Evening journal., 1919-01-29
TRAGIC ROMANCE.
IN GIEL'S Death
Palisades Mystery V ctim
Proves Widow of Major
Slain in France
KEPT WEDDING
AMONG SECRETS


the slender. suburn-halred woman
whose body was found on Sunday by
hunters dogs lying In a cleft on the
lip Of the Palisades opposite is0lh
street. was unveiled last night when
positive Identification was announced,
and a tragedy Of the war disclosed. she
was Miss Azeele Packwood, 81 years
old, daughter Of George II. Packwood,
a wealthy business man Of Tampa, Fla,
and the story which ended among the
bleak. windswept boulders atop the
Je.sey heights, pieced together from
the statement OF Thomas j. Huckins,
prosecutor Of Bergen county, and Mrs.
Bradford Ellsworth, OF 3ii West
Elghty-seventh street, who made the
Identification follows:
On an afternoon in mid-June last
year, Mrs. Ellsworth went TO the head
quarters Of the American Red Cross
motor TO enlist as q driver Of an ambu-
lance. When she entered the head
quarters she found there, among others
who had come 10 offer their services
to the country, a striklngly handsome
young woman with great masses OF
brown hair, tinged with red-a thing
that first drew her attention, and when
Mrs. Ellsworth found that the woman
was a stranger in the city she was at
tracted TO her. Both passed the tests
for admittance to the corps, had lunch
con together, and an acquaintance be-
San.
They saw comparatively little Of each
other, however. for the soft-spoken
Southerner seemed possessed Of but one
ambltion-to NJ herself for Red Cross
nursing. overseas. Her quest for medical
knowledge and her frequent wistful
talks OF the dangers to soldiers over
seas had no particular significance TO
Mrs Ellsworth at that time.
Yesterday at the suggestion OF a
stranger over the telephone Mrs Ellis
worth visited the morgue and made pos
tive Identification Of the body.
The prosecutor has obtained positive
proof OF Miss Packwood's marriage 20
an army Offlcer. According 10 Hugh
Cameron superintendent Of a Forty
eighth street apartment house Miss
Packwood came TO the house about two
years ago-some time in october, 1916,
he thought. She took a small suite on
the third floor. paying $50 a month on
lease. In October, i9is, she renewed her
lease, but as the month drew TO q close
began to talk Of breaking her contract.
When Cameron sought a reason, she
said that she was worried" because she
had not received a letter from France
"in ever so long" Several days after
Cameron met her in the hall, as in her
graylsh Red Cross uniform she was
passing out to enter the two-passenger
roadster which she owned. she was
sobbing, and protruding from one OF
her pockets the observant old Scots
man saw a telegram.
The superintendent asked what was
the matter and tried to engage her In
conversation, but she stepped to one
side and sobbing my darling-killed
over there-France, my husband
went out. entered the automobile and
drove of.
Several days went by before the SUI
perinteDdent saw her again, Then she
came down to her apartment-pale,
drawn, but strangely collected she was,
said Cameron, and told her she was
leaving-"going away" Again she got
into her roadster and this time she
drove away beyond the ken Of every
body who had known her until the
Palisade rock cleft yielded its secret.
Prosecutor Huckins said that a wom-
an acquaintance had told him Of re-
ceiying a telephone message from Miss
Packwood on December IS. This mes
sage, said the prosecutor, was TO the
effect that Miss Packwood had lost her
husband in the war, "all l cared for,
and intended to kill herself.
81 have been thinking Of suicide" she
said, according to the prosecutors in
formation, "and when / do ! shall XIII
myself in a thoroughly scientific manner
and in such a way that my identity will
be completely lost. / do not wish to
bring trouble upon my parents"
Mr.. Huckin said he had been in
formed that the young woman kept the
facta Of her marriage a secret because
she hoped to join her husband over
seas, and realized that should her mar
riage TO an army offlcer become known,
she would be prevented by War Depart
ment regulations from going TO France.
TAMPA, Fla, Jan. 29.-George H.
Psckwood, wealthy real estate dealer
OF Tampa, received through Associated
Press dispatches last night the FIRST
news OF the death Of his daughter,
Azeele. He said he had heard from his
daughter only occasionally since she
went 10 New York early in November
after returning from France, and knew
no reason why she should have taken
her own life.
Miss Packwnod was IS years old, and
until ten years ago lived In Tampa
Going to New York to study music, she
enlisted as a Red Cross nurse when the
United States entered the war and was
sent to France about a year ago. She
returned to this country, according to
her father, about the time the armistice
was signed.
Packwood later disclosed that his
daughter came to Tampa for a short
visit In November, but he said she did
not tell him she was married. After she
returned to New York, he said, she
ceased writing. and later some Of her
effects were received by ex-
press. Mr.. Packwood said he then
wrote 70 the Red Cross headquarters in
New York for Information, and was in
formed that his daughter, who had Sc
cretly married a Major Fenton a year
ago, had been mustered out Of service.
FORD-NEWBERRY REPORT.
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