Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-15
A WONAN'S WATERF CRAVE
WAYWARDNEsS OR FoULPLAY
Ths Bssy Or en- Usnsswn wsnan rssad
Fisasina ~ the ole Resesvesr raaea 10
the AIrnshsus< for Id<ufiocatteo.

fhs Aimsneusc fer td<uincaoeo.
Mr.. Lysander w. Rose is the keeper
Of the Old reservoir, and attends with
great promptness to his duties. Yes
terday morning about 7 o'clock be
walked out from his office, and, accord
ing to his invariable custom, commenced
TO make the circuit Of the grounds. He
went down the walkway nearest the
entrance to the grounds. turned at the
northeastern angle, went on his way
until he reached the southeastern bend,
and started along the nice gravel walk
which runs parallel with the Clark's-
spring property. When he reached the
middle Of the parapet which surrounds
this part Of the reservoir he saw wo-
mans long dark-brown glove lying in
front Of him. STOPPING TO pick the
glove up, his eye was attracted by the
disturbed condition of the grayel-walk.
There were deep footprints, and the
ground bore evidence that something
out Of the ordinary nature Of events
had caused the smooth surface Of the
walkway to look as it did. Mr.. Rose
looked about him and saw floating on
the surface Of the water about six feet
from the shore something which
looked like a woman's dress. He
called Mr.. Lucas, one OF the labor
ers employed by the city to keep the
grounds in order, and after acquainting
him with the fact that he had found a
human body in the reservoir, sent him
down to the Office Of the City Water
Works for the purpose of informing the
authorities Of the fact. Coroner W. II.
Taylor came up, and the body was
fished out cf the water. Ii was found
to be that of white woman, plainly
but neatly clad. and not over twenty
years of age. Her looks plainly in
dicated that she had not been in
the water very long, for her features
retained q natural expression, and the
flesh had not become shriyelled. Both
hands were bare, her dress was new
and of common worsted material. her
shoes well-worn and patched button
CATERS. and around her neck was a new
| red silk handkerchief, fastened with q
let pin. 4 white cotton handkerchief
with red border was found upon her
person. but there was no piece of pa
per, no mark upon clothing, nor any
thing TO tell who the poor woman was.
DR.. Taylor ordered the body to be
taken to the City Almshouse, where il
was laid in coffin to await more
thorough examination at his hands to-
day.
Later in the day Detective Wren
thought he had 4 clew which would
lead to the identity of the body. lie
went ont to the almShOuse and looked
at the dead woman, but he failed tC
throw any light on the mystery.
A good many theories are advanced
as to how the unknown woman came tC
her end. Coroner Taylor did not make
a minute examination Of the body wher
it was first taken from the reservoir
but he was perfectly satisfied that il
had not been in the water for more thar
eight or ten hours. The woman in a
few months would have become a
mother. and DR.. Taylor inclined TO the
belief that she had committed suicide
To Offset this theory. however, are the
facts that over in the Clarke's-sprine
property outside Of the high plank
fence which surrounds the reservoir
were found the veil and the other glove oi
the dead woman. Then there are the
signs Of a struggle where the veil and
glove were found. and further, just OPP
posite the point at which Mr.. Rose dis
covered the body. there were sthl other
indications that two people had been
engaged in unusual movements. What
all this means is not now known, and
may never be.
When looked at last night the face OF
the woman showed two well-deiined
and distinct punctured wounds over the
right eye. small and deep, almost in
appearance like the marks made by
small pistol-shOts. The right eye was
black and swollen; the upper lip the
same. and as sure as can be these marks
showed that they had either been in
iiicted before the body reached the
water. or else the blows had been re-
ceiyed in the leap into the reservoir.
This last could hardly have come about.
as there was nothing in the reservoir
that could have inflicted the injuries.
Possibly in the field outside the reser-
yoir enclosure. at the point where the
veil and glove was found. a tragedy
might have been enacted. 1t is lone
some spot. and at a late hour of the
night unireqUented. 4 strong man
could have borne an inSensible woman
from this point to the reservoir, and
perhaps by the time he reached the low
railing around the immediate brink of
the water the woman might have re-
yived and then the struggle for life been
renewed. The deep imprints Of a man. 5
footsteps on the embankment, the broken
shOe-string evidently man s. found on
the gravel walk, and the Indications of
a contest shown in the tracks on the
walk do not point TO suicide.
As TO how an entrance TO the reSer-
voir-grounds was effected, that is plain.
The plank fence is rotting down on the
south side Of the reservoir and two or
three planks have fallen off. and here it
is plainly seen that some one came into
the grounds night before last.
As soon as the body was taken from
the reservoir the water was turned of.
II will be 10 O'Clock to-day before it is
all out and a new supply turned on.
The body Of the unfortunate woman
will be kept in the chapel Of the aims
house day or two for the purpose Of
identification.
Manchester Matters.
An engineer has recently examined
1..