Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-02-07
Thus Is Written the Last Chap
ter of the Ocey Snead
Murder Mystery.
ACTION OF PROSECUTOR
HAD BEEN ANTICIPATED
No Further Action Intended in
the East Orange Bath
tub Case.

The last chapter in the East Orange
bathtub murder case, one of the most
battling mysteries In the criminal his
tory of the United States, and a case
that has held the attention of the en-
tire country for more than a year, was
written at the Essex County Court
House this afternoon when Prosecutor
Mott moved that the indictment
against Mrs. Mary W. snead be nolle
: pressed. This action by the prosecutor
!. was not surprise, as 1t has been evi-
dent ever since the sentencing of Mrs
Caroline B. Martin to seven years in
prison that Mr.. Mott did not intend to
further pursue his prosecution OF the
case.
The disposition of the case came In
the Court of Quarter Sessions before
Judge Jay Ten Eyck. Following Pros
ecutor w. A. Motifs motion, Samuel
Kalisch, attorney for Mrs. Snead,
asked that the court order his clients
discharge from the county Jail The
order was granted and Mrs. Snead was
taken from the jail in a carriage late
this afternoon by her son, Albert
Snead.
Drop Indictment Against Dead Woman.
PROSE- In the indictment against Miss
Virginia o. Wardlaw, the sister who
died at the House of Detention on Au-
gust II. He said that while the case
} was ended he wished the records to be
made clear.
The indictments returned against the
three sisters for aiding and nbetting
suicide were also dropped because the
prosecutors case held that the girl
aid not commit suicide.
Unlike the other court scenes In the
case nothing sensational occurred. Mrs.
Snead was not present, and the only
relative in the courtroom was her son,
Albert Snead
;, To Remain Here for Time.
Mrs. Snead will remain in Newark
with her son until Mrs. Martins re-
| moval from the county Jail on Thurs
Q day. and then will go to New York
She will leave in few weeks for
Colorado where she will make her
, home home with her sons, Albert and
Fletcher W. Snead.
Mrs. snead is the aunt and mother
, in-law of Ocey w. NJ. Snead, whose
dead body was found In bathtub in a
! deserted East Orange house November
20, 1909 With her two sisters, Mrs.
) Martin and Miss Virginia wardlaw,
trio that came to be known as the
three old women of mystery" she WAS
indicted for the murder of Ocey, a
crime committed, 1t has been supposed
to enable the three old women to get
possession of the insurance on the girls
life.
The disposal of Mrs. Sneads indict-
ment ends the famous case, as far as
court action Is concerned. Beginning
with the arrest of the three sisters
more than a year ago. every action
taken by the court has resulted in SEN
sational developments.
Dies of Starvation.
Miss Wardlaw died on August IL at
the House of Detention An autopsy
performed on her body showed that
death had resulted from starvation.
The plea of non vult to manslaughter
entered by Mrs. Martin two weeks ago
and her sentence to seven years in
State prison disposed of the second in
dictment
Mrs. Snead was arrested at Mrs
Martins Twenty-second street apart
ments, New York, December IA, 1909,
which was the day after the funeral
of Ocey w. M Snead Mrs. Snead
was the only relative of the dead girl
at the funeral at Mt. Hope Cemetery
New York Following her arrest Mrs
Snad was indicted jointly with her
sisters, Mrs. Caroline B. Martin and
Miss Virginia o. Wardlaw.
Makes Statement.
Following the disposal of the case
Albert c. Snead made the following
statement
"I am glad to have my mother vindi-
Gated in this way, without the necessity
of her going through the unpleasant
ness of court trial. However, know
: ing as 1 do, the nobility Of my mothers
nature, and believing absolutely in her
innocence, have never for a moment
had the slightest fear that the trial If
II had taken place. would result other
than In her complete vindication; and
/ believe I am safe in saying not only |
for myself but for every one who has
ever known her, that there is not one
whose faith in my mothers innocence
and in the purity of her character has
been shaken in the least by the accusa- /
| tions that were made against her, and |
| on account of which she has been held !
in custody
! "The nolle pressing of the indictment
does not come as q surprise to me, as
was personally assured by the prose-
cutor more than two weeks ago that
he was ready to release my mother at
any time thereafter that she might re- !
quest It, However, on account of the /.
pitiable condition, both physical and I
/ mental, of her sister, Mrs. Martin, my
/ mother requested to be allowed to re-
main temporarily with Mrs. Martin. In |
order to minister to her needs. 1t was
for this reason that my mothers case
was not disposed of before this time"
Chronology of the Case.
November 20. 1sos-Body of Ocey w. /
Snead found In bathtub of almost un-
| furnished house, at SO North Four
teenth street, East Orange. note