The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-03-04
STILL A MYSTERY.
Suggestions About the Death Of.
Mrs. Tuchton.
No RECORD .! Their MARRIAGE.
The Police Verify All the Stories
Told by Tuchton as to His
Whereabouts on Sat-
urday Night.

examination on the body of Mrs. Fannie
Tuchton which was found IN the
race on Tuesday still adhere to their opin-
ion that the young woman was murdered
before her body was placed In the water
The police SO far arc satisfied that the
stories told by Tuchton are correct and
they do not believe he had anything to do
with her death.
Norecord of the marriage could be found
yesterday In Camden, and that fact has
kept all sorts of rumors afloat. 1t Is I'M
derstood that Mrs Morrow of 1888 King
street heard the dead woman make threats
of drowning herself in the BrondYwine.
An acquaintance Of hers fell and Fannie
Stunned her, and when she considered
that she herself had taken a reckless step
it is believed to have caused her mind to
become unbalanced :
There can be fopnd people, including
newspaper writers who suppose whole
lots Of things. Both doctors agree that
if!Mrs. TuDhton had dumped from Wash
ington street bridge, she would undoubt.
eddy have sustained some broken bones.
and the post-mortem examination did not
reveal a fractured bone, but instead show
ed that every mark on the body was an
ante. norton injury. =
In speaking about the post-mortem LAST
night DR.. j. 7. Pyle said that death was
due to violence. In his judgement the di-
rect cause of death was cOncussion OF the
brain and the two blows on the forehead
had caused this concussion. In speaking
of the red condition of the body Dr. Pyle
said that he was at loss to account for 1t.
The red portion looked just like when q
person had been scalded and and the flesh
had peeled off although on Mrs Tuchton's
body the skin had not even been broken,
and this is what puzzles the physicians.
DIR. Pyle futher said: THE woman's
death was not instantaneous or even
quick. as is shown by the condition OF the
body. The right log and right arm, where
this peculiar redness is found. were swol-
len about one-third their normal size, and
this precludes the idea of SUDDEN death. In
addition to this the finger nails were blue
and this Is an unfalling sign that death
was not sudden. The condition of tho
body, viewed from every standpoint. pre-
cudes the idea or possibility of sudden
death The woman's death was in no
way due to drowning, but was the result
OF violence"
Deputy Coroner Chandler said to-day
that he is waiting the pleasure of the At.
torney General as to when the inquest will
be held The members OF the jury arc A.
P. Stetser. Orville Edwards, j. j. Doherty,
William Lyons Frank Carey, Charles
Whann, Pennell Stetser, William II.
Murphy and John Stetser
-
a young woman answering the description
of Mrs. Tuchton was seen in Philadelphia
with a young man and also noticed to
come off the train in this city. Chief
Dolan thoroughly aired the report and
found it without any foundation A
number of officers to-day Investigated
the banks along the trace where tho body
est clue Chief Dolan and Detective Wit
sill won't to Philadelphia this afternoon on
the case
A few months ago when the body OF
McManus was found in the Christiana
there was no water found in his lungs and
it was then thought by the coroner's phy-
siCians that 1t was a case OF murder.
Witnesses testified. however, that they
saw the man while he was drunk stagger
overheard.
The coroner instructed the physicians on
Tuesday evening not to talk of what
evidence they discovered. Some news
paper writers have been supposing whole
lots of things. 1t could be supposed that
if the young woman had any hand in the
of her child that such an
act would have preycd on her mind.
She was a prominent young lady and
having graduated at the high school here
she naturally did not wish to fdce her
The thought of coming back
to Wilmington annoyed her considerably.
Hor young husband did everything in his
power to please his wife ind that she
idoized him was evident from the fact
that she carried his photograph pinned to
her undervest.
But suppositions are not in sthe case or
else it could be claimed that shelWas muir
dercd in house or institution in this city
and then thrown into the race to hide the
crime or the failure of an operation. The
police and coroner do not believe Mrs.
Fannie S. Tuchton was murdered.
The body of the doad woman was re-
ing parlors of james T.. Chandler ut No.
III West Ninth street to the residence of
her husbands grandmother, Mrs. Tuch,
ton ut No. 2l3 West Eleventh street,
where services were conducted by Rev.
DR.. w. L. S. Murray.
Although the funeral had been advertis-
ed to be private there was large crowd
gathered at 4uchton's house on Jefferson
street. The crowd waited for the funeral
until tho cortege moved out Delaware Ave.
nue. to tho Wilmington and Brandywns
where inJcrment was made.
Thon the disappointed crowd dispersed.
The casket was ono of hand carved ma
hogany with extension bar handles, heav-
lily lined with pearl satin. Mrs. Iuchton
was dressed in while silk while rlh2s
adorned her fingers and earrings were also
pillow from her husband, handsome cross
and several buncles Of rose buds and cor
nations from her many friends
The pail bearers were John Aspin,
George Moore Mark McKenna, William
Pritchard and Lewis Hance. Deputy
Coroner Chandler stated this afternoon
that he could not tell when Deputy At
torney General Cooper would order the in.
quest to be held.
nothing to point toward foul play except
the alleged statements of the physicians
The very actions of the husband Of the
dead woman combined with the truthful.
ness Of his stories go to relieve all suspi-
clon from his shoulders.
DIR. SMITH AGAIN TALKS.
There is probably no one in the city who
Is moro strongly convinced that Fannie
Peacock or Tuchton was murdered than
DR. Joseph r. Smith, the ooroner's physi-
clan. He, it will bo remembered, assstcd
IT, ~ dppG 2ihE VII MS " 95HSsS h atqiS
brain, and that there was no water in the,
lungs. This fact has caused him to bolevp
as he does. This IRONING REPUBLICAN
s%Ss5fSSa e PEafaS 5f i III S VII pF ~:
u Stf' iSh as sSs Sf2 III sa3
He ridiculed the Statement made bya
police officer that he, the doctor, could
not tell how long before death the wounds
which the body Showed, had been inflicted.
The doctor on the other hand, was CON
ildent that he could establish mis- view OF
the wounds before any body of physicians.
and considered any comment or physicians
disclosures by IN autopsy u matter be-
You'd the scope of any police officials
mental possibilities.
1t has been Stated that the unfortunate
young woman jumped from the bridge,
landed headtirst in the raco and died from
the injuries to her head by striking the
hard bottom of the stream
Such a thing might be possible but DR..
Smith thinks highly improbable Al
hitting that the woman did jump from
the bridge the m6m6B5 she touched tls
water it would have made igs way into
the lungs, no matter how BRIEF o sphoe Qk
rs sd i9s S9 5ff 2SsB55P P tR Ps'i 6otso
The race. As such Was not the case the
inference that death occurred before the
body reached the water is,.- MY strength
9ned.
There has been an inclination to SOL aside
the revelations disclosed by DR.. Smtbs
md Pyle's autopsy, but there can be no
getting behind the facts. The case is ofnse
which should inspire tho police to their
highest sense oGduty IN Investigation, be
It case of suicide or murder