New-York tribune., 1910-12-19
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
DEAD, AND GAS Jets ON
Suicide. Police Assert: Family,
Friends and Pastor Deny This
Mo Motive, They Say.
MYSTERY IN EAST ORANGE
Accident. Son-in- Law Believes
Family Held Reunion Previous
Evening in House Where
Deaths Occurred.

East Orange. y. J.. Dec. IS (SpeciaD.
The death by asphy xiation this morn
ing of Mrs. Bella Zel1if and her mother,
Mrs Josephine Hartman. is involved In
mystery. While the circumstances indi
Gated suicide on the part of at least ore
of them. nothing in the life of either
nonan was known to their closes.
friends that would constitute even re-
note cause for suicide. There was no
note or other evidence that either woman
had prepared for death. The altarna-
t!ves. Of course. would be nurder or ac-
cident-
Their bodies were found at 10: so
o'clock this morning at the home of Mrs.
Zelliff, at No. IS Central .venue. Mrs.
Zellif. who was a prosperous dress
maker. lived alone on the second floor
of q tvro-fa.nily house at that address.
Her mother made her home with another
daughter, Mrs. Fred L. Knapp, at No 1!
Steuben street. only a few blocks away
Mrs. Knapp had been i'll for long time,
ard Mrs. Hartman had been attending
her. but last night there MAS a little
family reunion at the home OF Mrs Eel
liff.
Fred 6 Clark who occupies the lower
foor Of the house, is positive he heard
both women moving about the house at
80 o'clock this morning. Two physi-
-ians who were called in agreed on the
time OF death as in the neighborhood Of
o'clock.
Ciark's suspicious were aroused when
he detected the odor Of gas and ceased
to hear sounds overhead He went to
the home Of Joseph p Kelly, the agent
through whom he had rented the rooms
for his father. the owner. to Mrs Zellif-
Kelly telephoned to Police Headquar-
ters- and in the mean time he and Clark
started TO investigate themselves. They
had to force their way into the apart
ment-
The elder uorlarl's body was found on
sofa. in the dining room cf the apart
rnent- Except for the fact that she had
shoes but no stockings on her feet. 1t ap-
pesred that she had not arisen for the
dav and might have been asphyxiated in
Der sleep Mrs. Zellif-s body. fully
dressed. reclined ON the bed, Two gas
letg were wide open in the dining room,
one in the bedroom and one in the
kitchen on the same floor
Clark and Kelly were searching for a
l, 10
deaths when Police Sergeant Henry j.
Hector reached the house The three
men shut off the flow of gas and opened
vide the windows meantime dispatching
2 messenger for physicians Dr. w H.
Aionzo Warner and Dr. William H
Cooke. Who responded said they were
satisfied tJat at least two hours had
alsused since deaf in both cases.
Deputy County Physician NJ Herbert
simmons supplemented the police in
eestigation and decided that the deaths
we're suicidal
Mrs. Hartman was an old resident of
East Orange She was a member of the
FIRST Congregational Church, and her as
sociates there were shocked when they
heard of her death.
The Rev. Ferdinand @ Blanchard
pastor Of the chuch. declared he did not
believe either Of the women, with whom
he had been well acquainted for years,
could have intended to destroy herself.
Mrs. Hartman was the daughter of q.
Methodist minister. who founded the
Vernon. y. J.. Methodist Church. She
had been for years a widow. her nearest
relatives being the two daughters men
toned and Mrs. Thomas Muiford, of
Beleville.
eTs- Knapp and heg husband said that
hen they parted from Mrs. Hartman
IND Mrs. Zeilif last night there was
nothing 10 show that Mrs Zelif had
-efer entertained the idea of suicide
Nr- Knapp said yesterday afternoon
he MAS positive the deaths were acct
oehtaL Gas WAS supplied to the apart
melt through quarter-in- -the-slot
meter. and bis theory was that the jets
we're turned on low overnight. that the
supply ran out and that Mrs. Zeiliff put
Quarter in the meter this morning
without Thinking to turn off the Jets
Nhich we're open.
MY Zelliff was the widow OF an At
'aitc Highlands merchant who died
"fee Years ago. They never had any
'iiiidren- Since his death she had sup
Ported herself by dressmaking, at which
ehe Possessed much skill. She had some
"5nble in making collections and also
N effectinx a settlement of her hus-
hend's estate, but acquaintances describe
t.r,, n
N'scious. end the last person in the
world Of whom any enc would think rs
possible suicide