The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-09

Especial to The Times Dispa,ch.J :
Newark. y. j., January S.-Whcn TWO
feeble old women. thin anG cn,aciateJ
from their long period OF Imprisonment.
are led, lettering. into the court room
mere Tuesday and placed on trial 10,
their lives, Ii viii mark lho beginning
OF The !inal chapter Of one OF the most
mysterious aud uncanny tragedies In
the criminal annals Of the East. The
Two aged prisoners. Mrs Caroline u
Martin. hGcl siNty-thrne ana Mrs
Mary Snead aged sixty. are sisters. and
hrc charged with completes In the
murder of Mrs. Occy W. Sncad, their
daughter and 'danshter-in-law who
was found drowned in n bath tub in a
house in East Orange, " j., over n
year ago.
SIN ImpcnctrnhIc.
The heavy Veil OF myrtcry which has
shrouded tho tragedy ana It's princinaJ
actors since its beginning, remains n.
Uncomfortable as ever. and 4 IS not be-
Hcved mat The trial Will 20 far to-
wards clearing il m.
The only person believed TO have
been fully coenizant with the tragic
end of Ocey Snca6 was Miss Virginia
"nrdiaw, splnster aunt Of tho victim
ana sister Of tho two prisoners. who
starved herself 10 death in the Ncwarl,
prison last sumner. She was the only
ono in the house with Occy sncad
when tho girl met her death. and
was tho first to lie placed under ar.
rest. The authorities alleged that She
exercised hypnotic influence Over
the girl, and compelled her to end her
own life. They hoped to prove that
the three old women had planned tfs
death Of the young girl In order to Sc.
cure the $4,000 life Insurance. money.
and relieve their straitened financial
~ ~ ia moo a.,
Wardlaw's testimony at the inquest,
she had hlled the bath tub with water
Tor her niece To take "A path, and then
mad gone downstairs and remained
there for twcnty-four hours. while ehn
knew her niece was sick ana helpless
on the moor above When she went up
stairs again. she found the body of Tho
Girl in the bath tub. with il note pinned
to her nightgowu. saying that she had
committed suicide.
Miss Wardlaw's death, however re-
moves the possibility Of extracting any
Information from This source, and
greatly wcakcns tho prosecution. Tn
less the unexpected happens All the
trial. Ocey Sncads death will remain
as much mystery as ever
The prosecution. however, bases lis
hopes on the suicide notes. which were
found among Mrs. Martins cfrccts
when sho was placed undcc arrest two
weeks after The murder These notes
arc almost ilcal with the ono found
pinned to the young girls night dress.
The unusual amount of insurance taken
out OH the victims life. and the fact
that the three old women were named
as bcncflciarics in tho policies, Is
another link in the chain OF cIrcum-
stantial evidence.
Dcfcnsr r Mystery.
What tho defense will he is mys-
terry. II wos claimed for time that
Mrs. Martin was insane but after a
lengthy hearing during which many
witnesses were brought from different
parts of the country Judge Ten Eycls
declared her sane. This decision was
rendered on December i, and confirm
ed on appeal few weeks later.
The history of tho famous bath tub"
mystery bears out the old adage that
truth is stranger than felton," No
moro mysterious story was over reveal.
ed within the covers OF novel than
was brought to light by the press and
authorities after tho iindnS of Occy
Sncad's body In the bath tub Of her
home In East Orange, y. j. on Novcnl-
her %. 1909
The three aged sisters were members
OF q poor but aristocratic Southern
FAMILY. their father being an eminent
Methodist preacher In Georgia. All.
were we'll educated. and after several
Scars' experience at teaching. Miss
virginia Wordlaw, tho youngest of the
,ifontinucd on Second Pagc)