Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-13
MOTT IS CONFIDENT
Public Prosecutor Hopes to
Indict Miss WardIaW.
HER SILENCE SUSPICIOUS
Grand Jury Convenes at Newark
Tomorrow to Take Up the
Snead Case.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, December 13.-The first
half of the December term of the Essex
county grand jury convenes at Newark
tomorrow, when, it is expected the case
of Miss Wardaw. held on a charge OF
numbering her neice, Ocey w. NJ. Snead,
at East Orange November %, will be con-
sidered. Prosecutor Mott, who presented
the states case before the recorder Sat
urday is confident of securing an indict-
ment.
In addition to the circumstantial evil
dence which the prosecutor thinks points
to Miss Wardlaw the possible guilty
party Mr. Mott holds that the reticence
and apparent lack of explanation from
either the prisoner or her counsel is an
added Indication.
Prosecutor Mott said today: innocent
persons do not maintain such a silence
very lives when explanations which they
could make might clear up the whole
matter I have waited for two weeks
for an explanation of some circumstances
which are certainly suspicious in this
case; none has been forthcoming
Much Depends on Note.
Those who were present at the hearing
in East Orange Saturday believe that
Mr.. Mott is in possession OF more evil
dence than he cares to show until it
shall be necessary. He cut off some of
his witnesses Saturday in manner to
indicate that perhaps they knew a lit
tie more than he wanted them to tell.
In determining whether the young wife
OF missing Fletcher Snead committed sui
eide or not much will depend on whether
fhn do ~ -l,
forgery. AS the case stands now Will
liam j. Kingsley. the only handwriting
expert so far employed, Is unable to give
an opinion as TO the genuineness of the
signature. He had but two specimens
known TO be of Ocey Snead's writing
Prosecutor Mott is scurrying about in an
effort to find more examples of the dead
WOman'S signature.
Miss Wardlaw remains in her cell, see
ing no one but her counsel Franklin W.
Fort. Mrs Mary Snead, Frustrated at the
outcome of the hearing, has taken to her
bed and will see no She protests
that her sister is innocent of the charge.
She says that she knew nothing of the
bottle of chloroform, alleged to have been
found in the fiatlands home by DIR. Will
liam Petit.
Search for Mother and Husband.
The search for Mrs. Caroline B. Martin,
supposed to be the dead girls mother, and
Fletcher Snead. the husband, goes on.
The evidence against Miss Wardaw
comes from the stories of DIR. H. NJ. Sim
mons. deputy county physician, who was
the first to go to the house after Miss
WardlaW telephoned the police asking for
a coroner: Sergt. O'Nei, who followed, on
hearing of the doctors suspicious, and
who has been the most active in investi-
eating the mystery ever SINCE County
Physician Mckenzie. who performed the
autopsy; DR.. G. E. Tooter, the Newark
physician, who was taken to the house in
a cab by Miss WardlaW to make out a
health certificate concerning Ocey Snead !;
DIR. William Petit of Brooklyn. who says
that he was offered a legacy Of $1,000 for
his services. and who described Ocey
Snead's state in Brooklyn as one of hyp-
notism, and the handwriting expert
Kingsley, who swears that the suicide
note was written by two pens.
These witnesses are expected to make
out the case against the prisoner before
the grand jury tomorrow.