Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-15
A MYSTERY OF THE RIVER.
The Police Searching for . Woman's
Body Which Was Seen In the River.

Word was received at police headquarters
yesterday that the body Of a white woman was
seen between and 5 o'clock Monday afternoon
floating in the river near Shepherds Point
nearly opposite Alexandria by the coal beavers
on the wharf. Harbormaster Sutton was notified
and he went in the police boat Joe Blackburn
to search for the body. 1t was thought this
morning that the body had been washed ashore
or into the marsh near where Oxon run empties
into the river
The police boat reached Shepherds soon
after o'clock yestesday morning and followed
close to the shore, making a thorough search.
Their search, however, was without result.
THE SEARCH RENEWED TO-DAY.
Harbormaster Sutton with his crew went on
the police boat again this morning to Shepherds
landing, opposite Alexandria, to try to unravel
the mystery. Four colored men, Edward and
Benjamin Thompson, William Coleman and
Philip Brown, saw the body. They are employed
On the landing as coal beavers. They
had finished their work Monday afternoon and
were ready with their small boat to cross the
river to Alexandria, here they reside. 1t was
not far from being dark when they quit work.
There was a heavy gale blowing at the time and
the high waves were dashing against the boats
tied to the heavy piles that support the rail-
road tracks. Philip Brown was about ready to
that prompted him to exclaim:
DAT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE woMAN's HEAD
Browns companions looked toward the OBJ
ject and all we're convinced that it was the body
Of white woman. The body appeared to be
In an upright position with the head thrown
back. The head rose and sank with the waves
and the long dark hair washed backward and
forward over the face.
1t had only been few weeks since one Of
the men had recovered the dead body of a child
in the river, and he was therefore not afraid to
bring the woman's body ashore if he could get
an opportunity. The body was then washing
toward the landing and had evidently come
from the direction Of the city.
The colored men got in the small boat and
started to recover the CHASTITY find. The heavy
waves dashed the boat against the piles and the
oarsman dropped one Of his oars. The men in
the boat were In perilous position
and had to look out for their own
safety. They caught hold Of the wharf and
while holding there the body washed within a
few feet of their boat and passed out toward
the shore between two canal boats.
THE BODY THEN DISAPPEARED
from sight Of the men and darkness prevented
them from making further search. The tele-
graph operator at the landing notified the
police yesterday morning and Harbormaster
sutton with his crew on the police boat, Joe
Blackburn" spent the day yesterday dragging
for the body without success
This morning STAR reporter went with the
crew Of the police boat to Shepherds and
heard the statements Of the colored men,
They all agree as to the appearance
Of the body and the position in which
they saw it. They thought from the appearance
OF the face that the body was that Of young
woman of small stature. Today the officers
not found any trace of the body.
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