Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-05-30
MAY D|SINTER
 W0MAN'S BODY
Belief That Miss Vanderbilt Net
 Foul Play.
LAST SEEN ON LONELY ROAD.

Prosecutor Berdine to Begin Investiga-
 tion Into Death of Employee of Princeton Library Who Was Found Drowned In the Raritan Canal Near Carnegie Lake--Theory of Accident
 Accepted, but Rerdine Believes Au-
 thorities Were Too Hasty In Per-
 hitting Body to Leave State With
 out Autopsy--pstective to Clear Up
 Mystery.
 Princeton, N. J., May 30.-Develop- ments have led Prosecutor George Der dine of Middlesex county to begin af, investigation into the death of Miss Bertha Vanderbilt. whose body was found in the Raritan canal on May IS last. The prosecutor believes the girl met with foul play.
 Miss Vanderbilt. who was employed in the university library at Princeton, was last seen alive on the evening of May 13 near the shores of Carnegie lake, about two miles from Princeton village. Her body was found five days later in the Raritan canal at a point where 1t is separated from the lake by only narrow strip of land. Although there were marks of violence on the face and side of the head, County Physician Suydam and Coroner Moke accepted the theory that the young wo- man had drowned accidentally. No autopsy was made to determine the cause of death. The father of the girl, well to do jeweler of Amsterdam, N. Y, took the body home for burial.
 To Disinter Body.
 Prosecutor Berdine believes that the county physician and coroner were too hasty in permitting the body to leave the state without an autopsy. It is probable that he will apply to the su- preme court justice for permission to disinter the body to ascertain the true cause of death. The prosecutor has detailed County Detective Frank Hoff- man, capable and experienced officer, to the clearing up of the mystery.
 The theory of death by accident is based on the supposition that Miss Vanderbilt may have attempted a short cut home over narrow bulkhead 100 feet long which prevents the canal from spilling into Carnegie lake where the lake passes through stone arches beneath the canal; that she became dizzy or slipped on the slimy timbers and fell into the canal. As a matter of fact, no one saw her any nearer to this bulkhead than the Kingston high way, which follows the bank of the ca nal, and it is the general opinion that few women would have the nerve to try to cross 1t.
 The body was found about three quarters of a mile below the bulkhead toward Kingston. and the girl was last seen alive in the roadway about 300 yards below the bulkhead. The last person known to have seen her alive was a little girl named Brown, whose father has a farm near by.
 For a mile beyond the point where Miss Vanderbilt was last seen the road is lonely. bordered on one side by the canal and on the other by farm lands. with houses far apart and set well back from the roadway on higher ground. There are heavy thickets at intervals. and these and the windings of the road would from time 10 time shut out pedestrian from sight of any of the farmhouses.
 Had an Appointment.
 It Is known that Miss Vanderbilt on the evening of her disappearance had a o'clock appointment to go canoeing with August Dohn. teller in the Prince ton bank. Her whereabouts from the time she left her home on Nassau street that fatal Wednesday afternoon have been closely traced up to 6 o'clock. | and certain of her actions indicated 1 that she expected some one to follow | her either by land or water. Nassau street is the main thoroughfare through | Princeton village. Miss Vanderbilt was I seen to pass along Nassau street in the | of Harrison street. She was next seen crossing Harrison street bridge over Carnegie lake.
 The bridge over the canal Is just be- yond. and she crossed that.
 A Miss EngeIke. living on a farm near the Millstone bridge saw Miss Vanderbilt passing a few minutes be- fore ( o'clock and noticed that she re- peatedly turned and looked hack. some times taking three or four steps back ward. as if looking for some one to follow her.
 Charles Williamson saw her stop on the MIilstone hridre and @ first to one side and then to the other. gazing up and down the stream.