Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-17
|0csy Snead's Mother and
TwoAunts Under Arrest.
Only Her Husband and Help
less Grandmother Free.
Those In Custody Charged With
East Orange, \. j., Murder.

New York, Dec. 1.-THE three sis
ters who held the life of Ocey Sneat
, in their hands have one by one COM
within reach OF the law, until tonigh
separate cells hold them all, charged
by the authorities of East Orange, N
IT,, with the murder of their niece an(
daughter. OF the girls immediate rela'
i tives only her bed--idden grand
mother Mrs. Martha Wardlaw, 81 years
old, and Fletcher Snead, the cousin
she married, are still at large. A rumOI
that Fletcher Snead, the missing hus-
band, had been found in hiding at St
GATHERINGS, Ont, was denied tonight
by the St. GATHERINGS police.
Events have moved swiftly within
the last "a hours. Shortly after the
arrangement today of Mrs. Caroline w.
Martin, Ocey Snead's mother, who was
arrested last night in an uptown no.
| tel, there followed the third arrest in
| the case-that of Mrs. Mary w. Snead,
Mrs. Martins sister, and, at once, the
aunt and mother-in-law of Ocey Snead.
| She was taken from her lodgings in
| New York, charged with being a fugi-
tive from justice from New Jersey,
where a warrant similar to that issued
against her sister was sworn out to-
day, charging murder.
Mrs. Martin was arraigned this
morning in the Tomhs police court and
committed to the Tombs prison until
the arrival of eXtradition papers from
Gov Fort Of New Jersey. One of the
many curious condolences in a curious
case is that Gov. Forts son, Franklin
Fort, Jr, is her counsel. During her
examination she said as little as pos
sible and did not indicate whether she
would resist extradition.
Mrs. Martin is ga years old and
feeble of body, though resolute and
alert of mind. She showed today the
same marked aversion to lifting the
heavy black veil which completely cor-
cealed her features, as characterized
her sister, Virginia Wardlaw, during
the latters examination at East
Orange some days ago.
When taken to police headquarters
today, Mrs. Mary Snead was more
erect in her bearing than Mrs. Martin,
but equally reticent Mrs. Martins pitt
iful weakness saved her the indignity
of being measured and photographed,
but Mrs. Snead escaped none of the
humiliating details of such police
routine. She will be examined tomor.
row in the Tombs police court to de-
tcrmine whether she can justly be held
for eXtraditiOn.
The three notes found yesterday
among Mrs. Martins effects, all similar
in handwriting and wording to the
suicide note found pinned to Ocey
Snead's clothes, beside the bath tub
in which she was drowned, were deem-
ed sufficient evidence against Mrs
Martin.
The point made against Mrs. Snead
is that she was a party with Mrs.
Wardlaw to renting the unfurnished
house in East Orange in which Ocey
Snead was found dead.
New York, Dec. 16.-Mrs. Caroline e.
Martin, mother of Ocey w. M. Snead,
the East Orange bathtub victim.
talked of suicide and collapsed as she
was being led to a cell in the Mercer
street police station early today.
1.-THE ending is DEATH" was Mrs.
Martins reported comment on the an
swer of the detectives to her question
d. I'D What Lie leSdl proceedings WOulu
be in her case.
II would welcome DEATH" the de-
tectives report her as continuing. Il
am old and can't help anyone and am
of no use. want to go to Heaven
The elderly woman's condition was
pitiable. When she was brought to the
station house and turned over to the
kindly offices of the matron, she faint
ed but was revived and then led to her
solitary cell
Mrs. Martin was arrested late last
night on warrant issued in New Jer-
sey, charging her with the murder of
Ocey Snead. her daughter. Mrs. Mar
tins sister, Miss Virginia Wardlaw,
since shortly after the tragedy, has
been held in a New Jersey prison cell
to await the action of the grand jury
on a similar charge.
Mrs. Martin had been missing since
the tragedy, and her unexpected ap-
prehension was a dramatic develop-
ment of the sensational case. In her
room in the little hotel in the theatrical
district, where she was located after
| a protracted search were found three
HoeCS, the NolulIlso vi WIliSIl was almost
| identical with that of the 'suicide
| note found pinned to the clothing of
Ocey Snead when her body was dis
| covered in the bathtub.
| The notes were written on paper OF
the same color and texture as that of
the original suicide note and the hand
writing was practically identical. Slight
changes in phraseology are all the diff
ferences noted ,
Taken from the hotel to police head
quarters. Mrs. Martin underwent a
brief examination and then was trans.
ferred In taxicab to the station
house. On the way she talked ram.
blingfy and several times referred tt
Ocey Snead as that poor girl" an6
my daughter" The word "suicide'
was frequently on her lips. There arc
hundreds of suicides every day, was
her comment to the detectives on the
case of her daughter, and no attention
would have been paid to this one.
she added, Except that the party hat
money"
Further revelation of discoveries 4,
the room vacated by Mrs. Martin wer
| 40 Ia