Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1921-10-04
SEEK BOAT CAPTAIN
HERE IN CONNECTION
WITH SISTERS DEATH
Local Detectives Learn That
Man Visited Perth Amboy
Twice During Summer
HIS CABIN WAS ROBBED
Watch and Camera Recov-
cred for Him--Identified as
Man Sought by Police

The local police are endeavorinG
to help solve the mystery Of the
Cambridge girl who was found
strangled in a New York roominG
house last Wednesday night. Harry
+. Townsend, brother of the girl
Margaret, who has been missin1
ever since the body was discovered.
is being sought by the police in con-
nection with his sisters DEATH
Detective Lieutenant Lawrence A
Long stated this morning that Town.
send was in this city on June Is al
captain of a Bee Line barge No. 1S3|
While off the boat, tho captainJ
watch and camera were stolen. II
reported the case to the police an
Detectives Joseph GutoW3ki an
Michael Muska were detailed on {
case. The barge left the c1ty wi
Townsend and during his psel
the stolen articles were re6@Uex
boys having stolen them froU
barge.
Townsend returned to thi1
again on the barge. July z. Lied
ant Long said, and at that time
a deckhand by the name of j. Du1
TO the police station TO get the We
and camera. Townsend has
been back in the city since. as
as the police know.
The Amboy detectives are wo
ing in conjunction with the N
York Homicide Squad and it v
through this cooperation that idd
tificatiop of tho barge captain
Townsend was made possible.
Early in August Townsend left
home in mbridge. telling his pa
ents he had obtained a new job al
was to be captain of a sea-goi
barge, working between. Perth Al
boy and Boston. He left home q
parently to take this position, and
was not again heard from until aft<
his sisters death when he again an.
peared in Cambridge.
An inspection OF the books al tn
Lehigh Valley coal docks here thf
morning failed TO reveal the name o1
any barge captain by the name d
Townsend. The captain of ever>
barge coming TO or leaving the doc<i
must register in this book.
II is possible he used an assumed
name if he did take the job. as ht
is said TO have lived in New Yorh
with his sister as Mr.. and Mrs. Fay
The young woman was fount
gagged and strangled in roomint
house in West 22d street. New York
last Wednesday night. She and hel
brother. according to Information
received by the Cambridge police
were inseparable for years. she hav'
ing been his assistant in restau'
rant business which they conducted
in Cambridge, Mass Townsend hai
been identified as the man who ac'
= rfrl 70 n q q N
hospital in Dorchester last July fol
advice concerning her condition
Townsend's parents then were no
tilted by him that he had obtained
employment for his sister in New
York as a child's nurse. She lefi
Cambridge July II, he followins
shortly after. Upon arriving in New
York. the investigation shows, the,
lived in the West ED street house
in which she was killed. as Mr.. and
Mrs Fay.
The man arrived at his home In
Cam bridge last Thursday morning,
he being there when news reached
that place OF the discovery OF the
body of a girl in the New York room
ing house who was thought 10 have
come from Boston. Tht body of his
sister was not discovered until sew
eral days following her DEATH
A piece of her apron had been used
to gag her and the apron strings
were resorted to in strangling her TO
death. Townsend. as soon as he read
the story in the Cambridge papers.
left for New York. declaring that
he believed it TO be his sister. He
borrowed s25 from his brother. Rob-
ert F. Townsend. and left, ostensibly
for New York to identify the body.
Last Friday Townsend reported tc
his parents by telephone that he had
seen and identified the clothes OF
the dead woman as belonging to hil
sister. Gle also said he had attempt-
ed 10 view the body but had been
prevented from doing 50 by tbs
police.
The New York police, however,
say that Townsend never viewed the
clothes of the girl while In their
possession and that the Identification
was made by a married sister Of the
girl who lives in Brooklyn. The New
York police also say Townsend never
made application 10 view the body.
On August Miss Townsend'a 4
parents received a note from her
telling them she was changing her
address in New York That was thu
last heard from her. IT was att
this that Townsend told his pare
of his intentions Of taking the ~
barge captain