Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-07
A COrOner's Jury Tries to Find Out
How He Died.

Messrs. John COughlin, James F. Johnson,
Herbert L. Royce, Chas. w. Leannarda, Peter
F. Bacon and Reuben F. Baker assembled
around little painted coffin in the yard in the
rear of the health Office this morning, and was
sworn by Coroner Patterson as q jury. The
little coffin contained skull, a heap Of bones
and quantity of old, weather-stained clothing.
These were the remains found in the Carroll
woods, north of Tenleytown, last Thursday, and
identified by letters in the pockets as Franz
Porsch, a German book agent, who came here
from Baltimore late in June or early in July.
The jury, after inspecting the remains met in
George W. snoot, of Linden, Montgomery
county, Md, testified that about the 9th or 9Th
OF July a colored boy named Henry Edelin,
bundle Of letters and papers beside a culvert on
the Metropolitan branch road and brought
them to the witness brothers store. An I'M
whom the clothing belonged. The letters and
papers indicated that their owner was engaged
in canvassing for book. The letters found
with the skeleton appeared to be portions of
the same correspondence as that found with
the clothing at the culvert. Rock creek was
600 or 700 yards from the railroad at the cul-
vert. There was high bank there. The wit
ness suppOsition was that when the water was
high and the low the eu
himself, fallen into the creek, and the body
had been carried some distance. The skeleton
was found inside the District while the bundle
of clothing was found in Maryland. The Dis
trict line ran near the culvert.
Lieut.. Roadway. of the fifth precinct, testified
to the finding of the skeleton, with portion
of the clothes, about fifteen or twenty yards
from Rock creek, in the Carroll wood. He saw
water there The underbrush was SO thick there
could have fioated there. fhe clothing was wet
on the clothing. The bones were dry, and naked
of flesh, and locked as though they had been
pulled about The witness saw nothing to indi-
cot 10 fnlln Thought no hn2 bod hoor,
stripped by birds and animals.
Mr. Smoot, who was present, insisted that
the point where the skeleton was found was
on the Maryland side of the line. One OF the
jurors stated that it was not unusual for the
creek to rise ten feet. Lieut.. Redway said that
in case of rise of ten feet the body might have
been carried TO the point indicated. Where the
body was found, the ground for some distance
looked as though some heavy body had rolled
| or wallowed around, as a man might toss about
in agony. The lieutenant took portions of the
clothing found at the culvert, and also the
clothing found with the skeleton, and showed
that they were parts of the same suit of
clothes.
Detective Block testified to having examined
the letters written in German found with the
Porsch," care Of Mr.: Fred: zahn, in Baltimore,
letter from Fred. Zahn, and other pa.
| pers by which the remains were identified as
| his sister Clara last November stated that his
wife and three children were in most destitute
circumstances, and urged him, II possible, to
send little money to them. Detective Block
read also to the jury the account of the finding
| Of the skeleton, published in The STAR of FRI
day.
The jury asked great many questions Of the
| witnesses, but We're unable to get much inform
alton indicating the cause of death.
Lieut.. Redway did not believe it possible that
the body could have floated to that spot, on ac-
count Of the height of the bushes. Mr.. Smoot
was confident that 1t was a case of drowning.
Gen. Bacon said his theory was that the man
died OF exposure. Gen. Coughlin thought the
man had been drowned and the body washed
to the point where found.
VERDICT OF DEATH BY DROWNING.
The jury, after discussing the case few min
utes, decided that death was caused by drown
ing, and rendered verdict that Porsch came
to his death ION or about the 5th of July, 1885,
by accidental drowning in Rock creek, near the
Maryland line"