Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-23
County Physician Asks
Probe Of Tragedy
by Office Of Prose
cutOr.
WOMAN DEAD BEFORE
HUSBAND ENTERED ROOM
Autopsy Reveals Wife Had Died
Twelve Hours Before Couple
Were Found-Man Uncon-
scious in Hospital.

The police theory of suicide
pact" was secuted by County Physi-
clan Mckenzie this afternoon after
he had completed an autopsy on the
body of Mrs, Emma Tobias, who, with
her husband Stephen was found in
a gas-flled chamber in their apart
ment at sS Seventeenth avenue.
DR.. Mckenzie will ask Prosecutor
Hood to make an investigation to
see If there is any evidence that the
woman was murdered by her hus-
band
The husband is lying unconscious
n the City Hospital and his condi-
tion is so critical that he may not
I've. But it is the very fact that he
Is alive at all that aroused the sus-
plcion of the county physician Mrs.
Eobias. when she and her husband
were discovered yesterday afternoon,
was dead and had been for not less
Than twelve hours.
The autopsy revealed that she died
come time Saturday night said DR..
Mckenzie. THAT circumstance is
Significant If, indeed, they had made
a suicide pact, the husband wanted
10 be certain that his wife died first,
Tor he must have gone into the room
after she was dead"
He was asked by an. Evening Star
reporter whether the mans stronger
constitution and his position on, the
Hoor in the lowest stratum of air in
the room, instead OF on the bed
where the woman's body was found,
would not explain the discrepancy in
the effect of the gas.
"In my opinion it would not" he
answered promptly.
The county physician was not of
the opinion that there had been a
suicide pact for the simple reason
that he thinks it is inconceivEbIe
that the wife would have been willing
20 die first and trust her husband to
follow her.
3 The only possible reconciliation be-
Atween the murder and suicide theo
ries is that Tobias. after agreeing to
die with his wife, became frightened
after they had turned on the gas.
I In that event. he might have left the
room, only to recollect that when her
body was found he might be charged
with murder since it was known that
f he and his wife had quarreled. That
7 knowledge may have acted as q spur
\ to drive him back into the death
4 chamber Another possibility is that
he came home to find his wife dead
ard. in frenzy of grief, lay down
on the floor beside her bed With the
intention of dying with her. The
testimony of neighbors to the bicker-
ing of the couple would tend, how
ever, to negative this view.
The police believe that the heart
less and mercenary intrigue of
woman fortuneteller was really re-
sponsible for the tragedy.
The two gas victims were found
yesterday afternoon by Mrs. Elma
Schmidt, of 1868 Hunterdon street,
friend of Mr. and Mrs. Tobias. She
had gone to visit them and when they
did not answer her repeated knocking
she opened window and looked In.
What she saw was Mrs. Tobias dead
in bed and the husband unconscious
on the floor in the gas-filled room.
The tragic story of how the power
of q. fortune teller had wrapped it
self around the man and wife and
driven them to desperation did not
develop until today.
The marital troubles of the couple,
the police discovered. dated from
some time before January II, when
they are said to have separated. To-
bias. it is asserted. called at the City
Hall and asked the legal department
for advice.
SAWS Fortune-teIier Is to Blame.
ut is a -ortune teller who has been
responsible for all my trouble" he is
reported to have said "She insinu-
ated herself between me and my wife
and by playing on my wife's credul-
ity tore us apart"
Later. when the husband and wife
had separated the same fortune
teller is alleged to have offered to
patch up their differences completely
If Tobias would pay her.
whether he did give her any more
money is not known. He and his wife
went to live in Seventeenth avenue
IN Nav 81. Since then they had been
heard by neighbors to quarrel occa-
siona'lv. and it is said that the truce
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