Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-01-15
THE SUICIDE THEORY
Declared improbable in
the Davis Case.
STATEMENT OF DR.. OUREll
He Believes That Tena Davis Was
Thrown from the Bridge.

BOSTON, Jan. l5.-The utter absurdity OF
advancing the suicide theory in connec.
tiOn with the Tena Davis sensation is
daily becoming more and more apparent.
The story "Wednesday morning of the inn
pOrtant witness who heard the screams Of
"a woman at S o'clock on Wellington bridge
on the night the Davis girl met her fate,
Dec. %, puts most serious phase on the
matter This, taken together with the
fine web Of Circumstantial evidence which
is being woven. leaves no doubt in the
minds Of the officers of the law and those
best cOnversant with the case that the
victim was thrown ON the bridge and
drowned in the channel of the Mystic.
Medical Examiner Durell, in his opin-
ion, frankly and deliberately expressed
from full and complete knowledge of the
case strengthens the murder theory very
materially. State Detective Whitney, who
is playing an important part in ferreting
OUT the crime, was nj Medical Examiner
Durelps house for an hour last evening,
"and, said the doctor "he told me all
that has transpired in the search for evil
denoc since | last saw him. / can assure
you t..t lhc evidence is we'll in hand and,
takel whole, it makes a very strong
case g. circumstantial evidence against
Trefelhcn rs the murderer of the girl
81 have never had any doubt in my own
mind from the first" said the medical
examiner that the girl was thrown over
board. Immediately after making the
autopsy on the body of Tena Davis. l re-
paired to the Medford House with the
officers on the case, and there had laid
before me the evidences Of the crime.
They were convincing then, and time,
kNif ia bua ate ri ha, oil
the ease The story of the witness who
heard the screams on the night in ques-
lion j. II very important piece of evidence.
Il have known about this clew from the
officers on the case, bu. did not feel at lib
erty 70 give it to the press. as matters Of
this kind are always communicated TO me
as secrets ~ be kept. His fixing of the
hour ut o'clock, or thereabouts, is very
important and shows that Trefethen
had ample time to come from Everett.
Throw the body overheard, connect at
Charl'stown, where he was reported to be
at . O clock. and return home at 10 o'clock,
which believe the family give as the
hour
81 can hardly see how any one can ac-
cept the theory that the Davis girl, in or
derto commit suicide, walked q. good three
miles from her home on "A rainy night TAX
ing rircutous route and lonely road,
when -he might have just rs we'll drowned
herself in the Maiden river, the bridge
over which he would have 10 cross in go
ing 90 where the body was found.
"Ihgre is also no doubt in my mind that
the woman WIS thrown overheard at the
Wellington bridge draw. Now, | found
that the body had not n mark upon il; it
was perfectly smooth If the body had
entered the water above the bridge and
hOated down, it would have shown marks.
bruises and abrasions of the skin, frsm
contact with the piles of the bridge, as is
common with most cases of bodies that
have been floating in the water.
This body must have struck III the
water, face down, and remained so, NOV
ing but short distance to the inlet where
it caught near the bridge. The autopsy
establishes the fact thet the woman was
alive when sh0 Vas thrown overheard and
was drowned.
II authorized the chemical examination
10y Professor Wood for traces of poisoning
simply as Il precautionary measure, so
that t'is question might not be raised. l
have NO idea that any evidences of poison
ing viii hc found.