The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-16

of circumstantial evidence, by piecing
together the story of their actions as
it came from several sections of the
country. With Mrs. Mary Snead at
the time of her arrest, was the moth
er of the three prisoners. Mrs. Martha
Wardlaw, woman eighty-three years
old. She was the widow of Meth
odist clergyman, and the family was
originally from Christianburg, Va. It
was after the war that MA. Caroline
B. Martin came north with her hus-
band, who held a responsible position
with big tobacco firm. On his death
he left a fortune OF $4,000 to their
daughter, Ocey Martin. Later on Mrs.
Martin got in straitened circumstan-
York, but sent her daughter to Muir
freesboro, Tenn, where she entered
Soule College, which was run by Miss
Virginia Wardlaw, her spinster aunt.
Mrs. Snead had two sons. and the
youngest, Fletcher, on being divorced
from his first wife, wooed and won
his beautiful cousin Ocey Martin.
Mrs. Martin, the girls mother, then
came south and took hand In the at
fairs of Soule College, and she is
blamed for the failure of that institu-
ton. From the southern neighbors
of this queer family, it was learned
how completely Ocey and Fletcher
were dominated by the Wills Of the
three older people, and at times they
seemed to WELD sort of hypnotic in
fluence over the young girl and her
lover. -a..
After their marriage in 1907, Ocey
and Fletcher came to New York,
where he secured a position in the
lumber business. The young couple
were followed by Mrs. Martin, Miss
| Wardlaw, Mrs. Snead and the old
grandmother; the entire party making
their home at the Manhattan hotel.
AS their financial condition became
worse, they moved from place to place
and finally, in the spring of 1909 Mrs.
Snead and Mrs. Martin rented a
house in the F1atlands, section OF
Brooklyn. To this house they brought
Ocey Snead. who was apparently in
poor health and expecting the birth
Miss Wardlaw and her aged mother
Shortly afterwards, Fletcher Snead
lost his position and disappeared aban-
doning his young wife. Following the
young woman's death, the authorities
made wide search for him, but his
! mother, Mrs. Snead, stated that he
had died some time ago. On the arrest
OF Mrs. Martin, however, they found
a number of letters written by Mrs.
Ocey Snead to her husband. which
had never been mailed, and also q
number written by him to his wife,
which apparently had never reached
her. Through the missives the young
man was located in St GATHERINGS,
Ont. where he had been working in a
hotel kitchen. He refused, however,
to return to the United States. unless
requested to do SO by his mother and
aunts, saying that he was wanted in
Tennessee to testify in suit brought
against his former employer, and did
not care to do so.
/, But to return to the spring OF 1909:
1t was at this house in the F1atlands
that many mysterious events occurred
and on account OF its dark and for
bidding appearance, the neighbors
named It the house of mystery" In
August OF tho same year, Ocey Snead's
baby was born. and the three old wom-
en- Immediately took the child from
its mothers arms and placed 1t in an
orphan asylum. despite the advice OF
DIR. Petit, the attending physician.
After the death OF the young woman.
the physician came forth with some
startling testimony. He said that the
young girl had been shamefully neg
lected. that his prescriptions were not
filled. and that she was literally half
starved for lack Of food and proper
Inourishment He also said that he
was never once permitted to speak to
his patient alone, although she desired
him to do so many times
Then came the first intimation that