The sun., 1918-08-30
'PROBING-4 DEATHS
OF MRS. SKEELS' KIN
Jersey Officials Act After
Autopsy Is Held on Miss
Gays Body.
RESULTS KEPT SECRET
Nurse Of AndOver Teacher
Faces Charge Of Theft of
Jewelry To-day.

Pierre p. Garvan. prosecutor for Hud-
son county, New Jersey, began an ex-
haustive investigation yesterday OF the
deaths of four relatives Of Mrs. Bessie
Mae SkeeIs who was arrested wednesday
at Andover, Mass. on a charge OF grand
larceny, following the elimination OF the
body of Miss Florence VI. Gay, a teacher.
who was nursed in her final illness by
Mrs. Skeels
Telegraphic advices from Andover.
Mass, last night said that Prof. Whit
ney OF Harvard Medical College had
reported to District Attorney Herbert
@. Wells that he had found traces or
arsenic in the stomach OF Miss Gay.
whose sudden death had been the sub
5ect of the investigation In Massa-
chusetts.
The New Jersey investigation moved
slowly yesterday, pending the arraign-
ment OF Mrs. Skeels to-day at Lawrence.
Mass, on the larceny charge, which is
the outgrowth OF the alleged disappear
ance Of jewelry which belonged to Miss
Gay. At that time. II Is expected. the
Massachusetts authorities will reveal
what they learned after Miss Gays body
was exhumed.
Mr.. Caravans inquiry will supplement
another that has been in progress for
several days by detectives OF Bayonne.
n. j., and which was undertaken after
detectives from Massachusetts had In
formed the Bayonne authorities Of the
results obtained by an analysis OF parts
OF Miss Gays body by Prof. Whitney OF
Harvard University.
1t was disclosed that the New Jersey
records show that Amos Wilkins, Mrs
Skeels's father. whose nurse Mrs. Skeels
was. died at his home in Bayonne OF
arterio sclerosis on September 4. 1916
Mrs. Skeelss mother. Mrs Elizabeth
Wilkins, died OF the same disease In
April of this year. Again Mrs. Skeels
was the nurse, and she served in the
same capacity for her er-in-law. Mrs
| Nellie wilkins, who died OF nephritis on
| July s. and for her brother. Albert Will
kins. whose death. occurring two days
| after that OF his wife, was ascribed tc
| CASTRO enteritis.
The Bayonne police became active
after a Massachusetts detective went &c
the Wilkins home at IL West Twenty
second street Bayonne. and subjected
Mrs. Skeels, who was staying there, &c
| a severe questioning
! According to Detective John J. Rigney
the Massachusetts, detective informed
Mrs. Skeels that some OF the missing
| jewelry had been found in the room
| Mrs. Skeels occupied at Andover. Rigney
said she declared she had intended de.
| livering the Jewelry TO the proper per.
| sons upon her return to Andover. which
apparently had been delayed by the
deaths Of her brother and eister-in-law
The death OF Miss Gay. however, &C.
| CURED last December.
| No hint was given at tho time to Mrs
Skeels that the body OF Miss Gay hat
been exhumed as the result OF hint.
which had reached the Andover authori.
ties
No order for the exhumation OF the
bodies OF Mrs. Skeels's parents and Of
her brother and law so far ha:
been sought by Prosecutor Garvan OF
| the Bayonne police.
IF the investigation being made b,
detectives from my office and the Bay
onne detectives uncovers anything OF
suspicious nature | shall ask the court.
for orders to eXhume the bodies so tina
analyses may be made" Mr.. GarvaI
said last night. Nothing Suspicious ha!
been discovered so fa-."
Mrs Skeels Is an attractive woman
OIL years old, but looks considerabl ,
younger. The fact that she was 10 hav,
been married yesterday to Alfred ]
Lundgren. manager OF chain OF gro
Gerry stores in New England. served t
intensity interest in the mysterious cir
cumstances surrounding her arrest