The sun., 1919-07-31
DROWNED GIRLS
KIN SURE DEATH
WAS ACCIDENT
Body Of Miss Harris, Found
in River, Bears No Trace
of Violence.
DECKER WILL BE FREED
His Failure to Tell of Tragedy
Still Puzzles Friends
of Victim.

Within sound of the rushing
water Of the dam on Pompton Lake.
over which. Sunday night Mabel Har-
ris of Pompton went to her death, the
many members Of the Harris family
clustered on the lawn in front Of the
old white house where they live. and
discussed all day yesterday the tragedy
that had come to them
From time to time some nefghbcr
brought copy Of an evening paper
and they eagerly scanned the columns
describing the details of the strange
AFFAIR. The burden Of their talk. from
the old mother to the seven brothers
of the dead girl, was that the thing was
an accident, and that Mabeis sweet
heart. Lester Decker, who went canoe
ing with her the fatal night. who sup
posedly went over the dam with her.
and whose strange conduct In conceal
ing the fact OF the accident and of
MabePs disappearance until Monday
night has been the subject of great sus-
picion on the part of the authorities,
was entirely innocest.
The mother refused to talk to re-
porters, ordering them from the place
and declaring that "the Prosecutor told
her to say nothing" but her brother.
A. II. Storms followed them from the
place and assured them repeatedly that
the family was convinced that there
had been no foul play.
Believes Decker's Story.
'I was upset in a boat on that lake
wrff thR0A rfRlo ha aafd
them. but II one of them had gone over
the dam I'd have been in the same fix
Decker is now
By noon to-day young Decker will
probably be free. County Prosecutor
Michael Dunn, County Physician
Robert Armstrong. Assistant Prosecutor
Munson Force and the county detectives
who have been investigating the girls
death have come tn the same conclusion
as that Of her family. and at a confer
lence last night they decided on his re-
lease from the Passaic county Jail at
Paterson, where he has been held sinos
Monday night as a material witness
The prosecutor, declaring that there
was no evidence on which to hold the
boy. said that he would appear In the
City Court of Paterson this morning and
ask Magistrate Frank Ramano for the
discharge. Yesterday afternoon he
them that in his opinion Decker was
guilty of nothing worse than hiding the
fact Of Mabefs death through fright
There won't be any trial." he said
afterward to reporters There Is moth
ing to base a trial on"
why did Decker tell 30 many con-
fiicting stories7' Mr.. Dunn was asked.
why did he say at one time. when
Questioned by Chief of Police Magee
haf he nd Ia AaA
canoe on the shores Of the lake above
the dam and went t. sleep and he was
only awakened to find himself struggling
alone in the water below the dam; at
another time that they carelessly drifted
too near the dam and went over; at an
other time another version?
Boy Acted Strangely.
ard how could any man, knowing his
z letheart, was probably drowned, go to
her mothers house where he was board
ing and calmly take of his wet clothes
and go to bed in the room with her
brother. as Decker did. without saying
one woodland go to work the next day
still keeping silencer'
THE boy was panic stricken" the
Prosecutor replied. THAT is all there
was to It,"
Stories buzzed about the place yester-
day about a quarrel Decker and Mabel
neither of whom was over 20 years Of
age-had on Sunday evening just after
Decker went to the Adams Sanitarium,
whore the girl was employed ns a watt
ress to take her for their outing.
Helen Williams, her best friend, who
also worked at the sanitarium, told Of
the quarrel Helen and her sweetheart
we're of the party that strolled away
from the sanitarium toward tho dam.
and she declared afterward that Mabel
approached Lester for something he had
or had not done the preceding night.
that they "hit each other" and had some
words. However. the quarrel doesn't
seem to have been serious. for the two
soon patched 1t up and took the canoe.
Helen and her friend deciding that they
preferred a longer walk to going boat
ing. Decker declares positively that
there was no quarrel, and in the hours
be has spent in the Jail he has muttered
over and over:
IT didn't drown Mabel. I didn't drown
Mabel"
His story is that on coming to" and
finding himself struggling in the waters
of the Ramapo below the dam, Mabel
had disappeared. He had "a hard strug-
gle," he says, to get to land as soon as
he succeeded he ran UP and down the
shores calling Mabel. where are your"
AT last. ne says, ne went 10 the Harrls
home and went to bed, hoping that In
some way the girl had got out and had
returned TO the sanitarium.
II was not till next day, when the
sanitarium doctor telephoned TO ask why
Mabel hadn't come to work. that Mrs.
Harris, struck with fear, sent for the
Chief Of Police and Decker was con-
fronted with questioning and broke down
and told the story. Then at once the
search was begun, and the river below
the dam and the lake above It were
thoroughly dredged till. early yesterday
morning. the body was discovered float
ing on the surface about half mile
below the dam.
Boys Ala I'm Search.
The work or dragging the lake and
river was directed by Miss Haris's
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