Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-05
BRIDE DECLARES
STRANGER USED !
POISON NEEDLE
Newark Man Held in $40, 900
Bail for Alleged Assault
in Theatre.
WHITE SLAVE PLOT,
A POSSIBLE MOTIVE
Sensational Story Is Told by
Young Matron-PoIice Chief
Thinks It Robbery Effort.


Thinks 1t Robbery Effort.
Bail In the sum of $4,000 was de-
manded by Judge Hahn in the First
Precinct Police Court today for the
release of Armend Megnro, aged
twenty-five years, of &c Halsey street.
Megaro is alleged to have attacked
on the hand Mrs. Wesley Monfieth
Graft, bride of FIVE days. with
| poison needle, as she sat in a box in
the Lyric Theatre yesterday rfter-
noon. The young woman says that rs
a result of this attack by Megaro l,sr
hand and arm became numb and her
head reeled
The defendant, dressed neatly in
black clothes and wearing immaculate
linen, and bearing every appearances
of refinement and culture, denied the
story told by Mrs. Graft He puts the
blame on strange man he describnd
as being stout and wearing glasses.
The stranger, Megaro says. left the
box and hurried to the street imnae-
diately after Mrs. Graft declared she
| had been attacked.
| That Mrs. Graft was attacked
the police authorities. In the opinion
| OF Police Surgeon Henry Clark, who
examined Mrs. CRAFTS hand an hour
after the alleged attack, the wound
was freshly inflicted one and was
caused by a needle.
Police Chief Long is unwilling to
believe that the motive In an attack
such as described by Mrs Graft, was
/ To make her n white ciaVp
In my opinion, the more probable
motive was robbery" said the chief,
Captain Tuite agrees with his su-
perior officer in this theory and points
to the fact that every case of this
kind on record, the victim wore con-
siderable jewelry.
! Mrs. Graft, besides wearing her
diamond engagement ring, wore other
/ jewelry of considerable value during
| her visit to the theatre.
Ushers in the Lyric Theatre turned
over to the police a common, ordi-
nary darning needle. They said they
found the needle in the box at the
/ theatre occupied by Mrs Graft.
1 Whether this needle was the one used
In the attack upon Mrs. Graft is not
known, but it has been sent to efem~
lists, who will examine It.
South American Drug.
In, the opiniontof Captain Ti1ite. OF
I the detcctive bureau, who spent con :
siderable time today comforting with
| drug experts, the poison used upon
Mrs, Graft was curare, a powerful
South American drug, which. it Is AL
legged, would produce exactly the
same condition as Mrs. Graft suffered
from yesterday.
The prisoner has told the polio au-
thorities that he is a nephew of DR..
Panzrazio Megaro. of this city, and
! that he was formerly a student at the
New Jersey College of Pharmacy. In
this city
Dressed with extreme care and good
taste, attired in a gray checkered
| polo coat, with a neat blue tailor
made travelling dress and a chic
black velvet hat, Mrs. Graft, accom-
panied by Mr.. Graft. entered the
court room this afternoon. When
| the case was called, she was sum-
moned as the first witness.
In answer to questions put to her
by Judge Hahn, she said her full
name was Marjorie Higgins Graft.
that she was the daughter of DIR. and
Mrs A. S. Higgins, Ala Jefferson ave-
nue., Brooklyn, and that she was the
wife of Westley Monteith Graft and
that she was married last SATURDAY.
by Rev. Dr. Nehemiah Boyton, pas
tor of the Clinton Avenue Congrega-
tional Church, in BROOKLYN.
| after the ceremony Wesley and
went to Atlantic City" said the wit
ness. I'VE stayed there until Mon
day, when my husband. who Is a me-
chanical engineer, employed by the
Graves Engineering Company. IS Pine
street, New York, received telegram
instructing him to go to Newark im-
medlately on some work
1--WE started for Newark imrnediate-
! ly, arriving here about p. m. Mon
! day, and went to the Continental
! Hotel, where we registered for the
night. The following day we moved
to the Belvedere Hotel, S99 Broad
street, where we are living at present.
Went to the Theatre.
| Continuing she said:
| Yesterday afternoon l went to the
| Lyric Theatre, occupying a seat in
the box on the right side of the
house. At the conclusion of one of
the acts some persons sitting in the
| box with me arose and left. This
man (pointing to Megaro) was sitting
in the box in front of me. He left
his seat and came back to where I
was sitting, taking a seat to my right
directly alongside me.
| HE sat there perhaps for five
minutes when suddenly l felt a sting
/ in the wrist. The next fraction of
second a numbness came over ne,
| which resembled something like the
! feeling when ones hand becomes
| asleep 1t spread over my right arm
and through my entire body.
my first. thought was to get out.
and as I stood up my head reeled. I
staggered to the reception room for
women as best 1 could, and as I en-
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