The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-18
REOPENED THE CASE.
Detectives Looking Into the Mysteri-
GUS Death of Benedict Bertermann.

A special to the Journal from Pittsburg,
received last evening, says:
AT 3 o'clock tonight Bob Dennison, one
of the best known detectives in the United
States. was detailed by Chief Roger OMara
to investigate the mysterious death of Ben
edict Bertermann, of Indianapolis. Tonight
Coroner Heber Mcdowell visited Chief
OMara and stated that developments in the
Panhandle tunnel mystery were such as to
warrant his calling in the best talent the
P1ttsburg detective bureau could furnish,
and the case was at once taken up. The
turning over of the case to the detectives
is victory for the newspaper men of Pitts
burg, who have maintained all along that
the death of the Indianapolis architect on
May called for rigid examination. Cor
oner Mcdowell has not had charge of the
case in person. as he is inspector of rifle
practice in the Fourteenth Regiment, state
troops, and has been at Mount Gretna in
camp He returned this morning, and in
view of the positive testimony given by the
tremen yesterday. decided to have the tun-
mel mystery solved in proper manner.
The county coroners office has not taken
at all kindly to the hard work of the police
reporters in this case, and ten days ago a
verdict of accidental death" was brought
We're those, however, who were not inclined
to let the case drop easily, and the turn
ing over OF the case to the detectives to-
night is the result of their efforts. There
Is well-founded rumor in Pittsburg that
the indianapolis relatives of the dead man
decline to accept the verdict of the coroners
jury. Deputy Coroner Moreland before the
arrival of his chief said positively that the
case would not be reopened on account of
the testimony of the firemen, whose state
ments We're in direct opposition to those of
Conductor Woolrich, of the dining car.
whose testimony, it is said, had much to
do with bringing about the verdict of acct
dental death.
The appeal of Mcdowell to the authorities,
however, is interpreted as a virtual reopen
jury be upheld by the coroner and attacked
by the friends OF Bertermann some inter-
esting developments may be looked for. 1t
can be shown that Conductor Woolrich, OF
the dining car, did not appear before the
coroner's deputy to give affidavit until sew
had been handed in by the coroner's jury.
A Pittsburg newspaper man interviewed
Woolrich on his first return to Pittsburg
after the finding of Bertermanns body in
the tunnel. Woolrich left town early next
morning before the coroner could locate
him, and did not return for several days.
In the meantime the verdict was handed
in and accepted. So important was the tes-
timony of the conductor considered that his
movements were followed, and when he en-
tered Pittsburg several days later Deputy
Coroner Donley boarded his train in the out
skirts of the city and took his sworn state
ment in the dining car. In the meantime
Deputy Moreland waited at the Seventh
avenue Hotel, where Woolrich stops, so
that he could not by any means get out of
printed days before in the Indianapolis
Journal. as we'll as in PittSburg DaDer.