New-York tribune., 1919-07-31
Mabel Harris Accidemtai.>
Drowned When Canoe
Goes Over Dam at Po1np-
tonLakes, Says Prosecutor
Verdict Pleases Mother
Absoives Her Daughter's
Fiance and Says Young
Persons Had No Quarrel
Siof CoyresDcnacn.

dHC NiIOSc DOCy WIS luttiu III N'-
Hamapo River this morning. ne. T.
death hy accidental drowalNe, acc
iag TO the announcement Of Couu
Prosecutor Michael Dunn and Dr. W. :.
Cofax, following the autopsy this "a
ternoon. There wss no evidence ~
foul play. they said
Lester Decker, who was canoeing
with the girl when the accident oc-
Cured and who was taken 10 the Pas-
sale County Courthouse as a materia.
witness, is still detained The county
prosecutor, Chief OF Police Charles
Magee,~ of Wayne Township. and the
physician who performed the autopsy
held a conference tonight. Mr. Dunn
will make statement in the morning
and it is expected that the youth will
be at liberty to return to his home be-
fore noon tomorrow. He has CON
sstently protested his innocence and
denied the story told by Helen Will
iams, friend of Mabel. that they hac
+ ouarrelled.
Died of SuffocatiOn
The autopsy showed that the girl
died of suffocation. 1t is surmised that
she was stunned when the canoe took
the thirtyfoot dive over the dam. A
little water was found in her lungs
and there were abrasions on her shin
left ear and left knee. The bruises
correspond with those suffered b.,
Decker.
The body vas found by Edward Turso
t~.,, ~ II
much diving, in which Boy Scouts and
brothers OF the missing gir! shared The
body was found q quarter of a mile be
low the dam, lying in shallow water
near the shore and 600 feet below the
canoe, which was discovered stranded
on a tiny island. The front Of the
canoe was broken in and the bottom
and stern we're considerably DANA gea
Mabel Harris and Lester Decker
grew up together. They went to the
same little country school, were in the
side by side, and finally became en-
gagged about eighteen Months ago
Relatives of both said to-day they were
positive that there could have been no
motive for foul play.
Wedding Date Postponed
The young people had not quarrelled,
although the girl had decided to post
rone the wedding from August until
October because she wanted Decker to
have a steady job. She was earning
$50 month AS waitress in the
Pompton Lake Sanatorium. Decker
sy'as making about $3 a day doing oc-
casional work on farms, berrying. la
boring or working on roads. He has
three sisters and two brothers, and the
Decker home is only a stones throw
from that Of the Harris family. Re
Gently he had been living at his
fancees home.
Decker told different stories about
the tragedy. His last version to the
police authorities was that he was
walking down the road with Mabel.
Helen Williams and another man.
Mabel and he decided to go padding in
his brothers canoe
eve fell asleep" said Decker, "and
! don't remember another thing till
suddenly awoke to find myself at
the bottom of the dam, houndering
about among the rocks and the water
am good swimmer, but | had to
fight 70 get out of that hole. 1t must
~-*have taken me an hour to get to the
shore. I looked around for Mabel,
the bank shouting, but no answer
: came. looked for the canoe, bu.
q could not see IT,"
Deceived Girls Parents
Instead Of notifying her parents o.
what had happened when ne got back
10 the Harris home Decker simply
told them that Mabel had gone to
: the sanatorlum. When she did not
: turn up all the next day and the
ssntarium authorities telephoncd to
=, ft-f 4l
( people grew suspicious Mrs Harris
E asked him at supper that night what
{ mad happened TO Mabel, and why his
& clothes had been wet. At first he
would not tell, but finally. harrassed
4 With questions he said: mabel is
IN the lake" Mrs. Harris notified
s Chief of Police Magee. who took
+ Decker 20 the county court house, but
did not lock him in cell
II would not have heen in this fix
sif had kept my nerve when the thing
xhappcned," said Decker to-day. 81 went
Eaii 10 pieces and was afraid to tell Of
Aabels drowning. | had been hoping
siaat she would turn UP alive and I
made up my mind to say nothing about
~. did not quarrel with her We
Ever always good pals"
S Surrounded BY group Of children
f"i varying sizes, Mrs. Harris to-day
sa- Oh Inc stCOp OF the lItrlc wooden
house that had been Mabel's home and
wrung her hands patheticaly. She
tainted when she heard OF the recovery
{ u the body, but had recovered her
eompogure TO some extent this after
= noon.
8 Glad Boy Is Exoneratcd
& Mabel was one Of ten" she said.
pointing to the large family around
+ hsr. she Vas q good girl, but I'm
= lad Lester ~ exoperated. He was
#lnrt Ike son in this family and none
.. w believed that he could have
5nsasr'aed my poor girl. They grew up
9i'Kc brother and sister and we're MAX
ing plans for the Wedding. First it
"as y pe IN August, but thcy postponed
81 Saabel wanted 30 ppt It off because
Essss thought Lester should zcttlc down.
saoei was getting her wedding things
ready and she could not decide whether
ner bridal drcsk should be white or
spink"
{ Aud she leaned back rcsipnedly
against wooden poxt at the doorway
81 the small shack with its de ieeted.
ieokinx windows, it's faded white and
green paint and i,s rickety entrance
Stst behind the house waA the garden
whieh her father tends, ard besidn II
ssood a shabby rig. Not a pretty pict-
1ss; but, rather, n zomewhat sordid
.IExEs1nnd for tragedy OF an un-
{ usuai character. Within stonc'y
snfow on another 7eranda, little more
s1'e ana span, sat the married sissefs