The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-11-05
THE DARE MYSTERY.
was a curious case.


The Doctor said so and the Doctors
reputation for truthful and veracions
statement was uncxceptionablc. The
reasons for this were quite simple.
The Doctor never. by any chance,
talked upon anything about which ne
did not POSSESS Il large knowledge and
as he was by no means a silent man.
the argument in favor OF the posses
sion Of much information on many
subjects was not altogether uncOnvinc-
ing. 1t must not be understood by
this. however. that the Doctor himself
claimed a comprehensive and universal
knowledge. He had, indeed, been
heard to frequently observe that ne
knew nothing whatever about several
things. including geology, which he
regarded as incOnsequent, but In the
various "ologies" connected with his
profession his information could only
be looked upon rs amazing.
And 30 the Doctors statement that
the Dare mystery was "a curious case
hand instant credence with the limit
ed, II select. audience which heard the
pronouncement.
'The girl Is dead" he observed. 80
far as my experience goes people who
die nearly always do so with reason"
he continued with that blank-faced
whimsicality which caused him often
70 be misunderstood. always one,
sometimes more, according to the per-
sonal taste. think may say that l
have never observed case where
there were no mitigating circumstan-
ces. When, therefore, a person, come
ly and of goodly seeming, apparently In
good health and inferentially enjoy
ing, to some extent, the benefits OF
such q series of advantages, shuffles
off this fairly livable existence and
takes the chance of so-called re
ward" 1t seems just probable that
there must be some reasonable. p'ausi-
BILE excuse. One does not die as he
eats, because death is a comestible for
which, once swallowed, there is no
known emetic.
"The girl is dead beyond question.
But what did she die of or from
1.-THE coroner and his medical as
sistant. both, by the way, very capable
men professionally, have made all the
ordinary and extraordinary tests to de-
termine the cause of her death.
"She was wet but as she was in
the water less than minute and was
rescued practically instantly-many
witnesses testifying to this fact
death could not have resulted from
drowning, and there was no evidence
that she died OF shock.
Furthermore the lungs contained
practically no water and neither had
water penetrated the stomach or any
other vital organ in sufficient quanti'
ties to cause, even, discomfort.
Let US review the evidence collect.
ed by the coroner:
ION Friday, the thirteenth day OF
October 100, Jane Dare, aged TWEEN
ty-three, spinster, daughter Of Jona
than and Helen Dare. residing at 1854
Elm Place, in the city Of Brooklyn
state Of New York, about the hour OF
three o'clock entered. for the purpose
OF crossing from Jersey City to the
city of Brooklyn, ferry of the annex
line operated by the Pennsylvania rail
road and known as A547; that she
was accompanied to said ferry by q
friend with whom she had been calling
and whose testimony is attached here
to; that she appeared to be in good
health and her accustomed spirits
laughing and joking and exhibiting
no pain or physical discomfort: thai
just as the ferry cleared the slip she
was standing beside the rail at the
rear of the boat on the right side, and
she leaned suddenly forward as if tc
wave last signal, lost her balance
and fell overboard; that as she so fel
q man (name unknown), who was
standing beside her. grasped and cluns
to her arm and clothing, but was un
able to check her fall: that seeing he
would be unable to check her fall, he
released her and sprang overheard
striking the water at practically the
same time as the deceased; that botl
went under but reappeared IN a few
seconds. the girl in the grasp of the
unknown man. who proving his ability
- Q swimmer by Immediately striking
out for the head of the slip. the ferr!
proceeded without stopping to Offer
aid: that at the foot Of ladder form
inx a portion Of the head OF the slip
the girl was taken in charge by the
officials OF the company and the res
cuer disappeared in the crowd anc
has not since been discovered: tha
the girl had every attention from the
said company's officials. which Off
cials are accustomed to giving aid II
like cases. and every effort was made
along the usual lines to revive her bu
to no avail; that the symptoms wer'
somewhat unusual being accompanied
by profuse hemorrhages from the nos'
and mouth: that the company's doctor
who was called Immediately the acci
dent happened. was unable to accoun
for the death as due to drowning
because Of these unusual features ant
that 1t became necessary, therefore. t
hold IN autopsy: that said autopsy be
ing conducted by the help OF my assis