New-York tribune., 1918-03-23
Miss Elizabeth McDougal,
Charged With Peculiar
Murder in Jersey citv
Story of Sisters
Leads to Arrest
Aged Parent Lived in Fe,.
of Prisoner, They Tell
Police

Miss Elizabeth McDougall. m;sn. .
aged independently wealthy and m
centric, diletante at law .,a
"er present situation an all 'ro,nA
enigma was arrested by the ro,s
.''y police yesterday on cha,sa =.
homlclde following the brutal ms,a "
OF her seventy-two-year-o mothsr ~
Mrs. Mary McDougall, the mott
was was peafen to death some time wedno
DAY night in the basement of tba su''eS- t
at 1Sa Halliday Street in the Old 1.asa'' ~'''s
cite Asctlon of Jersey City. Noyt ua'
lhg detectives found the horso ~'s
e,e@'' q OF elews. Whoever killed Mr.,
'coougall had methodically and nain.
taklngly removed all traces Of ~.
crlmc' save the body itself
Body Found in Kitchen
The body lay on the floor of the Ii,
chen. which appeared to have been re.
Gently scrubbed. There was one deem fri.
angular wound on the top Of the head
about an inch and half along its has,
and penetrating into the skull. Arouud
this were six other similar but slight.
CT wounds. The weapon with which
they had been inflicted (probablv
screw driver, the police think. was
not to be found, nor was there left
single sign Of struggle. Only directl,
undcr Mrs. McDougall's head were
there blood stains. d remarkable fact
considering the fury of the assault
1t was Miss Elizabeth McDougall who
gave the alarm Thursday morning
When she ran into neignbcr's house
she seemed hystercal with fright but
within a few hours she was coclly and
effectively parrying the efforts of CAP.
tain Timothy Murphy and hslf-dozn
of his detectives from the Communipaw
Avenue station to swcrve her from her
original story.
For the last two years " more, Cap
tain Murphy learned-and this Miss
McDougall admitted without explain.
ing spinster had been spending
great share of her time with the Law
books in the Jersey City public library
Under examination she proved mos
thoroughly posted as to her rights as
an accused person.
Has ng0vcrnable Temper
Every good but you'll have to prova
it. remember" was her complacent
comment when the cross -questioningby
Captain Murphy passed the point where
there was no doubt as to its ultimate
purpose.
Suspicion was directed toward Miss
McDougall after detectives had talked
with her two estranged sisters, one ~
widow and the other, like herself,
spinster. The stories of these sisters
Mrs. Belle Harnett and Miss Anne
McDougall - were substantially the
same. Bessie. they said. had been IRON
childhood the victim of an ungoveTh
able temper.
"My mother for years has been a
dread of her. Miss Annie McDougsl
told Captain Murphy. "ln Bessls'
RACES she often struck mother and ss
ter and me, and has threatened oa
lives. Twice We went INTO court ~
tending to have her committed to SOME
institution. but each time mother ce'
cided against going through with l.
Mother said she didn't want to cross
Bessie.
For sister and me there has been no no
living with Bessie. Once before aoou'
nine wears ago. mother told her she
would have to find another home. bes-
sic was very angry, but she went a~as ss
and STAYED nearly year. Then she
end mother came together again.
Mother tried to unite the whole ial,'!
.hen. but sister and once more had "
move away
Mother Planned to Leave
The ostranged sisters have. been l,s asf
ing for the ,ast few months at .V
Halladav Street. another house o".ss t..T J.
bv the family. Mrs. McDougaii, sa;s, alx,
issuing another ultimatnm to the .hns INV
daugntcr. had been about to ION .lsr .hsn
there ana TO end hey days Win Wv"
apart from Elizabeth. ,.h had
All ARRANGEMENTS for the chanse tI ~,
been made. end only on Wednesday ;ss II,
home At 69 Halliday Stree, ana hsas ,ss
adjoining property at IN hau +tats D,
sojd At nnblic auction. The TACT ''as ssss
doncs:t of more than $500 had psss sa
na;d NJ 70 Mrs. McDougall a few hours w ~
f"ra bpr death seemed at hrst 70 s ~,
nol;cn to present likely motive .ss ,s
rohSorv II was found, however .,."st ."
~ naynent had been made by e". n,
and s, hat money and valuables IN Wv
house had been undisturbed' .;.,or,
Until he had talked with Inc s,Stsd 81 snd
co,ta;n y NV NJ W,rnhv had been able TO N. mD
n"P y" ,':t ~;t a. Avs in Miss Elizapelh sad "d
no,.aIrs ~ .'I statement. She sad she .,ast as
D3us"I i,ft tbe house about $3.50 Siysd oeiysd
Wodnesdav evening and had wsrSJI ssmnIe
thromol, the neighborhood lof .s;est;ye, a scr,
of ef' Avs ohr with no particular oo,e''sih she,
before returning. As " .arnloyed
reached home before the soor Of the
connie" to whom the upper "V''
residence sss!arT was TSn5ea for Miss AsD99sssll
/, was nsorSl, so',srh her mothers eedsoon oon,
20 pass pass 'pfy"e hrr ewn 49, Although the from fpo
W. .v,., sart,y illuminated by ligh' ootce
wa. maS p"rs -: she SAID she did not ,ook os it
','ia.bn, "G G',.Iu' ber mother was there ssIeep
t.eo.ro s.ronteA she was in bed ana a.r cater
1T 1T N"s Sact PflS's t6ss nps ps' was ''
'rbc hodv was fully clothed.
"' ' Wouldn't Deny Murder ,,,,,ll
The questioning Of Miss .so "tssn ttoresssn
horan Az in IN the middle of the TrhursdE
w., .r5 continued all through her her sis-
,,,;u afternoon and night. From Saen ~ an 81.
tnrs With whom this hau au"nhy u. hfa
learned that Miss McDouga;m McD,ss;on as M
pride pr. lay in her repHW,ah,eg" When ali othsl
scrupulously truthful, lnr y her sr' 'conposaiss
means of breaklnass asson1w ayw" switched his 81
tack. Eo "a me. BESSIE
of nf honor So," that you didn nr.rxthins ssafs ri
mother that will end eVeis
~ n can CO." :. .ver he!