Story of Murder Continues to Haunt
Kitty Wilder
Rahway Progress
_____________
Rahway, New Jersey (US):
A sketch of ‘The Unknown Woman’ ran in The National Police Gazette in 1887 in an attempt to identify the young woman who was murdered in Rahway and never identified. Anyone looking for a spooky story to tell this Halloween won’t have to search too far from home.
Rahway is home to an unsolved mystery that has haunted local story tellers for more than 118 years.It was a cold March morning in 1887 when four brothers stumbled upon the body of a young woman frozen to the ground. Her throat had been slashed in two places and her face was bruised before she was left to be discovered just beyond the Central Avenue bridge, near Jefferson Avenue.
The brothers, Alfred, Frank, Thomas and Irving Worth, ran to Police Chief William Tooker who took a report of the unusually brutal crime.When he arrived at the scene, Tooker was unable to identify the young woman. Over the course of the next several weeks, and even months, the victim was never identified, and to this day is simply called “The Unknown Woman.” The mysterious label even graces her headstone in the Rahway Cemetery.
She was blue-eyed, brown-haired and dressed in a dark green cashmere dress trimmed with feathers. She wore kid gloves and a black veil. The fine clothes would have placed her among the wealthier in society of the day.Police investigating the scene of the murder found footprints in the mud surrounding the unknown woman’s body. Near the river, a small black bag was found containing small articles probably belonging to a man. A basket containing nine eggs, all but three of which were broken, was also found, along with a pen-knife with a turquoise handle.
These were the only clues uncovered.In the weeks following the discovery of the young woman’s body, attention grew. She could not be identified and the motive for the murder continued to allude police. Because the woman was found still wearing her watch and jewelry, it did not appear as though robbery was the cause.
Weeks after she was found, the unknown woman’s story continued to captivate a widespread audience.The governor and mayor of the time offered rewards for the arrest and conviction of the woman’s murderer.
Professional and amateur detectives came to Rahway to attempt to crack the case.After weeks of investigating and little evidence, each question remained unanswered.Hundreds of people came to the morgue to look at the woman’s body. No one recognized her.
Oct 26, 2005
Kitty Wilder
Rahway Progress
_____________
Rahway, New Jersey (US):
A sketch of ‘The Unknown Woman’ ran in The National Police Gazette in 1887 in an attempt to identify the young woman who was murdered in Rahway and never identified. Anyone looking for a spooky story to tell this Halloween won’t have to search too far from home.
Rahway is home to an unsolved mystery that has haunted local story tellers for more than 118 years.It was a cold March morning in 1887 when four brothers stumbled upon the body of a young woman frozen to the ground. Her throat had been slashed in two places and her face was bruised before she was left to be discovered just beyond the Central Avenue bridge, near Jefferson Avenue.
The brothers, Alfred, Frank, Thomas and Irving Worth, ran to Police Chief William Tooker who took a report of the unusually brutal crime.When he arrived at the scene, Tooker was unable to identify the young woman. Over the course of the next several weeks, and even months, the victim was never identified, and to this day is simply called “The Unknown Woman.” The mysterious label even graces her headstone in the Rahway Cemetery.
She was blue-eyed, brown-haired and dressed in a dark green cashmere dress trimmed with feathers. She wore kid gloves and a black veil. The fine clothes would have placed her among the wealthier in society of the day.Police investigating the scene of the murder found footprints in the mud surrounding the unknown woman’s body. Near the river, a small black bag was found containing small articles probably belonging to a man. A basket containing nine eggs, all but three of which were broken, was also found, along with a pen-knife with a turquoise handle.
These were the only clues uncovered.In the weeks following the discovery of the young woman’s body, attention grew. She could not be identified and the motive for the murder continued to allude police. Because the woman was found still wearing her watch and jewelry, it did not appear as though robbery was the cause.
Weeks after she was found, the unknown woman’s story continued to captivate a widespread audience.The governor and mayor of the time offered rewards for the arrest and conviction of the woman’s murderer.
Professional and amateur detectives came to Rahway to attempt to crack the case.After weeks of investigating and little evidence, each question remained unanswered.Hundreds of people came to the morgue to look at the woman’s body. No one recognized her.
Oct 26, 2005
