The times., 1898-11-28
TO CLEAR THE MYSTERY
Sheriff Here to Investigate
the Case of Roe.
FRIENDS STRANGE ACTION
Eefo-c Dying the Man Told His
derStood - Travelling Companion
Refused the BOdy-CInimcd to lie
Relative and Disappeared.

pursuing an investigation into the mys-
terioas injury and death of Charles Roe.
of Rock Point, near Cox's station, in that
county, who succumbed TO a guushot
wound in his left foot, at the Emergency
Hospital last Monday morning. The body
of Roe minus the foot. which was ampu-
tated at the hospital, and pretty badly
decomposed, is in enc of the compart-
ments at the morsue in the rear of the
Sixth Precinct police station, and will be
buried in potter's field today.
Since his death at the hospital last
Monday morning. and the appearance
there several hours later of the man
who accompanied him to Washington,
and who refused 10 take charge of the
remains, the local authorities had been
unable to learn anything of him until
yesterday. No inquiries have been made
concerning him, and no one has called
at the morgue TO look at the body. Ii is
not even known positively that his name
is Roe, one of the physicians at the hos
pital having registered him as Dudley.
From the information in possession of
Sheriff johnson, it appears that the
wounding of Roe was surrounded by
good deal of mystery. He said that on
Sunday, two weeks ago. Roe went hunt
ing with a companion. whose name was
not known The evening of the same day
he was found in the woods, unconscious,
with the bones of his foot and ankle
shattered and the veins and tendons
torn and hanging out, from the effects
of 4 gunshot wound. He had lost so
much blood that he was too weak, even
after he had recovered consciousness, to
tell how the shooting occurred. What
became of his companion the sheriff did
not know
The unconscious man was carried TO
neighboring house and received some
medical attendance. He remained there
a week. and when he was brought 10
Washington Inst Monday morning gang
rene had set in and 1t WAS impossible to
save his life. He died almost immediate
ly after the amputation of the foot.
The peculiar location of the wound in
the foot gave rise TO suspicion. 1t was
on the left side of the left foot. and it
would have been almost impossible for
the man to infiict il upon himself. even
by accident.
A Times reporter called on T. A kalk.
man, the baggage master of the Balti-
more and Potomac train which brought
Roe from Cox's station to Bowie. a small
station on the road, seventeen miles from
this city.
Mr.. Kalkman recalled the case, and
stated that the injured man had Travelled
In his baggage car from Cox's Station TO
Bowie, and was there transferred to the
Baltimore local with which connections
at that point are made. The train 10
which his baggage car is attached Is
known as No. 305 and is in charge of Con-
ductor J. r. falkland. n brother of tn.
baggage master.
Our train" said Mr. Kalkland. left
the Pope Creek terminus OF the road at
Cox's Station at 500 O'Clock Monday
morning on schedule time Just previous
to our leaving l was approached by a
man VINO stated that he had a relative in
MS wagon who was wounded and wanted
70 go to Washington to enter a hospital
He asked If the man might be placed in
my car. 1 replied that had no objection
Whereupon the man left me and almost
Immediately reappeared with a wagon. in
the bottom OF which, lying on mat
tress. was the injured man.
I'VE removed him on the mattress r.
the car and his companion then climbed
IN. Neither OF the men volunteered anv
information concerning the injury. I
questioned them both, and found the in
?ureo man in such a weak condition that
ne could not talk. Not even a croan es.
capped him.
In answer to my question the suffer
ers companion said that the injury was
received while cunning in the woods at
ROCK Point on the previous day. The man,
ne SAID, had been out with his nephew
who carried gun with defective ham
Iner. which would not remain cooked un-
less held by the thumb. In some unknown
manner the gun was DISCHARGED while its
owner was walking through the under
brush, and the man, whose name is sup
posed TO De Roe, received a full charge
OF buckshot IN the left foot
Aside from that, I could get nothing
from the man concerning the alleged ac-
cldent When asked him why his ra'a
i've had not been treated al Rock Point
ne replied that DIR. Smoot had lanced
the foot to relieve the pain, but had re.
lused to amputate ii, saying that after
such an operation. the patient would re-
quire great care. He advised taking the
man to Providence Hospital. at Washing
Ton. The doctor, he said, would have am
putated the foot had he not thought tho
man would be unable to stand the Jour-
hey TO washington after the operation
MY brother telegraphed to Bowie to
nave truck ready on which to transfer
the man from our train to the Baltimore
local. which meets us at that MONT and
when We reached Bowie, he teiesrapbed
washington to have an ambulance meet
the local train When we arrived at Bow
le the men were transferred TO the other
train"
Inc Baltimore local arrived al this citv
az s:Sl Monday morning and was met at
the station by the Emergency HosnitaI
ambulance. The man was taken in charge
ano conveyed to the hospital. Here il was
FOUND that his foot was In frightful con-
uitioh ana an amputation was deemed
necessary 10 save the mans life. The
paIieht was so weak from the loss of
oiooo and so much under the Influence Of
opates that II was impossible to get anv-
thing from him, except his name and
even about that there is no certainty. as
ulnerent doctors understood him TO riva
different names
ihe man who accompanied Roe to the
city wanted to ride in the ambulance
from the station to the hospital. bur was
refused permission TO do so. He seemed
little concerned and although he might
nave reached the hospital In fifteen min
utes by walking he did not appear there
until o'clock. At that time the operatioD
had been performed and the man was
dead
When the travelling companion arrived
at the hospital he was questioned by thu
physicians. but he yielded them but lite
information. The condition of the dead
mans wounds and the apparent lack Of
medical attention was called TO his notice
oy the doctors. and the man then con-
tradicted his statement to Baggagemaster
ha!kman and affirmed that the wound
lad been inflicted a week previous. He
claimed to be relative of the dead man.
but when asked what disposition he would
have made Of the body he replied that he
GA rot want 1t and that the physicians