Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-09-17
MAN Did
NOT KILL SELF
. FIND LOVE NOTE
Selhaver Did Not Fulfill His
Part of Suicide Pact,
Is Police Belief \
BUT SEEK HIS BODY
New Facts Collected by Cor
poral Dunn in the Great
MiddIesex Mystery

NEW BRUNSWICK. Sept. IT.
Latest DEVELOPMENTS in the mystery
surrounding the murder of Elizabeth
Johnson. fifteen year old daughter
of an Aaueduct farmer. would In.
dicate that she was the victim of
suicide past arranged between her.
self and her lover. Harvey Selhaver.
former farmland on her fathers
farm.
Discovery yesterday afternoon Of
fragments Of love note. thought to-
have been written by Selhaver to the
murdered girl. adds considerable
weight to the death pact theory.
The failure to locate the missing
farmland or his body leads to the
possibility that he failed to fulfill
his part of the contract. which might
have been that he would shoot the
girl and then kill himself.
Corporal Daniel Dunn OF the state
police is responsible for the finding
the bits of the destroyed love note
which has led to the love pact the
| ory. Corporal Dunn has beer caan1i
ing on minute investigation ever
since the girls body was found Sum
day near Carnegie Lake. Princeton.
Yesterday afternoon In an abandoned
SIN oke-house. whose erection dates
back to Revolutionary days. the state
trooper discovered the pieces OF
paper. which he fitted together.
The old smoke-ho revealed. In
addition to the fingerprinss OF the
love letter. cartridge box which
had contained 20 calibre cartridgesA
a Pennsylvania Railroad timetableE
and part of theatrical magazine
with the girls name written on the
cover.
The authorities are now expected
to carry on search or the lmmed-
late vicinity to determine whether
Seihaver killed himself following
the girls death. The Delaware and
Raritan Canal will likely be drag
ged In that vicinity in an effort tn
find the mans body, IL he had de-
cided to commit suicide by drown
ing. Failure to find the body will
lead to the belief that he failed TO
carry out his part of the suicida
pact after the girl had been MUIR
deIed.
A general alarm, containing a
description of the missing farm
hand, has been sent out by the au-
thorities In order to iocate Selhaver
If he is still alive.
1t was learned yesterday that a
few weeks before the murder
young florist from 33rd street, New
York City. had been a frequent
visitor at the farm, showering his
attentions on the girl. He was
driven away by Selhaver. according
to information secured by the au-
thorities, and did not return to see
Elizabeth.
When Corporal Dunn turned over
to Chief of County Detectives Ferd
A. David the reconstructed love let
ter, the chief Immediately compared
the writing with that of letters
known to have been written by Sell
haver and in the possession of the
authorities. After a close compari-
son of the writing, Chief David an
nounced early this afternoon that
there is absolutely no doubt that
the letter was written by Selhaver.''
1t was also stated by Detective
David this afternoon that the move
ments of Selhaver have been traced
up to August IA, two days after
Elizabeth disappeared from home.
which would indicate that he did
not keep his part of the suicide bar
gain which he is alleged to have
made with the girl.
The note was written upon a
cheap grade of Manila paper with
indelible pencil. 1t was addressed
to Miss Elizabeth Johnson"
Elston Hawk, a neighbor of the
Johnson's, whose house is about 100
yards from the spot where the girls
body was found, was questioned by
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