The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-05-07
TR|EDFORbATHTUb
MURDER

Newark, n. j., May Interest in
the mysterious death of Mrs. Ocey
Wardlaw Martin Snead at East Or
ange, N. j., in November last has
been revived by the near approach of
the date set for the opening of the
trial of Miss Virginia o. Warilaw
Mrs. Caroline B. Martin and Mrs.
Mary w. Snead, who are charged
with the murder of the victim of the
famous bathtub tragedy. The case
has been called for trial on Wednes-
day of next week and there is every
indication that the case will be
strongly fought and will go down in
the annals of criminal history as one
of the most puzzling and peculiar
cases ever known in this country.
Mrs. Ocey Smear was found dead
in the bathtub of the house No. SO
West Fourteenth street, East Orange,
on November 20, 1909, and so pecu-
liar were the circumstances surround
ing her death that the authorities be-
gan an investigation to ascertain the
true facts in the case. In the after
noon of November 20 some woman
called up the police of East Orange,
asking for the address of the coroner.
When the woman was informed that
there were no coroners in New Jer-
sey, she Informed the police that a
woman had committed suicide at No.
80 West Fourteenth street. DR.. H.
M. Simmons, one of the deputy coun-
ty physicians, was sent to the house
and found the body of the young
woman in the bathtub. The tub was
full Of water and the entire body of
the woman was submerged. At first
the physician did not suspect that
there was anything wrong, especially
as he found, pinned to the clothes of
the woman, note stating that she
had committed suicide. Closer inves-
tigation convinced him, however, that
the woman had been dead more than
twenty-four hours. AS the bathroom
was the only one in the house 1t
seemed strange that the body had
not been found sooner. The explain
ations offered by the three women in
the house did not satisfy the physi-
ri
investigation was begun by the police
authorities.
| 1t was ascertained that the victim
of the tragedy and her aunt, Miss Vir-
ginia Wardlaw, had moved into the
house on West Fourteenth street ten
days before the finding of the body
| They had no furniture excepting a
cot and a soap box, which served as
table. The two women had no mon
ey and had subsisted on milk, biscuits
and few oranges. The investigation
was continued and an amazing mass
OF material was brought to light. II
appeared that the three women In
dicted for the murder of Ocey Snead
were near relatives of the victim
| The aunt of the dead woman, Miss
Virginia Wardlaw, comes from a well
connected Southern family and at one
time was president of Soule College
at Murfreesboro, Tenn, and later
member of the faculty of Roanoke
College, Salem, Va. The exact cir
cumstances which led to the decline
of the family fortunes are not known
but it seems that Miss Virginia Ward.
law, accompanied by Mrs. Caroline
B. w. Martin, the mother of Ocey
and Mrs. Mary w. Snead, mother OF
Ocey Snead's husband, Fletcher w
Snead. came to New York some year:
ago probably in the hope of recover
ing their fortune. At first they lived
at the Waldorf-Astoria, later at the
Manhattan Hotel, but as their funds