Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-07-22
Virginia Wardlaw Said to Be
Slowly Wasting Away
in Jail.
MAY NOT LIVE TO FACE
TRIAL, WARDENS BELIEF
Effort Is Made to Have Her Re-
moved to Hospital for
Treatment.

That Virginia o. Wardlaw. one Of
the three women who have beer COM
fined in the county JnfI since last De-
eember awaiting trial for the murder
of Ocey w. d. snead in East Orange
ing away and may not live to be tried
on August 20 Is the opinion of Warden
Richard McGinniss. of the jail.
Needs Hospital Care.
So strongly impressed is Warden Nc
Ginniss with this belief that within the
last two days he has been in consuIta-
ton with Prosecutor Wilbur A. Mott
to see If some way could not be found
whereby Miss wardlaw could be sent
to a hospital for treatment.
Warden McGinniss said today: miss
Wardlaw is to my belief In a bad way.
She is very nervous and appears to be
gradually breaking down. I do not
know what is the matter with her, but
| thought that, II possible, change
of surroundings were given her she
might improve. realize, OF course,
that it is not possible for her to be
chance to build up her strength.
took 1t up with the prosecutors Office
to find out IL anything could be done.
1t appears not
Miss Wardlaw refuses to take any
exercise. We do all we can for her
here in jail, but it does her no good.
She gets the best of treatment and has
visits from the jail physician as often
as she desires. She is given the same
food as the other prisoners. Maybe
this is a rather coarse diet for one in
her nervous condition but that cannot
be helped.
Have No Money.
Miss wardlaw and her sisters, mrs.
Martin and Mrs. Snead, when they
| first came here, used TO buy a special
meal once a day, but for some time
they have not had any money to do
this and have had to subsist on the
regular Jail bill of fare.
She has every opportunity to exer-
else In the Jail yard. but complains
that she is too i'll and weak to walk.
took the matter up with the prose-
cutor solely for the reason that /
thought II possible something might
be done to break up the lethargy into
which the woman has fallenr
DIR. Oswald FL. Roth. physician at the
county jail. expressed surprise when
told that Warden McGinniss was wor-
ried about the condition of Miss Ward
law. 'As far as 1 can determine there
is nothing wrong either physically or
mentally with her. She will not take
any exercise and seems to prefer lying
| down in her cell. Physically I can see
nothing in her condition TO worry
about"
Prosecutor Mott said he was perfectly
willing to have Miss Wardlaw receive
medical attention from the jail ply
sician or the county physician at any
time, but could not see his way clear
to consent under any circumstances to
her removal to hospital.
| Franklin w Fort, Miss Wardlaw's
attorney, said he knew that Miss Ward
law was in a very nervous condition.
but that he did not understand that
she was any worse now than she had
been for some time.
Two months ago Miss Wardlaw. to-
gether with her sister. Mrs Mary w.
Snead, were removed from the Jail and
temporarily lodged in the house OF de-
/ tention, across the street from the jail.
Miss Wardlaw was i'll at that time. but
seemed to recover somewhat while
domiciled at the house Of detention. At
that time one of the reasons for her
removal was intimated to be the fact
that Mrs. Caroline B. Martin. the third
of the siters, and mother of the mur-
/ derad pirl was faxerrfSfno- IN .r~d.,a D.
ffuence over her.
Miss. Wardlaw was returned to the
county Jail three weeks ago.