The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-30
Woman Brutality Murdered.
But Evidence Is Preserved in
Remarkable Manner
BODY FELL THROUGH
FLOOR INTO POOL
And Now Her Husband, Fred
erick /. Small. Boston Real
Estate Man. Is Under Arrest
Charged With Terrible Deed

High Sheriff Chandler tonight an-
nounced that tomorrow he would pre-
fer a charge of first degree murder
against Frederick l.. Small, the body
of whose wife was found in pool Of
water in the cellar OF her burning
home at Lake Ossippee this morning.
Around the wpman's neck was q
rope, tightly drawn. Her head had
been battered with a bludgeon. But
for the pool OF water, the evidences
of murder would have been forever
destroyed The pool was ia the base
ment of the cottage. and when flames
destroyed the structure the woman's
body fell through the burning floor in
such a way that the head and neck
landed in the water and were saved
from the flames.
Small was arrested during the day.
At the time the fire broke out in his
cottage he was miles away in Boston.
He left his summer home at 4 o'clock
in the afternoon Thursday. The Are
was not discovered until about 10
O'Clock at night. Any theory involv-
ing an accusation against the hus-
band who is Boston real estate man.
would have to attribute to him plan
for arranging an automatic means for
the cottage to catch fire after that
interval
Did Not Say Goodbye.
Mrs. Small did not come out Of the
house to say goodbye to her husband
when he made his departure yesterday
afternoon. This fact Is disclosed by
George Kenneth. who drives the de-
pot wagon, and Who took Small to
the station. es9s-sS
Kenneth says that on all previous
occasions of the same kind, Mrs
Small had made her appearance and
hidden her husband an afrectlonats
farewell.
Small and his wife had Joint in
surance policy on their lives. On the
death of either the survivor was to
receive $4,000 The agent with whom
they negotiated for this policy few
months ago was c. G. Conner, prin-
cipal of the Mountain View School.
Small took Common to Boston with him
as a companion on the trip he made
last night. He stopped at his house
and invited him on his way to the
train.
They went to a theater and to put
up at a hotel. At l o'clock this
morning they received news of the
burning of Smalrs Lakeside home.
Small engaged an automobile and
tain View.
When they got there it was known
that Mrs. Small had been murdered.
offered $1,000 Reward.
The widower proclaimed Immediate
ly that he would give $1,000 for in
formation leading to the conviction OF
the murderer He added that he knew
OF no one with a motive for killing
his wife and suggested that her
- lot h fraev tg~hf 1nt hr~ t~~,xi
as she dozed In front OF the fire.
1T was a custom Of hers" he said.
But the evidence OF piece Of
clothes line twisted twice about her
neck and knotted at the back, and Of
the crushed skull were left unac-
counted for by this explanation.
Half an hour after his offer of re.
ward he was taken into custody Az
terward he was silent. One Of tho
villagers who witnessed the fire in its
latter stages last night has related
that through the flames he saw the
woman's body tied to bed post.
When it was found in the cellar this
morning the head was wrapped in q
nightgown.
Conner, the school principal and
insurance agent, says that Small. In
inviting him on the trip to Boston,
held out the hope of inducing some
friends OF his own to take out an
insurance policy.
Small. who is about fifty years OF
age. had been married twice. While
living with his first wife he brought
suit for 100000 against Arthur H.
Soden, a millionaire and former owner
of the Boston National baseball club,
for the alleged alienation of Mrs.
Smalls affections.
At that time Small was a floor
broker on the Boston Stock Ex-
change. He charged Soden with hav-
ing drugged Mrs. Small while guest
in the Small home. The suit was
ultimately settled for $4,000. after
Judge Robert Q. Harris had remarked +
that the evidence was strongly sug-
gestive of collision"
The first Mrs Small's name was
Laura NJ. The name of the murdered
woman was Florence A She wa1
thirty-seven years old.
The Smails, who had no children.
came here three years ago, and Small
bought the cottage on the lake. He
used to say that he had retired from
active business. but still took an oc.
casional flyer in stocks