Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-13

losing $40 while drunk, Mrs Drown explain-
ing rather forcibly that her husband should
| nave purchased clothing with The money
II Drown and his wife. accompani,d by
the Coleman woman, left the city TO walk
| into the country about the LIST Of June II
would nave been easy for them TO have
.eached Nheeier's farm and gone to work
there picking peas toward the end of the
same month, as was the case.
LEARNING HIS RECORD.
This Man Knew Drown and His Wife
Well.
special From STAFF Correspondent.
ABERDEEN, Md, September II. 1Sa7-a
new link in the chain of evidence that
would seem to prove that the body discoy-
cred last week at Laurel Md. was thar of
the berry picker, Mrs. Drown. and that she
was murdered by her husband, was discov-
cred near here tosay.
AS announced in The Star a few davs
ago, man by the name of James A. Cole
man and his wife. Elizabeth Coleman. were
employed by Nathaniel Wheeler to pick
peas at Savage, Nd, at the same time that
the latter employed Drown and his wife for
the same purpose. Shortly after Drown
lett Nheeler's place and went to Baltimore.
Coleman also left and had his effects ship
ped to Bel Air, Md. He did not go there
uicSt, hoWeNeT, Dut stayed IN baltimore
until July 8. He then went to Bel Air. and
has been employed about eight miles from
there since then in a canning factory.
Coleman was traced from Savage to his
present plt ce Of employment by Star
reporter. who saw him today at Churchville
Md, and secured from him The following
statement:
Il have known Drown and his wife near
Iy all my life. Up to four years ago he
kept :. junk shop on Little Stockholrl
street in Baltimore. and always managed
TO do pretty fair business. / suppose he
was in business there about thirty years
He has a sister in the old woman's home
In Baltimore and a grown son, who is an
engineer on the Big Four railroad. He
had no child with him while he was in
Savage.
After he left Wheeler's place Drown
went to Baltimore, telling me that he was
going to stay there short time, and then
make for Washington on foot, trying TO
work his way along. His wife also made
the same statement to Mrs Coleman. He
was in Baltimore, / know up to July 3.
left Baltimore at that time and when
left he was still there. staying at a hotel
sometimes called The Rabbit at the
corner of Eutaw and Camden streets
Drown had one of the worst tempers
nave ever seen man exhibit. Several
times he has picked up a knife or some
other weapon, and 1 thought he wouli
surely do her injury, but he always SEEM
ed able to control himself in time He vas
lot drinking man, although / have seen
him take one or two glasses of beer but he
never, to ray knowledge, was under the in
fIence of liquor.
Mrs. Coleman stated that she foresaw
trouble all the time between Drown ana
his wife. because OF her persistent naggine
and Quarreling tendencies She said Ahe
thought 1t likely that he had struck her in
fit of extreme anger. Indeed both Mr.
Coleman and his wife seemed not in The
least surprised when told by the reporter
that Drown lad probably murdered his
wife, and the former especially seemed to
take ii as matter of course that it was
bound to come sooner or later. Mrs Cole
man also said that Mrs Drown had skirt
of a material called brilliantine which was
either black Or very dark green. She
had also black coat, evidently intended
for winter. Mrs. Drown had these. how
ever, before she returned to Baltimore, & nd
it is not known what clothing she took
with her when the couple set out for WASH
ington on foot.
Upon obtaining the address of browns
stopping place while he was in Baltimore
the last time the reporter for The Star
journeyed thither and found additional evil
jence there.
"The Rabbit as 1t is called, is a resort
with questionable reputation. 1t is kept
by a Mrs. CleIncnt5. The Baltimore de-
tec:ives haze repeatedly tried 10 gain in
formation of DROVE here, but have always
failed.
1t was learned that Drown was well
known about the place, and had not only
stopped there while in Baltimore In July,
but had also made the place his headquar-
ters In times past, especially just before
going to Savage 10 obtain employment, un-
der Mr.. Wheeler. 1t was stated here by
Mrs. Clements that Drown was a bad man,
and that he was a man who could not be
said to possess one good characteristic.
All in the house agreed that Mrs. Drown
drank hard, bat outside Of that was a
good-hearted, amiable woman.
She and her husband had frequent quar-
1elS there. 1t was also learned that Drown
and his wife stayed there until near the
Latter part of July, and that he told sew
eral persons in the house that he was go
ing from there to Washington. This would
allow MIN ample time in which to make
Laurel, trying as he went to pick up q few
pennies mending umbrellas and picking
berries and vegetables. Outside of the fact
that he was hard character not much in
formation could be gained about Drown,
and this leads to the belief that he was not
police. No one in the house had seen him
knew of his hard character All were will
ing to talk of Mrs. Drown, but both the
proprietor of the hotel and her associates
evidently feared that any information about
Drown would lead to some inquiry about
the place. 1t was also stated that Drown
was a pensioner.
No surprise was expressed at the facr
that Drown had made way with his wife
and those questioned seemed to regard n az
most natural consequence to her method
Of obtaining money from him for drink and
his terrible temper fits. J. A a.