The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-01-07
SLAIN WOMAN KNOWN
Swamp Victim Was Helena S.
Whitmore. of Brooklyn.
HER HUSBAND ARRESTED

WhitmoTe Reluctantly Identified Won-
an After Relatives Recognized the
Body - Sister Tells Of Couples
Ouarrels.
Newark. y. j.. Jan. 4.-Following a
searching examination. during which
many incidents OF his life were laid
bare. Theodore s. Whitmore. the hus-
band. was held by the New Jersey po-
lice as a suspect in the death of
Helena Salter Whitmore. who was
beaten insensible. stripped OF her
Clothing and drowned In 4 pond on the
Hackensack meadows in Harrison on
the morning of Dec. 20.
The Identification was made by the
woman's sister. Mrs. Susan Schmitter.
of the Bronx. and corroboratsd by
Mrs. Schmitter's husband. Martin;
Frank Englert. a friend, and finally
by the murdered woman's husband
Whitmore was detail ed by the police.
and summons was issued for Eng
lert. The latter admitted an intimate
acquaintance with Mrs. whitmore.
Mrs. Whitmore left her home on
Christmas day. with the Intention. &C
cording TO her husband. OF making a
visit 10 her sister. Mrs. Bessie Hughes.
whose home is in Schenectady. At two
O'Clock the next morning she was seen
in the company of a man on the
HRckensack meadows. That afternoon
her nude body was found partly sub
merged in pool of water near where
she had been seen. The next day Mrs.
Whitmore's trunk was delivered at
her sisters home in the Bronx
Whitmore Is Brooklyn elevated
motorman. who ordinarily works at
night He did not go TO work Christ
mas night. RE explained that he was
taken I'll with the grip after his wife
left their home. and that he had not
been able TO work since. He had fire.
quently Quarreled with his wife. he
said. and was not surprised when she
failed to return home. They had quar-
relied. he said, because she had &C
cepted attention from two other men.
Attention was attracted to the Whit.
mores when II was learned that Mrs.
Whitmore had purchased a red coat
such as was found near the BODY.
Whitmore visited the morgue at Har.
rison. and though he admitted a IA
niliar appearance. he would not saw
that the body was that Of his wife
Later Whitmore was examined at Do
lice headquarters in Brooklyn. and
finally expressed the opinion that the
harrison Identification was correct
be was certain. however. that he had
received two messages from his wife
after she left him. He was taken TO
Harrison, where he made his identia-
cation positive. When Whitmore en-.
tered the morgue he gazed for some
time upon the face OF the dead woman
and then said:
That's my wife. all right. think. d"
Warned that he should make no mis-.
take. Whitmore examined the WON
ans hair, the filings in the teeth and
scar on the neck very carefully. and
then turning to the officers. said:
Yes. | am perfectly satisfied. :"
Whitmore was then taken in custody
by officers. who took him to the town
hall for further examination.
Mrs. Schmltter tainted after recog-
MIXING her sisters body. When she
had regained her senses she said:
Ever since poor Lena married her
life has been miserable On Monday
OF last week Lena left her home in
Brooklyn and came TO my house. Her
face was bruised and cut That night
her husband appeared and begged her
to return home with him. She finally
consented. but first she left with me
her watch, her ring and sI2 in money.
A day or two later got word from
her that she would come up to the
Bronx to see us on Christmas day and
then go up state TO our old home To
spend the holidays.
Christmas evening received a
telegram from Brooklyn. reading as
follows:
Don't expect me tonight Lena
Two days later came a letter Dur.
porting to be from Lena, in which she
was made to say that she was going
to Schenectady to visit our sister.
second telegram followed. Later I got
another letter similar to the first. and
on the same night an expressman
brought her trunk to my house. II
contained a few articles OF clothing
some bottles and old papers and a lot
OF stones to give it weight. The sec
ond telegram arrived about the same
time the trunk did. 1t read as follows:
Take care OF trunk. VIII send
Monday or Tuesday. Lena
The second OF the letters was dat
ed Dec. p. In ii the writer made Lena
say her husband was treating her bet
ter, but that he stayed at home to
watch her: that she was getting her
things out OF the house, and that as
soon as she got all of them together
she was going up the state was re-
quested to care for such things as she
might send To me"
Nanrn Nnnfarcnn