Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-02-03
Clasped in Each
Other S Arms
They Die.
ADAMS HAD LOST HIS
POSITION: DESPONDENT
Wife Must Have Thought
Cyanide Was Sherry, Says
Her Mother.

That John H. Adams administered
poison to his blind wife and then
drank the fatal draught was the
theory advanced today. following the
finding of their dead bodies in the
Hotel Braddock. Eighth avenue and
126th street. Manhattan Until re-
Gently they lived AT % HaIsey street,
this city.
Mrs Minnie Norcott. of 26s West
131st street. the dead wemans
mother. declared her daughter must
have taken the solution of cyanide
Of potassium believing il TO be i
glass of sherry. She had been totally
blind for ten years.
Dependency over the loss of his
position is believed TO have caused
Adams to take his wife's life and his
own.
FaiIed to Make Good, Is Belief.
He had been employed by tho
clothing firm of Colyer & Co. at sis
Broad street, this city. until three
weeks ago. when he left 70 take =
position with the Leslie Judge Pub
fishing Company, of New York. It )
believed that he failed to make good.
Adams came TO this city about nine
months ago from New York and told
tale of hard luck 10 the Rev.
George P. Dougherty, pastor Of 81.
Paurs NJ. z. Church. The latter took
an interest in. Adams and obtained
position for him with Colyer & Co,
where Adams made good from thu
start. and soon rose to the position
of assistant to Paul II. Colyer, adver-
Using manager of the concern. The
latter was deeply touched this morn
ing when reporter for the Evening
Star acquainted him with the news
of Adamss death, and said that he
had become greatly attached 70
Adams in the short time he had
known him
lin october OF the past year Adan1a4
was married at the rectory Of st
Paurs Church by the Rev. Mr.
Dougherty. His wife, who had been
totally blind since she was 16 years
old. was a student at the Damrosch
Conservatory of Music, in New York.
and would have graduated in June Ok
this year.
Couple Devoted to Each Other.
AT the Halsey street address. where
they lived during the time they were
in this city. it was said that the
couple were very devoted to each
other. and no other motive could be
ascribed for pursuing the course they
did except despondency over the loss
of his position. Most of their be-
longings are still at the Halsey street
house. The wifes mother and sister
had called several times at the house
while the couple were staying there.
it was said.
One cent and a few articles Of
clothing, besides the apparel they
wore. was all that was found in the
room at the Braddock, where the
couple met their death. Mrs Norcott,
mother of the woman. called on her
daughter at the hotel yesterday
morning and remained until nearly
noon. About in the afternoon Miss
Bessie Norcott, a sister of the VIC
[ tim. called the hotel on the telephone.
When no response was received by the
manager from the room occupied by
the couple he forced an entrance and
I found them dead in bed in each
1 others arms.
On the bureau just a few feet awav
were the two wine glasses that had
/ contained the fatal cyanide solution.
! They had evidently stood together
before the mirror. drained the poison
and had only just time to throw their
arms about each other and fling
! themselves on the bed before the
poison had its deadly effect.
/ The tragedy which ended the Two
lives was the elimination of ro-
nance which begun several years ago
( in New York. A few years ago Adams
/ came TO the metropolis and procured
a good mercantile position. and
among his social acquaintances was
Miss Mary Y. Norcott. known as
'.Monie Norcott. the blind singer
Being stranger in New York.
/ Adams was carried TO the white
light district by his business asso-
ciates, and the fascination for that
section caused him TO squa nder his
salary and finally he absconded. He
was arrested. tried and upon his con-
viction was sentenced to serve one
year in the penitentiary on Black
wells Island.
When his sentence expired he
I moved 10 NEWARK nut HbDt4Altd uto
attentions 10 Miss Noreott. who did
not forsake him while he was a con-
Wet
shortly after he resigned his posi-
ton with Colyer & Co., he was rob
bed of several hundred dollars worth
Of overcoats The proprietor would
not entertain q suggestion that
Adams was the thief but the polica
assigned to the case wished TO ques-
\ tion Adams. Several times prior to
last Tuesday, they called al IS Hal
sey street, but could never find the
couple. Finally when they returned
last Tuesday they were Informed
that the police had been looking for
the man.
Ii is these facts which lead the
local authorities to believe that tho
deaths was the result of a suicide
pact The wife being aware that her
husband had served time for steal-s
ing, and when he was again suspec-
ted OF crime. and she was expected
10 become mother in next June.
1t is believed that they decided te
/ H.. f,ua4har