The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-11-19
CreWsome Find Made in
RafterS OF the Essex
County Institution.
SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES
LEAD TO MURDER THEORY
Part of Shoe on Which Name
Was Stamped, Gone-May
Be Fire Victim.

In the rafters of the old South Orange
Avenue Insane Asylum there has JUST
been found the skeleton OF a worna,,
patient OF the asylum. and the police
and the county authorities are facing
first-ciass mystery. Although the
body was found yesterday. due to some
official red tape, it was not until this
morning that the asylum authorities
got in touch with the police and county
authorities.
| Who the woman was, how she came
where she was found. whether she was
murdered by some other lunatic and
the body hidden, probably never will
be known. Alongside of the body We're
several charred pieces of wood This
gives rise TO the possibility that the
woman was the victim of a fire in the
asylum which had been carefully con-
cealed- DIR. Daniel Dill. superintendent
of the asylum, declares that the last
fire In the institution that he recalls
was four years ago and that this oc-
CURED in the Laundry.
Harlan Mearns, who was engaged Ia
removing furniture from the cid asy-
lum building, was at work yesterday
! on the top floor in the rear wing OF
the building This ward had been used
for men patients. He noticed that g
piece of the ceiling had fallen. He also
detected peculiar odor and saw that
the lath Of the ceiling had been charrsd.
Getting stepadder he climbed 10 tho
aperture and placing his hand In tlus
hole in the ceiling got hold of piece
OF woman's dress When ht. @pf717Ed
it harder he uncovered wornan,s shoe.
Then he at once notifed the asylum
authorities.
IT was not Until today. for some IN
explained reason. that the authorities
got busy ON the case. Then they got
there in force. Almost simultaneous
on the scene were County Physician
Mckenzie. Director Wallace Ougheitree
OF the Board of Frecholders: Or. Daniel
M. Dill, Prosecutors Detective James
Mason and Detective Sergeants Temple
ton and Evert
The wonan's clothing was torn and
I burned One Of the first things sought
/ by the asylum authorities was the
woman's shoes. While they were worn
they would furnish a clue to her iden-
tity. Patients when they are admitted
to the hospital have their names on the
inside OF TIE shoe aprers. 1t seemed
/ fate that, while the remainder of the
shoe was in fair preservation. the up
pers, which would lead TO the identif-
cation, we're torn tusf where the name
would be placed
DIR. Dill <nve II as his opinion that
the body must have been In the raftere
for more than twenty years. He said
that the ward over which the body had
been found hcd been used for men pm
tients only in the past twenty years
Explaining how the body might get
where 81 WAS, he snid that the woman
might have tried TO hide from
keeper, and ran 10 sn atrfc upstairs
DIR. Dill then led the way. showing
where the woman might have gone.
1 The attic iensis 90 small aperture.
which world admit a person. He snta
that the woman undoubtedly cravIeJ
sleng the raffers. hiding from some
one. and died there.
4 DR.. Dill explained the burning of the
womans clothing and the Surrounding
flooring by saying that it was not un-
usual for patients to get hold OF
matches. and that rats might have
u
lbeen exhausted. and set her clothing
afire.
DIR. Dill admitted that there was a
possibility that the patient had been
beaten by another patient in q fight
and the body hidden. There were ali
sorts of conjeetures offered as to how
the body came where it was founsh
The officials were inclined TO the view
that the woman crawled up on the
rafters and died.
1t is known that many persons have
been missed from the asylum. While
several returned, there were many who
did not. The records of the asylum
\ are being sought today for all the
women who have been reported miss
ing in the last twenty years.
"This ward has not been used FOR
1 women in all my Experience in the
4 asylum" said DR.. Dill 1T was known
as ward :, and was used solely for men
patients IT is, of course. barely pos
sible that woman might have found
her way in here or might have met
with some violence before my time. /
think, however. that the poor creat,irs
fed from her ward and. climbing into
the attic. reached the small opening
which you have seen and then crawled
along the rsfters until she sank ex-
hausted.
"ls 1t possible that she might have
been murdered by another lunatic and
the body hidden with lunatics cum
ning7"' DIR. Din was asked.
"Of course all things are possible
said DIR. Dill, although do not think
! 1t highly probable 1t is too bad that
the shoes were torn In the way they are
| or we could identity the body. As IL a
now l don't suppose the body will ever
be identified. although will look up
the records and see il there IS any
chance OF identifying her ia the many
missing women