Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-09-09
LOOKS LIKE MURDER.
Police Working on That Theory In
Mabel DOyle's Case.
Two Men Seen Near Whero
Body Was Found.
Both Under the Influence OF Liquor and Acting
In a Suspicious Manner.

BOSTON, Sept. 9.-The dead body Of Ma
bel Doyle. II years Of age, of Chickatawbut
street, Dorchester, was found Saturday ON
the flats Of the Neponset river, near At
lantic, with her head sticking In the mud
Whether she was accidentally drowned,
committed suicide or was murdered Is az
yet matter of conjecture, but the indica.
tions point strongly to foul play.
A startling discovery was made ycster.
day by the officers of division IL and the
clew, which may or may not have somo
Mhying on the murder theory, will be as
slddonsiy followed up.
Immediately after the finding Of tho
body Saturday morning, Acting Captain
Hunt of division IL began an investiga
ton Of the mapy stories and alleged clews
that had been Brought to his notice
AS an assistant In this work he detailed
Officer Sumner Foster, and the two have
worked indefatigably to solve the mystery
surrounding the girls death.
1t was not until yesterday afternoon,
however, that they found any clew that
would lead to the supposition that Mabel
met with foul play, or that would even
throw any light upon the suicide theory
Certain information came to the ears OF
to the effect that a man Ga respected citi.
zen of Neponset) was standing on Nepon-
set avenue, near Walnut street, about |
o'clock Saturday morning when two men,
somewhat the worse for liquor, camo
along and inquired what road they should
take for Braintree.
Both Men Had Been Drinking.
Zone of the men had been drinking
Ina In cos1 he 81 t. H.
his conversation with Officer Foster, "and
the other was slightly Intoxicated
II told them to take the straight road
out over the bridge" he continued, land
then they asked me II Wollaston was on
the same road. To this replied: Yes
when the one most intoxicated asked me
how far It was. told him about five
miles, but with an oath he contsadicted
my statement, and said the distance was
nearer 20 miles
"At this the other man grasped him and
dragged him along, both going In tho
direction I had pointed out They also
said they had walked all the way from
Boston"
The only description the citizen cou Id
give of the men was that one was quite
tall, and the other much shorter In stature.
AS soon as Lieutenant Hunt had heard |
this story he communicated the informa
tion TO Mabel's parents. and scarcely had |
Mr.. Doyle heard the officers words than
he replied: "Why, / saw those two men
myself" and then he went on to say that
shortly before l o'clock Saturday morning
he was standing on Neponset avenue, a
short way above Chickatawbut street.
when he heard the boisterous voices of two
men, evidently under the influence OF
liquor, and who seemed to be approaching
from the direction of Fields Corner.
Not wishing to be seen, but thinking
that possibly they might know something
of the whereabouts of his little girl, for
whom he had been searching all the even.
ing, he stepped behind neighboring tree
and waited until they passed by. The
men, he says, answered the description OF
the two seen by the Neponset citizen above
alluded to.
The seeing Of these two men by the per-
son as indicated at the hours stated and
within a short distance of the spot where
the body was found, is looked upon as
most important clew by the officers, and
the first one which has given then any
basis to work upon.