Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-20
Camden Police Pick Up Two
From Cape May, Where
Frozen Body Was Found.
MURDER AND SUICIDE
THEORIES BOTH PR0BED
Finding of Only 55 Cents in Hand
bag Strengthens Former-Iden-
titled by Friend Here.


CAPE MAY, n. j., January 20
cause of the death Of Miss Mary S.
Clarke of Washington. D. c., whose
body was found on the beach here
last Saturday night, jefferson Gibson.
Cape May chief of police. went to Cam
den today to question two youths un-
der arrest there in connection with the
stealing of an automobile.
The boys are Joseph Clark. Is, and
Harry Rutherford, Is, both of Cape
May and members Of respectable fami.
lies. Paul Voelker, city manager OF
Cape May. said today that the boys
were not under suspicion of murder.
Boys Had No Money.
We have no evidence at all against
them, Voelker said, "but so far as we
know they had no money when they
took an automobile in which they left
Cape May, and we want to know how
they have been living since"
The boys were held by the Camden
police when they applied last night
for lodging.
Only SIS cents was in the handbag
belonging to Miss Clarke, which was
found near the body. Police will ques-
tion the boys whether they had found
any money and jewels before they left
Cape May.
Three theories-murder suicide
and accidental death-were being in
vestigated today in connection with
the finding of the body on the beach
here last Saturday. Miss Clarke was
said to have possessed a comfortable
fortune.
Always Had Cash and Gems.
Miss Clarke lived at Haddon Hall.
Atlantic City, from last May until
January 10, when she checked out,
saying she was going to Washington.
Investigation revealed that she had
gone to the Capital. but had left next
day for New York.
She always carried considerable
money and jewelry. When the body
was discovered there was no jewelry.
Her pocketbook, found 80 feet from
the body, contained IS cents and
book of script railroad tickets.
There were no marks on the body
to indicate murder, but Coroner Will
liam NJ. Thompson appeared con.
vinced that she was slain for the pur-
pose of robbery. Other investigators
thought that she either committed
suicide Sv swallowing poison or was
stricken by a heart attack and frozen
TO death while watching birds on the
beach. She devoted much of her time
to the study Of bird life.
Snow Falls Over Body.
Her gray hair was frozen with the
melted snow that had fallen upon her
as she lay on the beach. The left hand
was pressed across the abdomen, as
though she had been in pain. This
indicated to the coroner the possibility
of poison.
Word received from Joseph P. Fish.
er, jr. of Pittsburgh, said that he be.
lieved Miss Clarke was his cousin,
who had $4,000 in addition to reg
ular income from the estates of her
father and a. brother. Her nearest rel.
ative, Fisher said, was a brother, Law
renee Clarke, shoe manufacturer of
Weaverville, Calf.
Doubt of Identity Removed.
The last doubt as to Miss Clarke's
identity was dissipated today by
Charles W. Spellman, assistant man
ager of Haddon Hall, Atlantic City,
where Miss Clarke lived from May
10 last year to January 10, leaving
on the latter date for Washington.
Spellman and several friends of the
dead woman viewed the body in the
Cape May morgue and identified it.
George Taylor. a railroad conduc-
tor, identified Miss Clarke as one of
his passengers on trip from Cam
den Friday. She arrived at Cape
May at 6:19 pm, he said She
seemed in the best of spirits at that
time.