An excerpt from the beginning of THE NARRATIVE.
New Haven, the beautiful City of Elms, was startled from its propriety and awakened to a sense of horror by a terrible announcement at half-past five o'clock on the morning of the 6th of August, 1881. Jennie E. Cramer, a comely young girl, was discovered in the water, face downward, dead!
The place where the body of the poor girl was found is known as the West Haven shore. It is a section that fills in a way the relation of a watering-place to the city proper.
A sort of coroner's jury, possessing very little power, and showing scant capacity, took cognizance of the case. But little resulted from their inconsequential consultations, and the mystery thickened instead of clearing away. Enough, however, appeared without any deep probing to make the least suspicious conclude that at least one dreadful crime had been committed. There appeared to be a disposition to huddle off the remains of the unfortunate one to her early grave, with the stain of suicide affixed to her memory. The newspapers had, however, blown the news of the suspicious circumstances far and wide, and the bloody deed would not "down" at the bidding of those who appeared to have an interest in hushing up the terrible affair.
Before entering on a detailed narrative of the circumstances preceding and attending the death of the unfortunate Jennie E. Cramer, it will be well to introduce here sketches of some of the more prominent persons mixed up in the matter....
