New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-12
MISS WARDLAW DEAD;
HINT Of SUICIDE PACT
Doctors Say Woman Showed
Every Sign of Having Died
from Starvation.
MAY END BATHTUB CASE
Opinion Divided as to Whether
Woman Gould Eat or Starved
Herself as Result of
Pledge.

Death has interviewed in the case of
Miss Virginia o. WardaW, who with
her two older sisters was charged with
the murder of Mrs Ocey ". NJ. Snead-
The end came in the House of Deten-
ton in Newark at o'clock yesterday
afternoon while the Rev. Alfred 6.
Wardlaw, brother of the accused
women. was offering prayers ar the bed
side Near by at the time were Mrs.
Richard Spindle. a sister. and two
nurses.
DIR. Oswald n. Roth. the jail physician.
and DR.. Walter s. Washington, who had
done everything they could to prolong
life gave up the fight about twenty min
utes before Miss Wardlaw succumbed-
In their cells in the county prison
across the street at the time of Miss
Wardlaw's death were her two sisters,
Mrs. Caroline B. Martin and Mrs Mary
W Snead An effort to have them
taken to the beside of their dying sister
was baked by official red tape. Under
Sheriff Reilly. who was appealed TO Tor
permission TO remove the prisoners from
their cells, refused to assume the respon-
sibilitv for such a step unless it was
sanctioned by the attending PHYSICIANS.
Neither DR. Roth nor DR.. Washington
could be communicated with, and while
Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Snead sat in their
cells waiting for word from the Sheriff
office the message that their sister was
dead was conveyed to them by Chauh-
cey H Beasley, their counsel.
SYMPTOMS of Starvation.
That death was due primarily 10 star
walton was the opinion expressed by LIT.
Roth. and he is supported in that opin-
ion not only by the symptoms OF the
patient but by statements or jail at
tendants. who declared that the three
women were far from properly nour1sheo
and could not or would not eat the food
given to them.
The circumstances under Wnlch MISS
wardlaw passed away revived story
that was told at the time OF her arrest
7, bod tn do with a suicide pact between
,,rs Ocev W. NJ. Snead, her husband,
Fletcher w. Snead, and Miss WardlaW.
The manner in which Mrs. Ocey Snead
mat her death, in the bathtub of her nome
IN East orange while the now famous
s,,icida note was pinned to some OF her
discarded clothing in the room; the De
termination of Miss Wardld" 10 s'ai We
barself to death. and the disa ppearance
If Snead who was found in Canada ana
,.. ag.in all we're held to strengthen
this theory
Miss wardlaw had been dying for
tree DAYS. She was removed from her
coll in the iail on Tuesday after TWO
nbvsicians appointed by Chief Justice
Gummere had examined her- soon ter
being placed under guard In the House
IF Detention. which Is for witnesses ana
.,,veniIe prisoners. Miss WardlaW be
came unconscious. Her condition De
oa,,. grave. and for two days she was
kent alive by oxygen and stimuian's-
IN Wednesday, after the physicians
ho5 snent several hours with the patient.
.ha conclusion was rea ched that Miss
1-ard,av was BEYOND human aid. and
word Uas sent to her sister MIS-. SPIN
dIe and to the Rev. Mr. WardlaW. Bo'h
reached Newark yesterday morning,
Mrs Spindle visiting the sickroom with
Franklin w Fort. until recently counsel
for Miss Wardlaw. The brother did not
go to the prison until few hours before
death came.
Case May Be- Dropped.
What effect the death OF Miss Ward
law may have upon the indictments
AGAINST the other accused women Is
nrohIeratical Prosecutor Wilbur A.
Mott the only person who is In posi-
,ion to state what course the state VIII
follow. is on his vacation at Nara gan
sA:t and until his return nothing ofncial
will he announced.
From those familiar with the situa-
tton however. the indica tons are that
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