Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-23
PROBING FOR THE FACTS
Coroner Carr and Jury Investigate the
Lazenberry Case.
Witnesses Examined In Effort to De-
termtne Manner of Death-NOth-
ing New Developed.

Coroner Carr held an inquest this after
noon in tho case Of the colored man, Will
lam I.azenberry. whose body was found
in Watts branch, rot far from the Benning
race track yesterday morning, as published
IN yesterdays Star. The police found moth
Ing additional to the facts printed yester-
day. Deputy Coroner Giazebrook made the
autopsy this morning, and told the jury of
the injuries the man had sustained. He
said the Immediate cause of death was I'M
doubtedly drowning. Witness found that,
IN addition to the V-shaped wound on the
head. beneath which the skull was cracked,
there were four fractured ribs. All the in
juries were on the left side. The wound
on the head was such that it was evident
sharp-pointed object, and not a club or
ordinary weapon, had inflicted it. The
fractured ribs, he thought. may have been
made by falling against log or on stone.
He said the point of a rail in the track
may have inflicted the wound on the head.
The man was in normal condition, Dr..
Glazebrook said, there being no evidence
of heart trouble, nor was his brain in
condition to indicate apoplcXy. He told the
jury that the dead mans hands and face
were covered with mud and the condition
of the body made it evident that it had
been in the water. He found no evidences
of a struggle. The dead man had on gloves
and his overcoat and rubber shoes In one
of his overcoa- pockets witness found part
of the regalia Of a fraternal society.
Policeman John Boland testified that his
attention was called to the body by a man
named Cooper, who had pulled it from the
water. The mans body, he said, was found
a little more than three hundred yards from
the station, where he got off the train
about 1880 o'clock. Witness gave his
opinion that Lazenberry walked beside the
track from the station to Watts branch,
where the body was found yesterday morn
ing.
Gives Particulars.
Witness described the condition of the
branch and trestie work and made dia-
gram of the place. The deceased, he said,
had to cross the treStle, which is about
twenty feet above the branch. He found
Is cents in money and some receipts and
papers on the body. The money he turned
over to a son of the deceased.
Il. E. Cooper. brakeman on the Baltimore
and Potomac railroad, testified that yes
terday morning between 8 and 10 O'CLOCK
Engineer Smith called his attention to
something in the branch. When he left the
train and went down the embankment he
discovered the mans body there. The
water is about three feet deep and the
body, with the exception of the back and
hips, was under water. Witness and a
fireman pulled the body from the water.
There was nothing to indicate that a strug-
gle had taken place.
Two stones, the witness said project over
the water, and witness believed fall from
the trestlc would have put the man in the
position in which he found. The dead
mans cap was on the bank of the branch
and his oNcrco:-t was tied tightly about him.
Robert Nj. Smith, engineer on the train on
which the preceding witness was working,
testified that he called Cooper'S attention
to the body.
Fireman b. +. Downs, who was on he
same train, gave similar testimony. Lazen-
berry's head was under water when wit
ness reached the branch. There is hole
in the branch between two projecting rocks
and the dead mans head was between
these rocks.
Saw Him Get OF the Train.
Simon Owens. trackwalker, testified that
he saw Lazenberry get off the II 80 train
Tuesday night and start toward home.
He was perfectly sober. Witness remained
no noise or outcry. Had there been
loud cutlery witness would have heard it.
Walter Z. Hazen. colored, testified that
he went out on the train on which Lazen-
berry was, but he did not remember hav-
ing seen him. He crossed Watts branch
along the line of the railroad, but he
heard no noise of any kind. The night was
very dark. Witness did not meet anybody
on his way home.
rs this a dangerous bridge to cross
over?' asked the coroner.
Unusually dangerous replied witness,
who said he was always very particular
while crossing there at night.
The jury found that the death of Lazen-
berry resulted from fall from d trestle
bridge across Watts branch. The jury be-
lieVed that his death was accidental.