The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-13
FINDING HINPIECE BYPIECE
Portions Of Isaiah HaTdel'S Body Hid
den in a Water Cooler.


Found in an Clubhouse Near Mary
WashinRton's House-Not Enough
Yet for an Inquest-The Investiga-
ton VIII Continue Just as Soon as
the Washington Woman Can Tell
Where the Rest of Hard ms Body Is.
The mystery of the Harden murder is
solved in part at least by the discoveries
made yesterday
A search revealed that Mary Washing
ton had in her rambling and incoherent
talk given some idea of what disposition
had been made Of all that remained Of
the body of Isaiah Harden after it had
lain for six months beneath the floor of
her room.
She told the detectives Saturday that
she and her husband had taken up the
body and carried the pieces to the yard
net door to where she lived on
Margaret street, and that they had there
buried it in different places under trash
and filth, probably with the supposiuon
that it would not be discovered.
That part of the mystery disposed Of,
there yet remains the necessity of estab-
fishing who the guilty parties are, Tor her
CNANNAINs olItN4AAlN a o4lN NAC19 L4OL c. tAAi
her mental powers, would hardly be suf-
fcient without orroboration. That link
in the chain is incomplete.
IT WAS HACKED TO PIECES.
There is no doubt that the
discoveries made yesterday clearly
establishes the fact that Har-
dens body was literally hacked to pieces
after he was murdered.
The first discovery was that of a
negro's foot, a rib and a verjebra in a
water cooler in woodshed Just back of
Mary Washington's room. Later in the
day a second research brought to light
the viscera and another bone of a human
being, which were Hardens with
out doubt These were found
under the outhouse next door
to the yard back Of the house
occupied by the Washington woman
This was where she said the body, or a
part of it, had been placed when ques-
toned about the matter by her father.
1t goes to show almost beyond a doubt
that the murdered man was cut to piecies,
and it seems too with some blunt instru-e
ment. From the cuts on the few portions
of the body found it m ight be concluded
that it was chopped to pieces rather than
cut. 1t must have been a fiend that could
stand over the lifeless body of its victim,
with AK in hand and chop the limbs
apart as though they were but wood.
THE FIRST DISCOVERY.
The first portion Of the body discovered
was the foot, a few bones wrapped in
pieces of Hardens clothing
The investigation which led to this dis
covery was made by Detective Wether-
horn early yesterday morning 1t was
reported TO him by the proprietor
of the house in the basement
of which Mary Washington
lived at IA Margaret street that
there was a terrible odor coming from the
woodshed in the yard.
This woodshed is so constructed that it
is just back of and dyoining the room
formerly occupied by Mary Washington
A window in Mary's room opened right
into the woOdshed. The door TO the
wOodshed is just outside the back door of
the basement.
Detective Wetherhorn went down the
first thing yesterday morning to make
full inv estlgatiOn Of the matter A search
for some time failed to reveal anything
but the odOr which was strong and sick
ening.
At last in one corner Of the woodshed
he noticed a shelf about feet from the
floor to which no particular attention had
been given previous to that
time On the shelf stood
a coverd iron water cooler, which
was inofenseve in appearance but not in
smell. Detective Wetherhorn decided
that this had something to do with the
mystery and at once had it taken down.
On being opened the cooler gave away
the whole story. 1t was carried up to
Justice Naughtin's office, where its CON
tents were emptied in the back yard and
an examination made
CONTENTS OF THE COOLER.
The contents of the cooler indicated
that Mary Washington was not far wrong
when she said the body had been dis
posed OF in the yard next door, or some.
where near her own room.
The first thing that rolled out after re-
moving two lace curtains, which were
stuffed in at the top, was negros foot
1t was cramped all out of shape, but
clearly and distinctly recognizable never
theless. The foot had evidently been
severed from the body with an ak, or
some blunt and awkward instrument. as
it had hanging to it piece of skin which
had extended from the instep of the foot
up to the knee.
This began to throY some light on the
matter. The contents of the water cooler
went further, however showing that be-
yond doubt an entire human body had
been cut to pieces, There were found in
the cooler one of the dead negro's ribs,
one of the spinal vertebre, and a
number of bits of flesh, which
were hanging to pieces of his
undergarments. There was an old pair of
drawers, both legs Of which had been cut
of at the knee, a pair of socks and some
other pieces of garments, all of which
were Oyered with blood and bits of flesh.
To cap the climax there were found in
the top of the cooler two of Mary's old
aprons, which were covered with blood.
These aprons were probably used in re-
moving the body from the hole under the
floor to a place where those concerned
thought it would be less likely TO be dis
covered.
FOUND THE vISCERA.
After the discovery of the small
bits Of the body in the water cooler
Detective WetherhOrn came to the con
clusion that Mary Washington had told
the truth or pretty near it when she said
the body had been disposed OF in the yard
next door.
Coroner Dixon was sent for, and he
too, made an examination of the contents
Of the water cooler He was satisfied