Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-03
RumorPersiistent That Mrs.
Snead's Husband Lives.
Police Would Like Light on
Reason for Treatment Given.
Woman Kept In seeIusion..Pathetie
Plea Made TO a Lawyer.


NOR that the husband of Mrs. Ocey
Snead. the young woman who was
found dead in the bath tub of an I'M
furnished house in East Orange, n. j.,
is still alive is credited by the chief of
police there, who now believes IL MS
hest clue to further developments In
what remains tonight a most puzZlirg
mystery. The husband. the chief be-
lieyes, could tell why it was that his
Young wife was kept so closely IN SCI
clusion; why she was separated from
her baby; why she was given barely
enough food to keep her alive, and why
although money yas borrowed on her
life insurance policy, she appears 10
have enjoyed the benefit of no penny
of it..
1t turned out today that the agent OF
.iie house in which Mrs. Snead was
found dead never knew until he was
informed by the police that he had her
for a tenant. Similarly the next aoor
neighbOrs never saw her enter the
house and are at a loss to account ior
her presence there. Boarders VINO re,
member the Sneads when they lived
in New York report that they receive"
no callers and never left the house ex-
cept heavily yelled.
Presumption of foul play was further
strengthened today by the testimony
Of Julian r. Carabba, a Brooklyn law
YER who volunteered to the police that
he had third will made by Mrs. Sheao
and drawn by him at his office. MISS
Virginia Wardlaw, now under arres.
in East Orange. he said, offered MN
life insurance policy for Slo,0oo II ne
would see to it that the VIII was
drawn in her favor and that of her Sis
ter He visited the house in winch
Mrs. Snead was and was amazed at
the poverty he saw about him in the
home of one able to dispose of such
considerable sums of money.
1.-The sick woman, he said. lay
helpless in bed.
She drew from under her pillow
a document which she handed to me
saying: Make the will like this one.
except you can put yourself in as the
executor and guardian of the boy. For
the Lords sake get me out OF here II
YOU can because | am starving and
they are not taking care of me.
Mr.. Crabba has submitted the draft
given him by Mrs. Snead with altera-
tons in his own hand writing to the
Brooklyn detective bureau. The orig
inal is firmly written and corresponds
with Mrs Snead's writing.
New York, Dec. Police of three
cities confessed themselves baftied to-
day in their search for definite solu-
ton of the mysterious death of Mrs.
o. W. n Snead. the young Brooklyn
woman found dead in bathtub in a
house in East orange, n. j. Although
the detectives declared themselves sat
isfied that several persons were in
volved in the alleged murder, but one
arrest has so far been made.
This lone prisoner today still con-
tinued uncommunicative and any new
facts the police were able to gather
did not come from her. She is Vir
ginia Wardlaw. a gray-haired spinster
of excellent connections in Nashville
and other Tennessee cities, who was
Mrs. Snead's companion in the lonely
East Orange house and dweller with
her and two other aged women in a
house in Flatbush. Brooklyn. In this
Flatbush house the detectives say they
have learned Mrs. Snead had been i'll
and kept in strict seclusion for long
time before she was taken for some
mysterious reason to the house of death
In the New Jersey community
That Mrs. Snead was practically at
the mercy of whoever was in charge of
her during these months is one theory
the detectives entertain in their work
upon the case. In this connection they
are today giving careful consideration
to the will left by Mrs. Snead in which
all her property was bequeathed to her
grandmother. Martha Eliza Wardlaw.
and to Insurance policies aggregating
100000 on the victims life. which have
been found to be in existence.
Manhattan detectives have located