New-York tribune., 1921-10-26
Pond Murder
Arrest Likely
In p Hours
Attempt to Trace Slayer of
Girl Through OiIcloth
Wrapped Around Portion
of Body Proves Futile
Laundry Marks Give CIew
Tentative Identification Is
Made by Jersey Woman;
Detectives Are Skeptical

Ihe continuation of the police in
vestigation yesterday into the murder
or the woman whose Torso was found
on Saturday in rainwater pool on a
Long Island City lot, was devoted
largely to an attempt to trace the
slayer through the oilcloth in which
the portion of the woman's body was
wrapped. Though all attempts to
identity the murdered girl have failed
Detective Captain Won Diezelskie, in
charge Of the detectives in Queens, an
nounced that he expected to make an
arrest in connection with the case
within twenty-four hours.
Inquiries were made by the author
tiles at several linoleum plants. AT
the American Linoleum Company
plant at Linoleumville, S. l., it was
said that the oilcloth in which the
body was wrapped was not a product
Of that concern. When informed of
the design of the oilcloth, which was
blue and white in color. with two-inch
squares containing Il small cross. re-
sembling "a checkerboard, L. 7. Pear
son, superintendent of the factory, de-
clared that his plant does not manu-
facture oilcloth stamped with that de-
sign Inquiries at other factories gave
the same result.
Believed Hoboken Girl
A tentative Identification of the slain
girl was made by Mrs. Elizabeth Rich
ard, of 285 Summit Avenue, Jersey City
Mrs. Richard told detectives she was
sure the young woman was Bertha
Baker, or Becker, she was not certain
of the spelling, who liver with her at her
present address iii 1919 After leaving
her house Mrs. Richard said the girl had
lived in Bloomfield Avenue, Hoboken.
The detectives, however, are not sat
isfed with the proof which Mrs. Rich
ard has given.
Hope was expressed that identifca-
tion might be brought about through
laundry marks on an undershirt which
was found with the body. Under MI
croscope the faded mark appeared to
be "PXP-113" The letters are said
TO stand for the house mark of laun-
dry at 400 Pierce Avenue, Long Island
City. The "113" would be the Gus
toners number, but as the laundry has
recently changed nanCS and the records
of the former proprietor have been de-
stroyed, little headway was made in
this direction.
Hair Is Light Brown
The hair of the murdered woman
now is reported to be a light brown
and not red, as at first given out. Cap
tain John Ayres, in charge of the
missing persons bureau, who has a
strand of the hair, said: "The report
ing of the hair as red by the first ply
sician to examine the body has handi-
capped our work. Many bond-haired
girls are missing, but their relatives,
believing this woman's hair to have
been red, have made no inquiries
Therefore we ask parents of any miss
ing woman with blond hair to COM
municate with US in confidence at
once"
The finding of woman's nightgown,
slashed and bearing brown stairs, a
butcher knife with a nine-inch blade
and a woman's much battered green
plush hat early yesterday morning
near Linoleumville, S. l., on the Rich
mond' Turnpike, were at first believed
20 be clews in the present case. But
chemical analysis showed that the
stains were caused by rust and not
blood, as first reported and after
thorough investigation the authorities
announced that the hat and knife ar