The Detroit times., 1910-05-06
HOPE To SOLVE
BATH TUB MYSTERY
Authorities Ready To Go on With
Trial of Three Women Charged
With Ocey Snead's Murder.

NEWARK. y. j., May all OF the
mystery which, since the body al
ocey snead WAS found IN partially
filed bath ub in house In Easi
Orange Nov 20 of last year, has been
spun around the case. making it the
I strangest crime in the criminal annals
of this state, is soon 90 be cleared mp.
] This is the hop OF the authorities, VINO
are ready 90 SO on with the trial 81
4 the three women, one OF them the
mother-in.law and the others the aunts
4 by marriage OF the young woman. me
I trio have been held IN the Jail here
since shortly after The finding OF the
girls body
/ These three old women in black.
as they are known 60 the other IN
mates of Newark biz prison. are Mrs,
( Mary Snead. mother-in law OF ocey
Snead. Mrs Virginia Ward,aw ana
, Mrs Caroline Wardlaw Martin. aunts
OF OCey Snead by marriage.
I The evidence on which these three
representatives OF one OF the hrSt
| families OF the old south. are he'd
charged With the crime OF murder, IL
/ woven OF the strangest texture ~
which state prosecutor has ever
sought 10 forge chain for conviction.
Have Refused 10 Talk
| During thei rstay in jail the women
! have masked their emotions behind
stolidity They have refused 10 talk,
refused 10 write-and handwriting
plays a prominent part In this mystery
and have steadfastly refused, since
their incarceration in the jail, even
10 see anyone.
A life insurance policy for $4,000,
carried BY the three women on the
| life OF Ocey Snead. drawn IN favor
| OF Virginia Wardlaw and the grand
mother, house OF mystery on l..
Forty-eighthst. New York, and MIL
ave. Flatlands. numerous wills pur'
porting TO have been written by Ocey
Snead. hypnotism and notes threaten
| ing suicide. purporting 10 have been
signed by Ocey Snead, found in the
! possession of Mrs. Mary Snead when
she was arrested at the Hotel Maruu
in New York city. all figure In the
circumstantial chain the state mas
woven about the women.
They are held on two indictments.
The first charges all three with
numbering Ocey Snead by drowning
her in a bathtub.
! The secondhand this is the one the
state bases its main case on
charges the three women drove Ocey
Snead 10 commit suicide
So far as is known here this is the
first indictment or this kind ever re-
turned by a grand jury in this coun'
TRY.
Sisters Are Co-Oefcndants.
/ The way the three sisters. happen
Ito be co-defendants is this: Miss
/ Wardlaw was the only person in the
house when Ocey Snead died. She
said Ocey was i'll on Sunday night ana
that she. Miss Wardlaw. prepared the
bath for her. Ocey was so weak mat
day when she was brought TO the
deserted house that she had 10 be
supported into the house from a cab.
and yet according TO her own STATE
ment, Miss Wardlaw stayed down
stairs in an unfinished house. while
! her niece took her bath, and did not
go TO inquire or look for her for p
hours
| Mrs. Martin is held because the
state has witnesses who Will swear
| she. too. was at the house in East
Orange the day Ocey Snead died.
Mrs Mary Snead is held because
she rented the vacant house. and wit
nesses will swear she made special
inquiries about the bath tub.
She disappeared after Ocey Sneads
body was found. and search which
covered the entire country was IN
augurated by the police. When
found and the suicide notes uncover
&c in her trunk. she explained them
by saying that Ocey had frequently
written notes threatening suicide, and
she had saved them.
Fletcher Snead husband Of Ocey
Snead. was later found al st, Cath
crime. Ont. where he had been work
ing as "A cook for some time before his
wife's tragic death He revealed that
| they had been married three times
| the first wedding being a secret the
| second was performed when they be
gan 10 live together. and the third
was performed when they moved into
New Jersey. as they were first cousins
and wanted 10 be certain their mar
riage was legal.
Writing Is Biz Factor
The state will make strong point
on tho writing Of the note which was
| found ON Occy Snead's body in the
/ bath tub The writing was strong and
/ firm. while Ocey Snead was so enact
/ lated and weak she could hardly stand
alone. Witnesses are promised by the
state who will swear OCey Snead said
Miss Wardlaw hypnotized her. and
physicians will testify as 90 thtA ema'
ciatcd and starved condition OF the
! young woman just before her death
ln the maternity department of ST.
! Christophers hospital, this city. is a
ruly poly baby boy. not vet a year old
lie is a fine little youngstcr. loved by
the nurses and doctors who care for
him The baby was Ocey Snead's
The father has. SO far as is known,
never seen the child.
And hardly doth Hearst get nicely