8/8/1887
The dead body a young woman from near Atsion.
Theories of the cause of her death.
Was it Murder, Suicide, or Due To Natural Causes
Investigating the case.
Residents are excited over a mystery and the whole community has set to work in an attempt to solve the affair. Just 10 days ago a number of section hands employed on New Jersey Southern Railroad found the dead and decomposed body of a young woman, who looked to be about 25 or 30 years of age , in a small clump of trees, just on the edge of the great pine belt near a small post in the village which was formally the seat of the great woolen mills of Maurice Raleigh. The deceased was decently attired in a dark, neat fitting suit of cloth, and seemed to be a person of respectability. By her side lay a dark chip hat and a pair of dark gloves. She had evidently been dead for several days. Her features were swollen and bloated, and across the lower portion of her right cheek was a dark mark like a bruise. One of her hands resting on her forehead and the other, clinched by her side
Was she Murdered?
“Could she have been murdered?” This was the question each one of the second hands asked of the other. No one could answer the question. Then one of them stepped forward to obtain a better view of the body. And as he did so remarked: Why, that is the girl we saw down the road a piece several days ago. She was walking along under the shade of the pine trees with both hands clasped behind her and with her head bent towards the ground. I spoke to her but she paid no attention to me. Then I called to her again and she raised her head. She was quite pretty. I noticed, she had brown hair and eyes that looked you through and through. What she said I could not quite make out, but now and then I heard her say something about the beauty of the country and then she would wander off with a lot of talk I couldn't understand.
I made up my mind then she was daft crazy and I wondered what she was doing all alone in this part of the country, for strangers are scarce here-abouts. I paid no more attention to her. “The next day while I was walking along the track, I saw her again. This time I thought I would walk towards her and see what was the matter. When I was a few feet from her she turned quickly on her heel and ran like a deer into the pines swamp. I made no attempt to follow her and never saw her again. This is the same women, I'm sure.” A telegram was at once sent to Coroner Carr, of Mount Holly, notifying him of the fact and urging him to hold in inquest. He did so, and made diligent inquiry into the circumstances, but was then unable to learn anything definite. And as the body was decomposing so rapidly, and there being no undertaker in the vicinity, a crude pine box was secured, into which the body was placed and buried within a few feet of the spot where it was found.
The prosecutor notified.
Before interment a physician from Medford viewed the body and said he saw nothing that would indicate that death had resulted from anything but natural causes; perhaps hunger, perhaps exposure, he could not say which.
After this nothing further was done until C. E. Hendrickson, the prosecuting attorney of Burlington County, received an urgent letter from a prominent citizen of Woodland Township, requesting an investigation of the girls sad fate, as he had good reasons to believe that the girl had been foully murdered.
In the letter, however, he enjoined the utmost secrecy upon the prosecutor and told him that the information thus given was not to be disclosed unless the writer’s identity was kept a secret, which the prosecutor promised.
Yesterday Samuel Carr, the venerable coroner of Burlington County went down Atsion to make some inquiries in regards to the matter and made but little headway, although he succeeded in running across what may prove to be valuable information for the state. It was a small leather handbag containing the effects of the deceased, which was accidentally picked up by a party of young people who were out for a days jaunt in the woods and who were discussing the girls death at the time.
As they approached the spot where the body was found one of the party a little in advance of the rest noticed the bag, which seem to be wedged under an old tree that was partially decayed at the butt. There was a good deal of speculation at the time as to who was the owner.
An attempt was made to open it, but it was locked and the key could not be found, so the bag with handed over to the custody of Iran Crain, Crane, the hotel keeper, who in turn delivered it to the custody of Coroner Carr.
Upon his arrival its contents excited a good deal of interest and furnished additional incentive to learn more about the fate of the dead stranger and her antecedents. The contents consistent of a small quantity of underwear, toilet requisites. etc., and one or two letters in German, from which the signatures had been torn. There was also a policy of insurance issued from the branch office of an insurance company in the name of Anna Maria Nehrwein, together with a receipt for the amount of the premium. There was also a certificate issued by some institution in Germany to the effect that Maria Nehrwein was a qualified teacher of the ordinary branches, and there was also a card bearing the name of Susan Weller 260 First Avenue, New York City, and a number of visiting cards of different persons which bore no address.
Footprints in the sand
The corner will take charge of these until differently instructed by the prosecutor. “Was the girl murdered?” This is the question that all are now asking. Popular opinion has already decided that she was, but by whom, or for what purpose is yet a mystery.
Careful examination of the ground immediately surrounding the spot where the girl was found showed a number a footprints, as if someone had walked around it several times. This was noticed by the railroad men the day the discovery was made, and one of them remarked that it had I strange look. Owing to the sandy nature of the soil it was impossible to tell whether the footprints were those of a man or a woman. On a scrap of paper in the leather bag were the words:
“I quitted the straight path in my weakness. The beauty of the way made me forget the end.” It is likely that the body will be exhumed and a careful post mortem examination made.
