The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-11
Withhold Burial Permit For Woman Medical Examiner Cogswell Will Investigate Death of
 Handsome Creole WAS MOTHER OF
 THIRTEEN CHILDREN Body Washed Ashore Less Than A Hours After
 She Left Home

Or William B. Cogswell, medical examiner for Stratford, has not yet issued a death certificate for Mrs. Robert Chambers, the young woman who was found drowned on Long Beach, Stratford. yesterday Up to press hour Dr. Cogswen had not de- cided whether he would perform an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death The fact that the body was washed ashore only few hours after the woman must have met her death has given rise to much speculation as to the manner in which she died Per sons who ere drowned usually stay under water for several days The dead when thrown into the water in variabIy float
 Mrs Chambers was a. mulatto or creole and possessed of more than or co1nplexioned, had long coal black ehair, acqui1ine nose and none of the facial characteristics of a negress- It is claimed she was of Indian as well as negro blood. Today Dr. CogsweH was undecided as to whether or not he would ask the Stratford authori- ties to make an Investigation Her body was found near the Miller cot tage yesterday morning, by John Spill lane, Of 665 Union avenue, a buffer, employed at the WeidIich Bros. Soon after Spillane had discovered the body
 
 beach saw 1t.
 The action of the water had so dis arranged the clothing that the men believed it was partly nude. With the reticence which some people have for approaching dead person they viewed the body from a, distance and then went to make their report, say ing that the body was partly nude and that there were cuts and bruises upon it Medical Examiner CogswelI has been unable to discover any cuts or bruises.
 Two letters, one found in each stocking of the unfortunate woman established her identity. One letter was from Mrs. Alice Boston of S6 Ray mond street, South Norwa1k, address ed to Mrs. Cora Chamber and dated April z, 1914. The letter was an in= vitation to the dead woman to come to South Norwalk 10 spend Saturday
 The other was from the woman s husband who is serving 9 sentence at Sing Sing prison for burglary. This letter was addressed to Mrs. Robert Chambers and contained $1. In one pocket of the woman's coat was found a few silver coins tied in the corner of a handkerchief.
 The woman while but 8 years old was the mother of 3 children. 12 of whom are living. She lived in one of the little cottages at 26 Whiting Lane. News or her d0aTh brought a, CfOWQ of women to Her home from about the other cottages and they set up a TnournfuI wainng that could be heard all over the neighborhood-
 Several months ago the husband of the woman was picked up by the pO- lice here for a. burglary committed in Yonkers, N. Y. He was tried and con victed. Only a few weeks ago on the application of the board of charities six of her children. whose ages ranged from to years were committed to the county homes Edna, a girl of was left at home to care for child less. than a year old, when the mother left home Thursday afternoon Mrs. Chambers told her daughter she was going to look for work at Rivercliffe. She never returned All night the children were alone in the house. and fearing that some misfortune had be- fallen her mother, the girl was crying yesterday when Investigator Morris sey of the charities department and Sheridan Iadd, electrician of the pO- lice department came with news o1 the drowning late yesterday afternoon
 Neighbors of the woman say thai she was despondent because of the conduct of her husband. The latter was shift1ess sort of person who had police record in Connecticut before the sentence which he is now under. going. Her state of mind was further affected by the action of the authori- ties in sending her children to- ths county home. The neighbors however are not of the opinion that Mrs Chambers committed suicide.