Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-30
GIRL s BODY fO,ts
IN RIVER, MAN HED
Fiance Claims She Was Swept
Over Thirty-Foot Dam
in Canoe
POLICE DOUBT STATEMENT

paterson, y. j.. July 30.-After a
search of nearly forty eight hours, the
oody OF Miss Mabel Harris. who failed
to return from a canoeing trip Sunday
with Lester Decker. was found this
morning in the Ramapo river, half
mile below the thirty foot dam at
Pompton lake. Miss Harris was twenty
years old.
Decker. who is being detained by the
police as a material witness. asserted
the young woman was drowned when
their canoe was swept over the dam
that both he aud the young woman were
spilled out; that he fnally managed to
save his own life after struggle Of
au hour or moro and reach the shore,
and that he then ran along the shore
calling out the girls name, but got no
response.
Then it was, be told the police. that
he went to the home of the girls par
ents. where he had been boarding. and
fearing to tell the truth declared she
had gone to a sanatorium, where she
was employed.
The authorities are consvinced that
it would have been impossible for the
canoe to have gone over the thirty five
foot dam. landing upon the rocks here.
and to be bumped along for about forty
feet on these rocks before coming into
/ clear water again. without having been
overturned and badly wrecked,
Helen Williams, chum of the
drowned young woman, told the police
that she and a young man companion
we're with Decker and Miss Harris
short time before they started out in
the canoe. She admitted that the
couple had had a quarrel, but did not
know what originated it, and in her
opinion It was not a very serious one.
! It was learned from the family of
Miss Harris that she and Decker were
to have been married on July 10 last.
but the wedding had been postponed in.
definitely.
Chief Of Police Magee. of Wayne
township, which includes Pomptop
lake. has made a technical charge OF
murder against "John Doe" in connec-
| ton with the death of Miss Harris.
Decker is in the Passaic county Jail
| pending the outcome of the investiga-
| ton by Prosecutor Michael Dunn and
County Detective Nathaniel Shayne.
Authorities Suspect Decker
The authorities have discovered many
so called discrepancies in the state
ments of Decker. and they are far from
satisfied that he does not know much
more of the circumstances leading up to
the girls death than he has admitted
TO them.
They are at a loss to account for the
condition Of the canoe in which the
Young couple padded about in the lake
| when found about two hundred feet from
the dam over which 1t was carried with
its occupants, according to Decker.
When the canoe was found the two
raddles were still in the bottom OF it and
! the back rests, which are not made fast
to the back of the two seats, were still
in place, and only small rent had been
made in the bow of the canoe.
The police also regard it as peculiar
| that the canoe had not been scratched
or defaced while thrown about on the
rocks.
One of the investigators said that
! the rent in the bow of the canoe was OF
! such nature that it could have beeu
made with a small hatchet or hammer.
| To him it seems incredible that the skifi
could have gone over the side OF the
dam. striking the rocks, and have been
! so slightly damaged.
! -Four of the seven brothers of the
/ young woman aided the authorities in
/ the search Of her body. One Of them Is
an expert swimmer and yesterday after
noon, at the risk of his own life. he
dived into the thirty five foot pools near
! the end of the dam looking for the boy
! Other young men of this section took
! up the task when the brother tired and
exhausted had to give up without find
! ing any trace Of his sister.