The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-06
Cord Slain by Jealous
Man, Is Latest Theory
Woman Enters as Moving Figure in
Death of New Jersey Real
Estate Operator.


CAMDEN, N. j.. Sept. 5.-The mystery
in the murder Of Samuel s. Cord. the
Laurel Springs real estate operator. on
Monday night seems to be lifting a little.
disclosing as the moving force, not re-
sentiment caused by Cords handling OF
his many and varied business deals, but
jealousy or a desire for revenge because
of his relations with a m
Notwithstanding that 1t seems clear
at last what emotions inspired the MUIR
der, the very conviction that a woman
was responsible has set UP new difficult
ties for Prosecutor Kraft to overcome
in reaching anything like a complete
solution, and still leaves most Of the
p%erplexing features Of the case In dark
ness.
Ever since Cords body was found
thirty feet from the little used River
road near Delair, in Pensauken township,
investigation las brought to light one
strange and unsupported circumstance
after another, until the Prosecutor has
been obliged to reconstruct his theory OF
the crime which led up to the arrest OF
Cords partner, Ola Peterson. who Is
now locked up as "A material witness.
Now comes the entrance into the case
OF the mysterious woman who Mr..
Kraft believes holds the key to the crime.
lIlS Nulilhhs llOih thV AaNhSA
description to be obtained from those
working on the case. is possessed of no
little attraction and charm, has not yet
reached middle age. and Is separated
from her husband. She lives In Phila-
delphia part of the rime-probably dur
fng the winter-and has considerable
means.
Met In Business Deal.
Just how long ago began the ac-
quaintance between her and Mr.. Cord.
which the officials believe led to his
death, Is shrouded in some mystery. 1t
is known. however, that they met
through ner asking the real estate opera
tor. who had been successful In most
OF his undertakings. to take care OF some
OF her property. Cords acceptance
threw them together.
OF late, so far as can be ascertained.
they had not seen each other. For some
time, however. they maintained a reg
ular correspondence. and met as much
as possible by Encouragement. Two
letters believed to be from this woman
were found in Cords pockets on Tues
day afternoon. when the body was dis
covered.
Thus far nothing Mr.. Kraft has dis
covered indicates even remotely that
the woman knew that Cord was TO he
. llllIlfftus TN'tN AlilH US sNH va NV
contrary, that II was either the jealousy
OF another man or perhaps the resent
ment OF a relative that brought about
his death.
The wounds on Cords body. the Prose
cu.or thinks, are just such as those an
angry. jealous man would have inflicted
Yet where and when were these shots
fired? Here there is much mystery. fol
when Cords body was found. at l O'Clock
Tuesday afternoon, by two small boys
Coroner's Physician stem said immo'
diately on examining the wounds that
he had been dead twenty hours. YET
Mr.. Kraftis best clue. on which he /,
stalking practically all his hopes. cam
to-day in the discovery of an automo.
bile party OF eight men and womer
who actually passed the II
which II has been ascertained Cord wal
that night. either alive or dead. ant
at the very spot where the body wa,
found. Tha was late Monday night
little more than twelve hours befor,
the boys discovered II beside the road
/, The story this party told was
strange one. aud was but partly re
; peated to-day by Assistant Prosecutor
Butler. Driving over the River roaC
the motorists said. they nearly ran int,
) "A dark automobile, standing near tn,
, sloping roadside with all lights out. Al
they put on the brakes and swcrved I,
avoid striking II. they saw dimly tn
=, figure of a man arise from the othe
side OF the car near the edge OF tn,
road.
| Saw n Mans Body.
StrainnG their eyes to see him. the!
were Mortified TO behold at his feet tn,
body of another man. lying huddled am
!, apparently ~lifeless on the edge OF tn,
road, The body lay on its side and tn
!, face WAS turned toward the dark auto
mobile. IL was in the shadow OF tn
ear u showed simply as a dim whit
patch. An are light thirty feet ava.
had been put out.
As to just what happened after tina
/, Mr.. Butler is r%eticent. II appears. how
! ever, that the merry party was hidde
ia u terrible voice by the man who stoo,
over the corpse to leave the lonely spo
at once. They were only too glad I
; do so.
I Before they left. however. they ha
? observed this man closely enough to b
able To assure the officials that the
could identify MIN positively and to Civ
. q good description of him. Also the
e told Mr.. Kraft the make of the automC
= bile. Yesterday every man at his dis
posal was searching garages in CamdeI
8 Philadelphia and surrounding towns 70
such "A car. Mr.. Kraft said also tina
d some private ears were being examined
t The woman I'm the case sometimes ha
I an automobile, ne hears. lie would lk
n 10 see II.
4 1t was a fitting spot that the mur
n dcrer chose to dispose of his victim
Il body when h. brought it either frol
t Philadelphia or from some lonely plaC
o along the road, Nobody can dccid
. where cord was murdered. Betwee
I - Monday afternoon, when a boo
o black SAW him leave his office in III
Bullltt Building. Philadelphia. in n
e automobile, which cord seldom did. VI
I'll | O'Clock Tuesday. when his bod
was found, nobody knows where he Wa
or with whom. II is certain he did u,
take "A ferry to Camden. as was n
won't. although . ticket seller wi
ferry house, His communication tick,
was found In his pocket unpunched.
\ The body was found thirty feet off u
u road, opposite the exact spot where n
u automobile party had It's experienc
q II lay Oh a slope in plain sight from Il
J. road. Yet nobody saw 1t apparentl
= A draggled place showed where il hs
II been pushed beneath a fence to re
&c down the slope. There was n sma
II blood stain In the road-hardly lar,
l. enough to ave been made when he W:
shot 50 Mr., KRAFT believes II was ma,
N while the body lay there n few moment
=. as the automobile party caught Il
lie murderer disposing of It. lie beuev
Cord was shot somewhere else, tn,
re brought To that spot In the dark aut
i mobile,
N Down the slOpe were acattarcd MANA