Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-18
THELAUREL MYSTERY
Coroner's Jury to Resume Its Investi-
cation This Evening.
EVIDENCE TO Be THOROUGHLY SIFTED
Opinions Divided Between Theories
of Murder and Suicide.
THE PHYSICIANS DISAGREE

Special From a Staff Correspondent
LAUREL. Md, September 1S
TIE mystery surrounding the fndn;; in
Kellogg $ woods. near this place. fort
night ago. of the decomposed remains of a
human being is to be officially ana most
carefully discussed this evening. Tine ccr-
oEers inquest will hc resumed at s O'Clock
in the town hall here. and every sem5llnce
of evidence that has been addlced as a
result of the investigations conducted since
the discovery of the body will he presented
to the jury. Whether or not q verdict will
be reached this evening is question. The
probabilities that the Eeiring Mill be
again adjourned, the finale TO occur at some
future tine.
The report sent out from Baltimore yes
ttrday afternoon quoting DIT. NJ. Baldwin.
TIE publisher of local newspaper who
has been actively identified with the at
tempt TO solve the mystery, was erroneous
IN several RESI- ects. 1t was stated that Dr.
BALDWIN had learned of the Whereabouts of
Bil! Drown, the alleged murderer and ex-
Iected to place him under arrest and con-
vey him to Laurel within twenty four
hours.
DIR. B;,ldwiu's Statement.
DIR. Baldwin merely stated, so he says,
while in Baltimore yesterday on a shoppin :.
visit. that he thought he could lay hands
on Drown and might have him at the in
quest this evening witness. The latter
is not probable. 1t is also incorrect, he
says. that the coroner's jury met Thursday
evening at Milstead's Hotel and heard the
testimony of Mrs Mark A. G. Gift. Mrs
Gift was in Laurel. but did not appear te-
fore the jury. She merely made some
statements i'll the case privately 20 DIR.
Baldwin.
The mystery is as profound as at any
time since tbs. ghaStly find
nOunced. and is likely remain so until
Drown is produced and he in turn produces
his wife or admits that she is deal But
brief inquiry is necessary to determine the
real feelings of the citizens of Laurel in
regard To the matter. There some who
inclined 10 the theory that the ease was
one of suicide. and that the remains were
those of Cliff. But the others-;.nd they
seem he in the mcjority-cann1t rid
themselves of the BELIEF that murder was
committed. that the murderer was Drown,
and that the victim WAS his wife.
Mrs. Gifts Disbelief.
So far as the Gift suicide theory is con
eerEed. it may be well TO state that MIS-.
Cliff refuses TO believe that her husband
ended his own life. If the body found was
that of Mark. she says, he was murdered
died by other means than his own
hands tailor has been located il Bal
tirnore from whom Cliff was in the habit
Of purchasing clothing. The tailor says
Gift was five feet two inches in heigl At
judging from the measurements on record
in his establishment. The father of Cliit
says that his son was not as tall as IIinl-
self Ghe fatler. whose height IS five feet
four inches The skeleton of the body
found in the woods is five feet five inches
in height. Mrs. Gift declares that just
before her husband left her. August L. he
rad his hair cut very short. The person
who met death in the woods about Angus,
had fair several inches in length. The
meas urements of the tailor and the state
ments OF relatives siioy that lift, who
weighed 115 pounds, required coat with
a chest measurement of at least Il inches.
The garment found in the old grave yard
said TO be Gifts, was made for very
slender person, ard could not BE worn
with anything like fit by man of the
size of Cliff.
The Dissenting Jurors.
AT least two members of the coroners
jury have stated that they will not concur
in the Cliff suicide theory. no matter if
the inquest be continued until the end of
time. unless Drown and his wife are pro-
duced. 1t is believed that If Drown IS
anywhere in this section Of the country.
and there Is evidence that he is, he IS
certainly aware of the proceedings at
Laurel. and would come to the front and
assert himself, in the event that he Is inno-
cent of any wrong doing in connection with
the kellCgg's woods body.
Consensus of Opinion.
The consensus of opinion here is cx-
PRESSED by the following statement pub
iished in the curreIrt-issue of the Laurel
Democrat:
From early Monday morning September
C. to the present time there has been a
ceaseless and tireless effort to solve the
Laurel murder or suicide. The body has
ieen examined re-examined and exam
red again. The body is that of Mrs. Drown
OF Mark cliff. of an unknown woman and
OF an unknown man. by turns. Some of
the papers have settled it to their apparent
satisfaction. but it will not stay settled Is
Mark Gift dead? If dead. is the body his -?
II dead. how and when did he die?
Does suicide often. if ever pull off his
clothes and walk more Than a half a mile
to lie down and die? Gift was well known
In Laurel Who saw him near here for
riany months past? Gift was of rather
heavy build. but the bones found arr. those
OF small person-the experts say of a
young person. under twenty-five, for there
is no sign of wisdom teeth. DO all persons
have wisdom teeth? Does a man have the
hair of woman? If this was a suiciGe.
how did the hair get under the small of the
back and the hands be clasped above whore
the head ought to have been? Where are
the shoes of the man Gift? If Gifts.
where are the man and woman seen near
the place where the body was found?
How about the two dogs that came IN
Laurel with man and woman August g.
ard only man and one dog left the 9th or
1othy Answer all these questions and YOU
possibly arrive at the conclusion that the
mystery is as deep ever"
Physicianx Will Disarree
The physicians still disagree as to the sex
OF the person whose body was found The
bones OF the pelvis and other portions OF
the body have been cleaned and will cut
somewhat of a figure at the inquest this
evening. The relatives of Cliff have bsen
summoned as have all other persops 1,ho
know. or claim to know, anything I'm con-
rection with the case. All evidence tend
ing to support both the Drown and CIift
theories is TO be produced. and no effort
will be spared to reach a correct conclusio-,
of what Is even now n deep mystery even
though pet theories have to be shattered
c. +. c.