New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-03
FASCINATED BY THE DEAD
Undertaken Says Mrs. VermlIya
GIoried in Death.
BISS0NETTE WAS ENGAGED
Police Believe Woman May Have
Been Jealous of Officer-Au-
thorities Await Analysis.

Chicago, Nov "A story that Mrs. Louise
Vermilya, who is under surveillance by the
police in connection with the sudden death
OF Arthur Bissonette was morbidly fasci-
mated by dead bodies was told TO the au-
thorities by Il. NJ. Blocks, an undertaken
at Darlington, ILL.,. to-day. He said:
Mrs Vermilya actually seemed to enjoy
" orking around bodies. and while I never
couldn't keep her out of the office. At
every death she would seem 10 hear of II
just as soon as !, and she would reach the
house only little behind me. She seemed
TO glory in thinking Of death.
Mrs. A. r. la ROGUE, aunt of Bossi-
nette declared to-day she had almost to
resort TO personal violence to get posses
sion of her nephew's body. owing to Mrs
| Vermilya's demands that she should at
tend to his burial
Almost before Arthur died Mrs. Yer
milya was at the hospital with g. G. Boy
sen. an undertaken" said Mrs. La ROGUE.
'She demanded that the body be turned
| over to her and wanted TO fight me when
/ insisted on having It."
Possibility that jealousy might have been
motive i'm the death Of Bssonette proved
a new factor i'm the investigation that is
being conducted by the Coroner and the
Police Department. The belief that he was
engaged to Mrs. Louise Vermilya with
whom he boarded. was shattered by the
filing of the patrolman's will showing Miss
| Lydia Rivard. a daughter Of a farmer OF
Marshall. MINI. as his fancee and TN,
! chief beneficiary under the document.
! Investigations by the police to-day
| 1;Cl, OF, 81 "
| connection with the death i'm March last
/ of Frank #. Smith. who was roomer in
| Mrs Vermilyas house. and preparations
for exhuming the body are under way.
Whether or not action will be taker
against Mrs. Vermilya, and further In
vestigation conducted into eight Other
| deaths that have occurred in her circle OF
| immediate associates. will not he deter
mined until Tomorrow At tina, time toXi
cologists. who are examining Bissonette'
viscera. will make their report to the coro
ner.
| one significant feature concerning tho
analysis is the fact that more than week
has been consumed in making the eXamina-
| ton of the vscera Of the dead policeman
| II is understood that if the discoloration OF
| the liver of the dead man had been caused
| by some organic trouble it would have been
quickly determined. Instead, the length OF
| time consumed. according TO physicians. is
| a pain indication that some foreign matter
/ has been found and that repeated and
varied tests have been made TO absolutely
determine its nature.
Not Benefited by Officers Death.
Mrs. Vermilya, in a statement to-day
said:
did not benefit by Arthur Bissonette
| death | got no insurance. and II he LEFT
| anything I'm his Will to me it is without
my knowledge. His insurance policy was
| made payable TO his father He asked ny
| advice when he started TO make out hi
/ will, but ! told him TO go ahead and FOL!
low his own judgment.
| He had asked me to marry him, but
| had put him off / gave him several red
| sons why we should not marry. The III T.
| ference in our ages was one; We also he!c
| different religious beliefs. There were
| several points that I brought to his notice
! but he always insisted that should no
| make any difference and that he was Will
| ing 10 overlook any differences If | was.
| Although ! did not think We should un
dertake such step. | promised to MARI!
| him / could see that he was very fOne
of me.
| In telling OF Bssonette's reported en-.
gagement TO Miss Rivard Mrs. Vermilya
said:
| ] think he used TO go with her years ago
but he told me that was all over. Miss
| Rivard visited in Chicago last July and
| came up TO call on me Arthur never
talked much about her ! did not know
that he had left the most Of his money tC
her.
Regarding her husbands. Mrs. Vermilya
| said:
Ny first husband died from acute alco-
| holism. Any one who lived In Darlington
| H., our former home Will tell you that
| Charles Nermilya, my second husband
died from gastrtis. but there was no sus-
| picion of anything wrong in connection
| with his death. Samples OF his blood were
| tested at my request, and II was found
| thnt rasfrliis CAUSED his death.