Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-08-12
MASTER MIND
DIRECTED MISS
WARDLAW|S DEATH
Woman's End and That of Ocey
Snead, Who Was Murdered,
Strangely Similar.
DEATH WILL NOT CHANGE
STATUS OF FAMOUS CASE.
Jail Keepers Say Mrs. Snead's
Mother Can Make Them
Do Her Will.

'Miss Virginia o. wnrdIaw starved
as did Ocey w. NJ. snead, with whose
murder she WINS charged. Both the
young woman aD~ --.ss wardiay were
driven TO this coarse by some master
mind that seemed TO have full control
over thenn.r
That was the startling statement
made by former Judge Chauncy H.
! Beasley today. counsel for the woman
who died in the House of Detention
yesterday afternoon.
Asked whether Mrs. Caroline B. Mar
tin, mother of Oeey w. NJ. Snead. and
sister of the dead woman. was the
master mind to whom he referred, Mr.
Beasley refused to answer
! 1t has often been reported from the
county Jail zince the three sisters have
been in confinement there that Mrs.
Martin dominated the others to re-
narkable degree.
why, she can even make us keepers
do almost anything she wants VI 20
do" has been said many times by jail
attendants.
1 AoAVgsf AhAs AItGHnODns
The autopsy which will be performed
by the county physician late this after
noon will show, it is expected, that
Miss Wardlaw died OF starvation, or,
rather, through weakness induced by
her refusal to partake of proper food.
Identically the same conditions were
revealed in the autopsy performed on
the body OF Ocey w. NJ. Snead, who
| tn ho% tol x.,tt ~
water in an almost deserted house in
East Orange on November % last
| Not a particle of food was found in
her stomach. and her condition showed
that she, had starved herself for some
time. It has always been eontended by
the three sisters under arrest that Ocey
Snead was given every attention pos
sibie
1t is certain that at the county jail
Miss Wardlaw was given attention
Ever since she began to fail three
months ago through lack of exercise
and refusal to eat proper food, every
effort was made by her sisters and the
Jail officiSls and attendants to en-
courage her to eat.
Steadfastly she refused and gradually
grew weaker. Her case and that of
Ocey w. NJ Snead for the last three
months of her life form striking
parallel
Feared Mrs Martin.
I While none of the lawyers in the
case would discuss the matter at all
this morning, 1t is a known fact that
Mrs. Martin was feared by the other
two sisters, Miss Wardlaw and Mrs
Snead. Her. word was always law
with them,' remarked a lawyer not
connected with the case in any man
ner but who has had frequent oc-
casions to visit the women's quarters
of the jail during the past six months.
| mo matter what the difference or
argument was it was always Mrs. Mar
tin who had the last word. And 1t
always settled all disputes. too"
Mr.. Beasley said today that he would
now look after the interests of the two
surviving sisters when the case comes
to trial on September 21.
THE understanding was reached yes
terday afternoon when I informed the
! two sisters in the county Jail of Miss
| wardlaw's DEATH" said Mr.. Beasley.
1T has been stated in some quarters
that Mrs. Martin showed no emotion
when told of the death OF her sister,"
he continued. That is not true. Mrs
Martin is not an emotional woman and
does not show her feelings openly"
Asks About FunernI.
when 1 informed her that Miss
wardlaw was dead she made no reply,
but walked to her cell and sat down.
A few minutes later she came to me
weeping and asked what 1t was pos
sible to do about the funeral arrange
ments. 1 told her that would be looked
after, but she insisted that no arrange
ments be made without her being con-
suited
Both Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Snead
were sorely hurt when they were re-
| fused permission to see her in her last
hours. tried to get permission from
the sheriff's Office for the sisters to be
taken to the House of Detention an
hour before Miss Wardlaw passed
away. was unable to secure the per-
mission. do not blame the sheriff's
office for the refusal. I believe they
were acting under orders from the
prosecutor Office
i Assistant Prosecutor Andrew Van
Blarcom. who in the absence of both
! Prosecutor Wilbur A. Mott and First
Assistant Fred r. Lehlbach, is in
| charge of the Office. said that the
death of Miss Wardlaw would make
no difference in the trial of the other
two sisters.
1T does not injure our case at ALL
remarked Mr.. Van Blarcom. land the
trial will go ahead at the date set
Asked whether he expected con-
viction. Mr.. Van Blarcom became
uncommunicative. Louis Hood. who Is
associated with Prosecutor Mott in
the trial of Mrs Martin and Mrs
Snead, visited the Court House this
morning, but refused absolutely to
discuss the case In any phase.
| The Rev. Dr. Albert Wardlaw. of
| Christiansburg, Va. who was at his
sisters side when she died yesterday
afternoon. said today:
my sister was a true Christian. Her
whole life was devoted 20 helping
/ others Since girihood she had been
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