Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-06-07
ZOE WATKINS.
The Parents Satisfied of Foul Pley anu
the Doctors Inclined to the Same

is murder at the bottom of il, black, bloody
murder" Thus spoke the father of the I'M
fortunate Zoe Watkins to reporter of the st
Louis Republican.
"Any one that knew Zoe would not for an
instant retain the idea that she drowned her
self. A girl full of life, full of play, without
a shade of melancholy in her character and
perfectly at peace with the world, this is moi
the sort of q girl that is going to walk DELHI
eratsly down to the river and without any
motive throw herself in. She never did it, and
nothing on earth can convince me or heI
friends that she did it. See the sentiment oil
the letter that she wrote to me that Thursday
afternoon Just before she lett the house fol
the last time. A letter full of school
girl prattle, describing the good time
that she was having and giving glowing &C.
counts of her meetings with old friends;
painting the anticipated joys OF the trip TO
New Orleans, and describing her rides 10 For.
rest park, and her Impressions of the city. A
girl bent on destroying herself would not
| write such loving letter to her father few
hours before the act WAS consummated."
"Do you think any b.unders have been made
in the official management of the case, Mr..
Wstkins:" asked the reporter
~ have no fault to find with the police, !"
said the grief stricken father; "they did all In
their power, aud worked on the case loug and
earnestly. Bat great blunder was made this
afternoon at the inquest. There was some
thing suspicious about the suddenuess and
haste with which it was conducted, and it is
my opinion that the examination was not
thorough enough to settle all doubts"
Odd you have any hysicians there besides
those appointed by the coroGer?"
| mo; and that was another mistake.
was not acquainted with the mode of proceed
ure in such matters, and did not have any
other medical authority present. Everything
| should have been examined thoroughly, and
this could not have been done in the few
hours in which the iaauest was completed to-
day. 1t is too late now, and upon no con-
sideration will have the body re-examined.
l shall accept any explanation, but my child
shall not be disturbed again."
These were the feelings of the father last
night, and though some OF the friends desired
denomination he would not hear of it.
What caused this desire for a re-examina-
ton OF the remains was the fact that about
dusk last night runner circulated about the
four courts that a good deal had been dis
covered in the examination of the remains
that had not been made public. DR.. Ludwig,
who made the post-mortem, stated to the re-
| porter that in his opinion there had been
foul play. This OF itself made a sensation,
| as Dr.. Ludwig was considered very good
authority on such matters. Then, again,
during the examination it was given out that
she had been shot through the head, but af-
ter An hours work or the skull DR.. Frank in
formed the reporter that it was a mistake
and that no bullet could be found. DR.. Moore,
competent physician from New Orleans.
| who examined the remains during the in
| quest, stated that ia his opinion the girl had
been choked to death and then thrown into
the river. Black marks were plainly visible
on the neck, and the appearance of the eyes
and tongue also supported this view of the
case. These end a hundred other rumOrs
! were afloat, and the matter coming to the
ears Of the poor girls friends, it was serious
| ly considered whether another examination
should not be made.
| Mr.. Martin, whose family teel the shock
as bad as the girls parents said: 81 never
Believed that she committed suicide. don't
believe it now, and l am certain that there is
murder at the bottom of the business. Zoe
was happy and contenttd that afternoon just
before she left this house, and | know that
suicide was the last thing ON earth that she
| contemplated. There is great deal more in
this case than has yet come to the surface.
She got iato the hards Of some wretch, and
| on the Monday or Tuesday following her dis
appearance, finding that it was becoming too
hot for him, he consigned his victim to the
! muddy waters Of the Mississippi. Dead
women like dead men, tell no tales. She has
been fouly dealt with; Of that all her friends
are assured. That view of the case would
bring out the fact established at the
inquest, that the body was not IN the
water more than eight or nine Gays, and that
she Was Oh land three or four days after leav-
ing home. Now the question is, where did
she spend those three or four days? 1t has
not yet been discovered, and the probabilities
are that they never will be. Why, the girl
did not even know where HE river was, and
was perfect stranger In the city,
Wishing TO hear what more DR.. Ludwig
had to say regarding the postmorieu, re-
porter, ia company with D. B. Kirk, a friend
IF the family who has interested himself
deeply in tie case, called at the DOCTORS resi-
dence, al No. 2,3l5 Chouteau avenue. The
doctor was not at home, but the reporter was
informed that DIR. IIebrecht, who had assisted
at the post-nortem, could be found at the
corner of Sixth and Labatie streets He was
accordingly @6ught and found at his
residence. In answer to question
he SAID: 81 cannot tell whether the girl had
been cutra ged or not. There was not much
evidence that violence had been used, but still
that view of the case is feasible. She was not
exactly virgin, and as TO the marks of vio-
lence on her head, think she received those
in the river. When we first viewed the body
and saw a hemorrhage from the right ear
we thought she was shot, but a close exami
nation of the skull and brsin demolished the
supposition. The brain was very much de-
ccm posed and one could not tell from it
whether she was under the effects of an OPT
ate at the time Of her death or not. We are
certain that death occurred IN the water, and
that the appearance of strangulation on the
face and neck was caused by the action Of the
water. Her uudergarments were bloody, but
not torn.o
ado you think that she committed sui
cide?''
81 cannot tell. 1t is mystery to me. DR..
Ludwig thinks that violence was used, and he
has had q great deal of experience in such
cases, aud no one Is more competent to give an
opinion. Sometimes | think she committed
suicide through remorse, and more times
think she was thrown alive into the river.
The post.mortem developed no fact that
would conclusiyely show that violence had
been used. The body was black and blue in a
dozen places, besides about the neck, and there
was a confusion beneath one of the eyes that
might have been received from q blow. An
other thing that supports the theory of suicide
is the fact that her gloves were on, and all the
money with which she left home wss found in
her pockets. Every button on her shoes was
fastened, and every hook in her corset and
dress secured"
"How long do you think she was in the
water, DOCTOR"
"About eight days, should judge, and, as
she was away from home twelve days, she
must have been in the city fonr days before
she got into the river :" DR.. Lebrecht
though that a re-examination of the remains
would not develop any new facts, as DR.. Lud-
wig had made thorough one that afternoon.
The father believes his little daughter pure;
that she was the victim of violence; that she
resisted her prosecutor, and eventually met
bar daoth OF hic hondc The fa upiiy rpinpt all
idea of suicide, and each member has an opin-
a., tho crirl,c denth