Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-24
MYSTERY SHROUDS
DEATH OF WOMAN
FOUND IN CELLAR
Coroner Unable to Decide if It's
a Case of Suicide or
Murder.
HUSBAND FINDS BODY OF
WIFE EARLY THIS MORNING
Autopsy to Be Performed.
Marks on Throat Show APP
parent StranguIation.

Mystery surrounds the death of
Mrs. Hermina Rom, whose body was
found by her husband early today in
the cellar of their home, 500 Wash
igton street.
She was apparently strangled TO
death, County Physician Mckenzie
and the police were undecided as to
whether she hanged herself or was
murdered because of several peculiar
circumstances. No rope was near
the body, which was lying on the
floor when the police first saw 1t.
Furthermore, there was a large
quantity of blood from scalp
wound.
Lieutenant Tuite, who spent the
day investigating, stated this after
noon that he was certain it was a
case of suicide.
"The blood on the floor was hard
to explain" he said. What hap
pened, we think, was this: Mrs. Rom
tied rope around a rafter, climbed
on a ladder. placed the moose about
her neck and kicked the ladder from
beneath her. When Rom found her
early this morning his first thought
was to conceal the fact that his wife
had committed suicide. He cut the
body down, but life was not quite ex-
tinct Therefore, when Mrs. Rom
struck the floor heavily the blood
flowed quite freely. We have found
the rope. which is bloodstained and
shows clean cut"
An autopsy will be performed this
afternoon to determine exactly what
mi ri
death. Beside the abrasions and
bruises on the neck the body shows
an inch wound on her scalp, and 1t
is possible that there are other in
ternal injuries.
Find Body in Cellar.
Rom ran into the First precinct
police station at a. m. and cried:
my wife's. dead. / found her body
in the cellar"
He was trembling and apparently
on the verge of collapse.
Lieutenant Troy sent several pa
trolmen to Rom's house, where they
were joined by Lieutenant Tuite, of
headquarters.
There were blue marks on the
woman's throat that seemed to in
dieate that she had killed herself by
lianginaas-Mo- rope, however, could be
found. The heavy white sweater
which the woman had worn was
caught together with a safety pin at
her neck.
1T is the absence of any rope that
is so puzzling," said DIR. Mckenzie,
while, preparing to perform the au-
topsy. "On the face of it the case
seems one of suicide. We shall be able
to tell better after the autopsy
Rom is a barber and conducts a
furnished room house. He and his
wife were married a little more than
a year ago. 1t was her second mar
riage. According to neighbors their
married life had been happy one.
Rom last saw his wife alive at noon
yesterday He had kissed her then
so he says, and she told him she was
going to visit her sister Mrs. Clara
Meria. of 66S South Fourteenth street
Later she had told her daughter, Vio-
let. nine years old, to go to her
aunt'ss and meet her there after
school,
When Rom returned he did not find
his wife. He went to her sisters
and took the little girl home He
and friends then searched vainly for
the missing woman.
Mrs. Rom, it is said, had threat
ened several times to commit suicide
She was subject to fits of nervous
depression. During the attacks she
became SO respondent that her
friends feared she might some time
attempt to take her life.