Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-08-02

Coroner Believes Suicide Theory,
Catskill N. Y, July 81 That Miss
Dorcas Jams snodgrass, the Mount
Vernon nurse who disappeared from
home July II aud whose body was
found here on the banks Of Dubois
creek on Sunday. met her death from
causes that could not be ascertained,
was the official finding OF Coroner X.
l.. Van Denberg announced after the
Inquest Tuesday afternoon.
unofiicially however, the Coroner
leans toward the theory on death BY
drowning, either By accident or sui.
eide, and most strongly 10 the latter
idea, basiHg his opinion on the reports
he had received Of the girls home life
and the disappointment she had Ind
IN her love affairs. These, he thought,
contributed to make her Respondent
and supplied the motive for self-de-
struction.
Witnesses A. Inquest.
James Young. who found the body.
Chief of Police Hubbard who towed
! II from the creek, and Lieut., Silver
stein OF the Mount Vernon police were
among the first witnesses at the in.
quest Their stories have already been
printed in The World.
The only new development OF the
case was reported on by the District.
Attorney and Sheriff Abraham Post
II concerned the experiment tried AT
I sha 1frngt Ion Af Mr. ANtihtsp Of
ing a dummy into the river at the
mouth OF Dubois creek in order to
ascertain II 1t would have been impos-
sible for body to have foated up the
creek to the point where the body Of
Miss Snodgrass was found.
Wilbur and Post prepared the dunn
my-a pair OF trousers sewed TO d
coat and the two stuffed with excel.
sior. The dummy was thrown into the
water at the entrance of Du Bots
Creek at LOS when the tide was
just beginning to run In. The tide
caught the dummy and swung II over
to the upper bank Of the creek. With
in an hour 1t had tFaversed quartes
of the distance 10 the place where the
body had been found. Its course had
not been free from interruption. II
caught several times In the eel grass.
At the first bend of the creek a
branch of a small tree caught II and
held 1t for nearly an hour then It
worked loose and continued up the
stream to Bentley's boat house. where
Il again became stuck and there re-
manned. Sheriff Post and Mr.. Wilbur
said Of the experiment:
ct proves only one thing and that
Is that 1t is possible for a body caught
at the mouth OF the creek to float up
past The bends. A plank thrown in+
TO the river yesterday at Bentley's
boat house was found this morning
away beyond where the body had
been found"
Yacht May Located
The cabin cruiser yacht May own
ed by Mr. c. L. Woerley of New Ro-
ehelle and mentioned as connected
with the Snodgrass case, was located
at Waterford. the entrance TO the
Champlain Canal last night by Dis
trict Attorney Wilbur. Mr.. Woerley
was questioned over the phone and
emphatieally denied any acquaintance
with Miss Snodgrass. He said that
the only other yacht moored off Du-
Bots Neck while he was there was the
( Virginian having on board Mr.. and
Mrs. Mosher OF New York. He said
that on Friday night, July 10, motor
yacht or power boat came into the
creek for a short time, but did not
make any signals or attempt to cont
municate with the May or the Virgin
ian.