New-York tribune., 1911-01-30
gody of Woman and Condition of
Place Show Evidence of
Violent Struggle.
GAVE M0NTCLAIR AS HOME
Companion Gets Away Fourteen
Hours Before Discovery
Of the Crime Is
Made.


Hotel AT Sixth avenue and 44th street
last night the police of this city are
confronted by battling murder mystery.
The woman'S body lay on a bed in Room
"a partly dressed and the clothing badly
6,ssrranged. as though the woman had
made a desperate fight for her life. In
her mouth was stuffed part Of towel
and blue marks. presumably finger prints
on her neck indicated that she had been
straneled TO death. The furniture in the
room was also strewn about. as though
tho struggle for life had started from the
onrosito side Of the room from the bed.
Marks on her mouth led the detectives
10 think that some acid might have been
used
The woman had registered at the hotel
~ l:4O o'clock on Sunday morning. she
vas accompanied by a man about thir-
ty-fve years old. wearing a light over
coat. q dark soft nat, and carrying
small suitcase. The man had slight
cast in one eye. and these scant cle"s
are all the police have to work on. the
man lott the hotel fourteen hours before
the vJman's BODY was found.
The couple were registered on the no.
rel book as John Smith and wife. Mont
clair. y. J." and were assigned TO room
80. - by the night clerk, Neuer. The
clerk was struck by the refined appear
snco Of the couple. the woman being eX-
pensively dressed in a black fur coat
and brown plumed hat. She carried
handbag. and seemed 10 be about thirty
years old. She was about five feet two
inches in height She weighed about l30
pounds had brown hair and blue eyes
ard was prepossessing in appearance.
After the man and woman had been
shown 10 their rooms nothing more was
heard from them until $40 yesterday
morning. when the man is supposed to
have left the place. That was the only
time h could have got out unobscrved.
Hallboy Finds the Body.
No sound was heard from the room to
which the man and woman had been
shown earlier in the morning. and 1t
was not until Edwin Craigs. haliboy,
Knocked OF the door Of the room and.
receiving no answer. opened the door
and saw that chair had been over
turned aud the cover pulled from the
bureau that any suspicion had been
aroused
The light had been turned off, and it
vas some moments before he could see
objects distinctly. Finally he made out
the form Of a woman. lying huddled on
the bed. her face half covered by a sheet.
The condition Of her clothing and the
sNkard position OF her body led Craigg
10 rush to the hotel office, where he told
the clerk what he had seen.
Neuer called William Drose. the pro-
prietor, and the three went 10 the room
and turned on the light Only hasty
survey of the disordered room and the
silent body on the bed we're necessary.
Droge informed the police Of the West
Attn street station. Detectives Farley,
Barber and Sussflo were assigned to the
case and Coroner Hellenstein was
called IN.
An examination Of the room showed
that the woman must have fought des-
peratelv for her life, knocking over fur
riture and being dragged along the floor
before she finally succumbed 10 superior
brute strength. Discolora tions about her
face and shoulders abounded.
Three Rings Found on Body
A further examination Of the effects
Of the dead woman proved that her
,evelry was probably Of greater value
than the detectives and the Coroner had
~ first believed In addition 10 a we'd
ding ring and another set with two tur-
ouoises the detectives found later
third ruz. containing five small dis-
monds. There were also earrings set
with turquoises
After Coroner Helenstein had closely
examined the woman's coat he found
that IT, had been purchased from James
McCreerv & CO. Of Fifth avenue and
53th street Her undertaking ana
skirt. i'm fact. all her clothing. are ap-
psreutly of the best material, and not
such as is worn by women accustomed
10 frequent hotels in the Tenderloin,
Another fact which would seem 10 in
dicate that the victim was Of at least
fairly good family was that her hands
and hngernails were exceptionally neat
and we'll cared for the nails having
teen manicured within day or two.
Deputy Commissioner Flynn soon took
personal charge of the case. and his de-
tectiycs left no stone unturned in their
efforts 10 find something tangible on
which to work As a precautionary
measure the police took photographs OF
the position Of tho body before its re-
noysl 10 the morguc
After further questioning tho police
learned from the management OF the
BRYANT that the man was not seen 10
leave Tho hotel II was explained that
this might have been owing 10 the fact
that the night and day forces changed
a. Z. 80 o'clock every morning, and that
the murderer might have slipped out
while the change was taking place.
The detectives also found that there
vas am electric bell near the office en-
trance Upon the departure of any guest
this bell rings automatically william
Ncuer. the night clork said he did not
hear that bell ring during his tour OF
duty and il IS supposed that the man
made his escape While Nouer VAS wash
ms hi- hands. preparatory to going
home