Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-04
WOMAN DIES FROM POISON
PASSED AS "FINANCIER" WITH
INFLUENTIAL CONNECTIONS.
At Time of Death Was Under In
vestigation by New York Dis
trict Attorney.

NEW YORK, January 4.-The death Of
Mrs. John Van Ness Roberts of NOR
phine poisoning at her home, 227 River
side Drive, last night brought out the
fact that the district attorneys office
was about to investigate a transaction
involving several thousand dollars in
which she was one of the principals.
Mrs. Van Ness, who was known to
Wall street sometimes as katherine Stuy-
vesant Roberts. was one of the "finan-
ciers'' of the social political type She
represented herself as "a promoter of
unquestionable political, social and finan-
cial affiliations" ready to undertake any
legitimate enterprise requiring large CAPT.
tai There is nothing to show that her
representations were untrue. AS a mat
ter of fact. good many hardheaded
business men thought we'll of them
that they intrusted their money to her.
Among these was a young Massachusetts
man who wanted to dispose of the prod
ucts of his marble quarry. 1t was he
who finally turned to the district attor-
ney's office for relief.
Mrs. Roberts was found unconscious In
her apartments early Thursday night.
Dr. Roger II. bennett of COL West 131th
street diagnosed the case as one of NOR
woman with DIR. Edward II. Peterson of
81 West 5sth street all night. and then
summoned Coroner Acritelli to take an
anti-mortem statement. The coroner.
however, was unable to get any state
ment because the woman failed to regain
consciousness. She died at about o clock
in the evening The coroner's physician
also was of the opinion that Mrs. Rob
erts had taken an overdose of morphine.
Lived in Luxury.
She was aware that the district attor-
ney's Office was going to investigate her
deal with the Massachusetts man. and
creditors were pushing her hard for
money. Apparently, though. she was able
to keep up to the very end tire appear
ances of high social standing and luxury
which enabled her to carry on her imam
cial plans.
Mrs Roberts had represented herself to
be member of the old Stuyvesant family
and a cousin of Stuyvesant Fish, Mr..
Fish said yesterday that he never had
heard of her before. She had said re-
Gently that she was an heiress and would
eventually come into large property from
the Schoonmaker estate in Philadelphia.
She told this to the Massachusetts quarry
owner. ne
1t seems probable that Mrs. Roberts ap
stenographer. She learned to know
good many downtown men in this way,
and then she took to selling life insur-
ance She was known as the Mutual
9TH avenue. She left the life insurance
business about two years ago and took
to inserting advertisements like this In
the newspapers.
"A promoter Of unquestionable political,
social and FINANCIAL affiliations will under
take a legitimate enterprise requiring
large capital; quick results. Address
Tcherp. ~.1---4s-.-.,-
The Massachusetts, Deal.
Mrs. Roberts represented that she trans
acted her business affairs at the Office OF
Wall street. Mr.. Patton is a son of the
Seminary and former president of Prince
ton University.
The Massachusetts man answered the
advertisement last May. He wanted
somebody who could sell the marble from
his quarry. talk with Mrs. Roberts
convinced him that she was the one who
could do it. Contracts were drawn and
S1.GGO was paid down by the Massachu
sets man. A month later he entered into
a contract for the sale of some other prod
ucts, paying $1,000 soon after the con-
tract was signed.
About September the Massachusetts,
man, falling to dispose of his goods.
wanted to know how about the social. p0-
litical and financial affiliations. According
to his lawyer Mrs. Roberts told him that
cured; that all that was needed was about
5000 in cash to complete the arrange
ments The Massachusetts man sent on
the 5000, and his lawyer contends that
no contracts ever materialzed
The attention of the district attorneys
Office according to the lawyer was called
only to the last payment of $1,000. He
admitted that his client had no reason to
object about the first two payments of
81, 900 and $3.50.