The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-28
GIRLS DEATH IN
JERSEY UNSOLVED
Identity Of Palisades Victim of
ChlOrOfOrm Is Still
UndisclOsed.
POSSIBLE CLUE GIVEN
Young Woman Believed to
Have Been Seen Walking
With Army officer.
POSSIBLE CLUE GIVEN


Mad the death OF the richly dressed
sc1'ng woman whose frozen body was
found Sunday in niche high up on the
}scs of the Jersey Palisades opposite
Riverdale. No one was able TO Identify
her yesterday or TO do more than guess
whose hand tied a bottle of chloroform
under her nostris by means OF dettiS
swathed bandages.
Belief still inclnes 10 the theory that
IT was done by herself. But Prosecutor
Thomas j. Huckin OF Bergen county
y. j., is deeply interested in the fact
that a motorist saw a girl he believes
to have been this one walking with an
army officer along the edge of the Cliff.
A police official in the vicinity told
the story to Prosecutor Huckin. He said
that a man living near by while passing
along Terrace road, which runs about
100 yards back of the cliff on a
parallel course. had passed In his auto
mobile about five weeks ago couple
who were walking in a northerly direc-
ton.
The Prosecutors informant. whose re-
liability was vouched for by the police
officer. said his attention had been at
tracted TO the woman and her COM
panion, who wore the uniform of an
army officer, because. after first appear
ing on the road, they had left 1t and
struck of through the woods Then, his
curiosity aroused. he turned to regard
them more closely.
Besides noting that the woman seemed
young and pretty, he observed as the
most prominent features of her we'll
chosen apparel a large fur coat and a
pair Of brown golf stockings. He
thought nothing more of the incident
until he read in yesterday morning g
papers that the woman discovered by
two hunters $50 feet above the Inter
state Park wore a raccoon coat, worth
probably $500. and brown woollen stock
ings such as golfers use.
The time when he had seen the incl
dent on the road was around Christmas,
though he couldn't place the day ex-
actly. This time falls in with the ap-
proximate date of her death fixed by
Dr. William L. Ogden. medical examiner
OF Bergen county. who believed that
her body had been lying exposed to
wind. rain and snow scant mans
length from the brow of the Palisades
Tor month or a month and half.
InfOrmRnt's Name Known.
The informants name was made
known to Prosecutor Huckin but he de-
clined to disclose it. This man said he
had not seen the girls face closely
informant will be taken to-day to Pros
ecutor Huckin's Office in Hackensack.
where the girls effects now are, and
asked to identify her clothing.
The date OF his recollection tallies
with that of the theatre ticket found in
the bottom of the black leather handbag
picked UP near the scene. This was an
undated war tax ticket from the Rialto,
but by its number. 42i359, It was es-
Der II. II was pasteboard slip such
as IL issued as tax receipt to every
person presenting a free pass at the
theatre. but 1t was said there that as
these passes are usually destroyed the
day after being taken up this means of
tracing the possessor of the pass was
blocked
Despite the fact that a woman re-
:, eembling her description had been seen
with a man under such strange circum-
stances that passer by had stared at
the couple. the prosecutors STAFF was
not wholly disposed yesterday 10 give
UP the theory that the woman's death
had been occasioned by suicide, rather
than by violence. Important evidence
pointing either to suicide or murder is
expected 10 be brought TO light to-day
when an autopsy is performed. 1t was
finally decided yesterday that Dr. Walter
Ogden and DR.. Arthur Haskins. medical
examiner of Hudson county. would jointly
examine the body. Then II will be de-
termined whether the girls skull was
fractured-which superficial inspection
had shown did not seem TO have oc-
curred-and whether there were any
other traces of foul play
Works on Suicide Theory.
age was placed at about 20, committed
suicide. was the basis on which County
Detective Louis Nestle worked yester-
day but 1t was discounted in some
quarters One interesting circumstanc.
pointed out IVES that the strips Of cloth
holding the brown bottle to her face
seemed TO have been pinned into position
in back much more neatly and care
fully than could be done by a woman
in the throes OF suffocation. It was
also a question among medical authori-
ties whether the amount of chlorofornl
in three ounce bottle. which was the
size Of the vessel hound 10 her head
could cause the death of any person.
On the other hand. 1t was pointed out
that along the belt of the woman's blue
serge skirt, which was of fine quality
were number Of safety pins similar
to those Joining the bandages. These
appeared TO have been placed there for
some special purpose. The safety pins
on the strips that kept the bottle In
position were also fastened with the
clasp downward. which, one investigator
pointed out, was customary with a
woman in inserting pins herself II
fastened by someone else the proba bility
was that they would have been clipped
with the clasp upward.
One OF the strongest clues strengthen
ing the presumption Of death by violence
was the story told yesterday afternoon
by William White, a taxi driver OF
Englewood. lie walked into the police
station near Fort Lee and related Ia
Sergeant r. j. Mckay an incident Ia
this effect:
About six weeks ago, as he was drlv.
ing his car in the evening along the
Terrace road in the direction of Edge
water. he was stopped, about a mile and
a half south Of where the body was later
unearthed. by a tall man who was way
ing his arms In the middle OF the road
The man, pointing to the body OF a
woman lying in the road near his big
touring car told White she had been
injured in an accident with another
machine, and asked the chauffeur &c
help him put her In his car.
Watched Machine Proceed.
White suggested that she be put in his
machine and taken to n Fort Lee physi.
clan, but the stranger said he intended
10 take her to the Englewood Hospital
After the woman was lifted into the
other automobile White drove on, turn.
ing to look back. He saw the other
move straight on along the Terrac CO
soad, instead OF turning off at the cross