had been.
/ married her life had been miserable.
Whltmore's Life story. Az
Whitmore told the police Of hts
istruggle to live down an unplensant,
past. and how a taithless Wife had held
over his head a threat of exposure
to make known To new Eacqua tunceS.
| here what he now admitted. that Ia
was serving sentence In pannemors.s
! prison when; pardoned by Governor
Hack. Bitter quarrelss and as many
reconcillations marked their marrte,,
/ life OF fifteen years. His Wife, he said
| had become Infatuated With u ssailor;
known to him only as Harry. blr
I5when she returned home at &C'hristnlss,l
following a five day s absence, and iiAs
Ereeted her with a merry Christmas
she failed to respond. and they quas'.s
relied on tho street. He thought sl,e5
had a bottle OF acid, and he attempted
to79take 1t from her. In the struggla
/ they both fell Later they effected i.
truce and had dinner togather.
! Then he went out on an errand. and
when he returned toSthe house she had
LEFT. never TO return. Flo gave MS
| age as thirty-slN years. He said that
Iseveral years ago he Was sentenced At
Troy To serve two years and ten
months on a conviction OF haYinss
|assanlted companion during a drunk
en- row. He said that son the day his
wife disappeared he had given her
He knew; absolntely nothing. he said nf
lhow she happened to he Inn New Jcrsey
Tor the manner Of her death. IN "