New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-12-04
SAYS NOT MURDER
FORT ON SNEAD CASE.
Insurance Com panies Refuse to
Aduance Money.

The New York Life Insurance Company.
which issued policies on the life Of Mrs
Ocey w NJ snsad who was found dead
on Monday In a bsthtub In an East
Orange IN. - cottage. refused yesterday
&C advance any money for the burial ex-
penses Franklin W. Fort. son OF the Gov
ernor of New Jersey. who Is counsel Tor
Miss Virginia Wardlaw. an aunt OF the
dead woman. who is being held in the
Essex County Jail on a charge OF murder.
wns unsuccessful in his efforts 20 get
enough money for a funeral
Agents for companies which carried a
part OF the $4,000 insurance on Mrs
sneads life said yesterday that no pay
ments would be made until II was shown
that the victim Of the bathtub tragedy
was really Mrs. Snead and that there has
been no fraud The investigators for the
New York Life and the Equitable Life
cast considerable doubt on the Identity OF
the body found In East Orange. and
thorough investigation is under way In
every city where Mrs Snead Is known 20
have lived
The absence OF Mrs. Caroline 3. Martin.
the former New York school teacher. who
Is said TO be the mother Of Mrs. snead. has
spurred on the life insurance detectives IN
NncAf ScdECH oA AEfiiAAJ E-l1tNS- -.AA'-
Martin did not appear yesterday at the
rooms occupied by her sister. Mrs Mary
snead. mother-in-Isw of Mrs Ocey W. M
snead. and her aged mother. Mrs Martha
f. Wsrdlaw. AT No Acc West I'D street. AZ
was said that no word had been received
from her since Sunday.
Mr.. Fort investigated the death Of young
Mrs snead yesterday He spent several
hours in consultation with the older Mrs
Snead. and cross-examtned Mrs. Wardlaw
Then he announced that ne was ready 70
show that the woman whose body was
found in the house IN East Orange had
not been murdered. He said there was no
doubt as 20 the Identity of the young WON
an. and that there vas no reason for the
refusal OF the insurance companies TO pay
at least part Of the policies.
SCOUTS MURDER THEORY.
The lawyers investigation was reported
20 Miss Wardlaw. who was taken from her
cell for long talk with Mr.. Fort last
night Then he announced that every
statement made by Mrs Snead in New
York had been corroborated by Miss Ward
law. Mr.. Fort later gave out 8 statement.
In which he said:
II is useless and impossible TO attempt
been found In the news papers on thi- very
unfortunate affair. In the mass OF part
truth and part invention which has been
puDushed. however. sight seems 20 have
been lost OF one or two important facts:
Ffrst-The only evidence vet prod iced as
70 the manner OF Mrs. Snead death Is IN
absolute accord with the story told By
Miss Wardlaw. Death resulted from
drowning. II Is utterly inconceivable that
drowning could have occurred in one foot
OF water without the assent. certainly, OF
the person drowned
Second-The insurance policies. 70 secure
which. IL IL alleged. Mrs. Snead was killed.
are OF comparatively long standing, the
Third-The theory. apparently, upon
which II IS alleged the murder was COM
mitted. Is follows: That four women
one OF whom Is over eighty and the young
est OF whom is ffty-seven years OF age,
entered into conspiracy, at least as early
as last August. 70 kill a woman who was
the granddaughter OF one. the daughter OF
another. the daughter-in-law % the third
and the niece OF the fourth Unless that
be the theory. there can he no purpose In
the effort 20 connect Mrs Martha z
Wardlaw. Mrs Mary Snead and Mrs Mar
tin with the case.
GUARDING SNEAD HOME
Wilbur A. Mott. the Essex County Prose-
cutor, had several men guarding the home
OF Mrs Snead and her mother yesterday.
Other detectives Investigated the state
ments made 10 the Brooklyn police by the
lawyers and physicians who have met