Notes for: Eleanor (Ellen) A. Bodine
From Ronny Bodine:
Her birth as Ellen Bodine was recorded in the Burlington County Birth Records. She was Ella Bodine, age 16 in 1880, living with her parents. She was named in the 1884 deed as Ellen Bodine.
The Daily Times (New Brunswick, NJ) of 30 Aug 1895.
One of those remarkable stories which appear frequently on the surface of life in a great city was made public yesterday through almost simultaneous proceedings in the Probate Court and the Coroners' office, of New York City. People well known in New Brunswick and former residents of the town are involved. Eleanor A. Bodine, of Montclair, N. J., the daughter of Joseph Bodine, of New Brunswick, and a sister of the late James Bodine, the druggist, died on Wednesday morning at the Presbyterian Hospital, New York. She left a will whose provisions are so peculiar as to excite the greatest surprise and interest. The will is said to be in her own handwriting and is as follows : "If I should die I desire and order as my last wish that everything that belongs to me and is in my possession, to be given to my most distinguished and good friend, Mr. Joseph A. Delgardo, of No. 787 Lexington avenue, New York; and I further request that I also give my dead body to him. I do not recognize any relatives, nor do I wish them to attend my funeral or even see me, as they have disgraced me. The last will of Ellen Bodine. New York. August 10, 1895." This document was signed aud sealed in the presence of Edward A. Orpeo, Frank S. Stevens and H. P. Whitehead, attaches of the Presbyterian Hospital, where Ellen Bodine died Wednesday morning. The will was offered for probate by Lawyer Henry W. DeForrest, of No. 62 William street. Mr. DeForrest is counsel for the hospital.
WANTED AN AUTOPSY. While the will was being filed Legatee Delgardo, accompanied by his counsel, Austin Van Giesen, of New York, appeared at the coroner's office, with Assistant District Attorney Battle, and asked to have an autopsy performed upon the body of Miss Bodine. Delgardo stated that the young woman's parents had caused his arrest a short time ago on a charge of abducting her, although she was nearly 30 years old. Coroner's Physician Weston performed the autopsy aud found that Miss Bodine's death was due to appendicitis, heart trouble and dropsy.
DELGARDO'S STORY. Mr. Delgardo, a tall, slender man of 30, with black hair and mustache, was seen at his residence, 787 Lexington avenue, last night. He said: "I was introduced to Miss Bodine about two years ago, at a watering place in New Jersey. Six months later her father caused my arrest __________ up in Newark she appeared in court, and as she was over 30 years old the complaint was dismissed." "What did she do after this case was dismissed?" asked the reporter. " She was treated so cruelly at home that she came to this city and did some sewing and other work. I occasionally befriended her as did others. On March 7, last, she was stricken down with scarlet fever and sent to North Brother Island. She stayed there about two months and then returned to this city." Mr. Delgardo insisted that he did not know where she went then, but he said that on June 10, she was taken to the Presbyterian Hospital as a private patient. " Who paid her expenses there?" he was asked. " I don't know. You must ask my lawyer, Mr. Van Giesen," was the reply, and thereafter nearly every inquiry was referred to the lawyer for an answer. His reason for wishing an autopsy was he wanted the cause of death settled officially so as to preclude the possibility of any attempt being made to blackmail him hereafter. Why," he said, " my lawyer could tell you of half a dozen persons who have been
blackmailed indirectly through her, although she was innocent of any wrong doing herself." Mr. Delgardo declared that she left no property beyond the clothes she wore to the hospital. Mr. Delgardo is an interpreter for the New York and Porto Rico Steamship Company, at 130 Pearl street. Miss Bodine was 32 years old.
MR. BODINE'S STATEMENT. Miss Bodine's father, Joseph Bodine, was seen by a reporter of the TIMES this morning. He stated that be had seen the story in the New York papers and that Delgardo's statements were incorrect. Eleanor Bodine, the dead woman, lived for a number of years with her father at the house of her brother, James Bodine, who kept a drug store at the corner of George and Albany streets. On the death of James Bodine some four years ago she went with her father to live at Montclair. It was while there that she met Delgardo, who is of American and Mexico parentage. She became infatuated with him, in spite of the opposition of her family, who did everything possible to break off the intimacy, but without avail. She finally became estranged from her family on account of their objections to her friendship for Delgardo. It was then that her father, as a last resort had Delgardo arrested for abduction, but this failed as she was then nearly 30. In April, 1894, she broke off all connection with her family and went to New York, where she supported herself. In June last she was taken ill with scarlet fever and went to the Presbyterian Hospital as a private patient. Mr. Bodine states that he has his doubts as to the genuineness of the will. He says that Dr. Fisher, one of the hospital physicians, has told him that Miss Bodine was unconscious for three weeks preceding her death and in no condition to make a will. Mr. Bodine is a highly respected resident of this city where he has lived many years. He indignantly denies that Delgardo or anybody else was blackmailed through Miss Bodine.
The Daily Times (New Brunswick, NJ) of 3 Sept 1895.
The body of Miss Eleanor Bodine was given up to her relatives on Saturday last by the authorities of tbe Presbyterian Hospital, New York, and the funeral services were held in the Madison avenue Presbyterian Chapel, New York, last Saturday, after which the body was brought to this city and interred in the family plot at Elmwood Cemetery. The fellow Delgardo had no authority whatever to interfere with the body and did not undertake to exercise any.