New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-30
MRS. FOX(DIED
BY OWN HAND,
POLICE DECIDE
Four of 33 Stab Wounds
Serious, but Only One
I Was Fatal, They Say.
WAS INCURABLY ILL
AND HAD BROODED
"You Won't Get Much Supper
Tonight" She Told Husband
as He Said Goodby.

Although Mrs. Grace D. Fox. who
died on Monday after she had been
found in her apartment, els West l42d
Street. with thirty-three stab wounds
WAS declared after an autopsy yester-
dav 20 have committed suicide, there
still remained several questions to
which the police have yet iound
satisfactory answers.
They were a; loss how 20 explain
why the woman had SAID in knicker-
booker Hospital tina a book agent had
stabbed her. after her first statement
WAS 20 The eject that she had received
the wounds in d fall They were Als'
unable 70 find the weapon with when
the deed might have been done, and
there still remained considerable DOUBT
regarding a motive for the suicide.
The autopsy at the morgue, which
lasted three and one-half hours, was
attended by Inspector Faurot, Assist
ant District Attorney Deacon Murphy,
Otto II. Schultz, medical assistant TO
The District Attorney; COroner's Physi-
clan Albert T. Weston and Police Sur
coon Higgins. At its close Mr.. Murphy
said that all present had arrived at
the conclusion that the woman had
killed herself. lie added that all the
stab wounds could have been self-in-
f.cted. although there had been at
rst some doubt about one above the
shoulder blade.
These wounds, II was explained, were
distributed about the neck and back.
There were twenty three on the neck,
four on the chin. five on the back and
one on the shoulder. There were also
four or five scratches, three wounds
on the hands and bruise on the right
knee. The stab injuries, according TO
DR.. Weston. averaged about one-quar-
ter Of an inch long. and only four were
deep. One Of these penetrated the
jugular vein; this caused Mrs. Fox's
death, and the two cuts which went as
deep as the tFachea aided. The Off
cial decision is that she died from
slow hemorrhege caused by the wound
which pierced the vein.
Was Incurably Ill.
According to Or. Weston, the injuries
70 the hands could have been inflicted
either by Mrs. Fox, wheE the knife
might have slipped, or by an intruder
in her apartment, when she tried TO
snatch the weapon from him. There
was. however, no disorder among her
clothing. and only a small bloodstaln
on the bed where she was found by
the superintendent of the building.
The police theory is that Mrs Fox
stabbed herself in the bathroom, which
WAS spattered with bloodstains; that
she later took the telephone receiver
from the hook, in another room, which
gave the alarm TO the ha!lboy, ana
that she finally lay upon the bed,
l.. frglt I'D gfnrE-
ings. IL was in these garments that
she was found, the same clothing she
wore when last seen by her husband,
manager o. the Fourteenth Street
branch Of the National Cash Register
Company. Some significance is also at
tached 10 a remark she made as he was
leaving for mis- business. when you
come tonight" the police say she said.
"there won't be much supper for you
Inspector Faurot said last night that
Mrs. Fox hal been seriously III for two
years and that this ailment, which was
incurable. had caused her TO brood over
her condition lie added that letters
found in the apartment addressed to
the woman by relatives in New Jersey
had urged her not 10 be respondent,
and begged her 10 cheer up.
Mr.. and Mrs. Fox were married
. twelve wears ago. soon after Mrs. Fox
i had been divorced from her first hus-
band, DR.. Ira A. Allen, whom she had
welded in Jersey City in 1890. She
was regarded in the house where she
had lived since last October as a lone
some woman.
Money and Jewels Intact.
/ 70 was learned from detectives that
! Mrs. Fox had always been careful about
a allowing persons TO come TO her apart
ment, and had usually asked the hall
boy who the persons were that rang
her bell before she admitted them. She
was. however,, positive in knicker-
booker Hospital that il was a book
agent who had stabbed her Ii was
stated last night by Mrs. j. W. Christie
who lives 10 the adjoining apartment
tina FIVE months ago book agent had
annoyed the tenants.
But there still remain several Gle
mcnts Of mystery WI CHI the polio,
cannot reconcile with the theory tina
Mrs. Fox killed herself None Of her
money or jewels had been disturbed
There was no trace of knife Mrs
Foxs two stories Of the incident do
not agree. There is no evidence Of Z
murderer having entered the apartment
the window leading 20 the fire escape
were all closed and the hallboy saw nC
strangers IN the building.
Inspector Faurot and "a corps Of de-
tectives last night hunted again in vair
for the missing weapon, which they
believed was small knife. Then, {,
icy out thor belief that 70 was thrown
aown a drain in. tho bathroom, one oi
the men dropped another knife down
other detectives below heard il rattle
ss II passed through the pipes, and Il
continued It's way into the sewer. This
the inspector thinks, is what happened
20 the knife with which Mrs. Fox was
stabbed.