The sun., 1909-12-02
kFEUF ODD BUNCH OR WOMEN
RESULT OF POLICE INQUIRY
As 70 MRS. SNEADS DEATH.
woman Prisoner Makes No statement
and Is RemAndesi-wm OF the Dead
wOman-NothinS GrewsOme I'm Form
er Flatlands H0me-A Missing woman.


EAST ORANGE. N. j.. Dec. by request
Of the woman who calls herself Miss
Virginia Wardlaw. who 10 accused Of the
murder OF Mrs. Ooey W. NJ Snead. the
Young woman found on Monday after
noon dead in the bathtub at 50 North
Fourteenth street. Franklin w. Fort, son
Of Gov. Fort, to-day consented to act as
her counsel 20 see that the body Of the
woman she claims to be her niece is not
buried in p0tter's field. Mr.. Fort when
asked IL he had become the prisoners
counsel said that all he was to do was
10 look after the burial Of Mrs. Snead.
When Miss Wardlaw was arraigned
this morning before Recorder Mott she
demanded to have counsel and an examina-
ton. and she was remanded to the county
Jail until December Q. While in court
the prisoner at first insisted on keeping
her black veil over her face.
Raise your VEIL said the Recorder.
1T is not a requirement OF the law
replied Miss wardlaw.
Yes, il is returned the Recorder.
-and you will stand there waiting to hear
this charge until you raise the veil At
that she obeyed.
When told by Chief OF Police Bell that
she must so in the patrol wagon TO the
county jail the prisoner began weeping
and begged to be spared the disgrace.
Then she impiored Bell TO see that her
niece be not buried in the potters field
and it was in assent to that plea that he
permitted her to see the Governors son
and to make arrangements for him to act.
Something further about Mrs. Snead
and her companions was told to-day when
Mrs. Kathleen Bond. nousekeepcr for Mrs.
Catherine Anderson. who rents furnished
rooms at aee West Twenty second street,
Manhattan, identified the body of Mrs
Snead as that Of young woman who
with other women rented apartments
recently of her employer. Mrs. Bond
said that there was another woman, who
has peen missing since the day when Mrs
Snead's death became known. She went
with Detective Riker OF East Orange and
detectives from Manhattan and BROOKLYN
TO the house in which Mrs. Snead died
They saw two women, one OF whom sa I'd
she was Mrs. SneAd, mother-in-law of
the dead woman. and another who also
called hsrsels Mrs. Snead.> She 10 about
~ years old, Mrs Bond was positive that
the others called this woman Martha,
and the detectives say they think she In
the Martha Elizabeth Wafdiaw mentioned
in Mrs, Sfiead's will.
They were the queerest l ever saw
said the housekeeper. They kept their
doors and windows closed all the time and
the lights on until we had to turn the gas
Cd for fear they would do some harm.
They would not let US into the room to
clean IL up. One day the one that called
herself Mrs Morton or Mrs. Martin, but
who was called Mrs. Maxwell by the
aged as they spoke OF the oldest one Of
the crowd. said she did not have any
money. but Mrs. Martha was to get 500
very soon from Virginia, where she had
November. saying that she was going to
Virginia TO look after the property. They
all went away a few days later.
There was one used to call the tramp
because she was all the time going in and
out with a suitcase. running errands and
doing the business for the others. She
was tall. gaunt woman"
Mrs. Bond understood the relationship
of the women to be as follows; Mrs. Snead,
the younger. was the Wife-of the missing
Mr.. Snead, who was mentioned at the
Twenty-second street house as having
died. and never appeared there. Mr..
Snead was the SON Of the next elder Mrs
Snead. and Mrs. Maxwell, who now calls
herself Miss Virginia Wardlaw. was an
adopted daughter OF the eldest woman.
Acting Captain Cou shlin Of the detective
bureau in Brooklyn, with some Of his men.
made visit yesterday morning to the
little house at 1893 East Forty eighth
street in the Flatlands section OF Brooklyn.
where Mrs. Snead formerly lived. After
he returned to headquarters he said that
he had made no gruesome discovery
and that the stories about the mysterious"
house had originated with inquisitive
neiehbors.
made two wills while living in the Flat
lands house. one witnessed bv the Rev.
Or. Charles Purdy, pastor OF the local
Methodist church. which made q small be-
quest to his church. and the other. now in
possession Of William 8. Fee, who lives in
Fast Fifty-third street. Flatbush. This
is a copy OF the later will;
7. ocey wardlaw Martin snsad Of the
county OF Kings. the Borough Of Brook
lyn. in the city OF New York and State
~ New York. being OF legal age and OF
sound. dsposing mind. do make this my last
will and testament:
First-I direct that my funeral expenses
and just debts be paid.
second-I give TO my infant son the
sum Of $500.
Third-I give and beaueath all the re-
msinder Of my estate, both real and per-
.onal. OF which may die possessed to my
grandmother, Martha Elizabeth Wardlaw.
FOURTH appoint my grandmother.
Martha Elizabeth Wardlsw. the executress
Of my estate without bonds or security OF
any kind -
Fifth appoint my grandmother. Martha
Elizabeth wardlaw. the guardian OF the
person an estate Of my infant son to act
without bonds and to have unrestricted
powers.
si1th-In the event OF the death OF my
infant son I direct that all the property
he shall obtain from me revert TO my grand
mother. Martha Elizabeth Wardlaw.
The will. according to the detective,
was drawn up by Mr.. Fee after he had
made two visits to the house. On the
first call he was. as alleged, asked by
one Of the two older women who lived
with Mrs. Snead 70 draw up the will
leaving everything TO the grandmother,
bIt he declined to do this, saying that
some provision should be made for the
infant son Of the woman. On being
recalled some days later he drew up the
will as il now stands. The police say
that Mrs. Snead had borrowed 5000 on
her $50 900 life insurance policy.
On November II q consignment Of
goods was removed from the Flatlands
house to the Engle Warehouse and Storage
Company. Two days before the removal
woman who said she was Mrs. D. W.
Pollock, called UP the company on the
telephone and after asking about the
terms said that they were satisfactory
and asked that tho van be sent to the
house for the goods. The furniture and
,tl.r .t,,R -, tA III