The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-20
INQUEST CLOSED.
The Sterling Swamp
Horror Forever a
Mystery.
STATE OFFICIALS HAVE GIVEN UP
"Those Teeth" and an Ital-
ian Hurdy- gurdy Woman
Talked About.

ptSAl4iS swamp, j uIle 10, ana were I'M
successful, this morning.
The inquest was held before Judge
Christopher c. Stone in district court
room, after the regular business of the
court was disposed of.
State Detective Peleg F. Murray was
present in the role of star witness. Mr.
Murray's testimony developed a new
clue, something that has not before
been known. Curiously enough, nc
questions were asked of him calculated
to draw out further information, and he
volunteered none, beyond the statement
in which the clue was made known.
The teeth that were mined in the
place where the body was found, from
spot that had been scraped over by a
half dozen persons, evidently bothered
Judge Stone a little He asked many
questions about them, including one
of Medical Examiner George L. Tobey
as follows:
Gould those teeth have fallen out OF
the jaw naturally?"
DIR. Tobey replied: THAT is to me an
unsolved mystery" DR.. Tobey ex-
planned that there were two strange
LdClS COtlu6cl6u WITH the teeth. Inc
first was that they should have fallen
out at all, especially from the upper
jaw, where the teeth that remained
were quite firm IN their sockets. The
second was that the teeth should have
fallen on the spot where they are said
to have been mined. The body lay or
its back, with the face upward and the
jaws closed. DIR. Tobey couldn't under
stand why, if the teeth fell out, they
did not fall into the skull.
The inquest began with the testimony
of Leon E. Wood, William ]. Ferry anC
Orrin E. Laware. They are the three
young men who found the body. Wood
told how ne went up the back road that
runs by the house of Madame Parker
mother of Former District Attorney
Herbert Parker, to find a place where
laurel grew. He went up the grave
bank into field. In this field in g
patch of woods, about a quarter of g
mile from the road, he discovered the
body He called to Ferry and La
ware. The young men examined the
body together, and promptly deter
mined to call help. They started back
to Clinton and informed Chief Bates
He returned to the place with Chief
Bates. The body lay in the same po-
sition when he returned as when he saw
it the first time.
Mr. Ferry corroborated Woods tale
Ferry returned to the scene with Med
ical Examiner Tobey. Mr. Laware die
not return with the officers.
DR.. Tobey was called. He rehearsed
the details of the appearance of the
skeleton as they appeared in his report,
already printed in The Spy.
The new matter in his testimony re-
lated to the mysterious teeth, and to
the examiners opinion of the manner
and time in which the swamp victim
met death.
DIR. Tobey was decidedly of the opin
ion that the body was dropped where ii
was found after life was extinct. The
contorted and unnatural position of the
body led him to the conclusion. The
hands were fiexed and one leg was
crossed over the other in an unnatural
way.
According to the witness there was
no doubt but that fire played an i'm
portant part in the tragedy.
The skirt, the bow and feathers of
the woman's hat, her Undertaking
her stockings, her apron and the re-
mains of her dress waist showed the
effects OF fire.
What part the fire played in the trag-
edy, or whether it burned before or af-
lions not touched upon by the inquest
Judge Stone went rather fully into
the time of the woman's death. He
wanted tC determine whether the body
was placed where it was found before
OF after DEATH
He also questioned each witness tC
see if any metal, or instrument with
which a killing might have been per-
formed, had been found. All answers
We're in the negative.
On the contrary. the medical exam
liner said that every bone in the body
| as far as he could see, was in good con
dition. There was no fracture of the
skull, or other kind of visible external
injury.
"But she might have been strangled
or have died by the administration OF
poison, and there would be nothing to
| show it?" asked Judge Stone.
DR.. Tobey said. this was true, and
that there was especially no way of as
pertaining if poison had been used.
Judge Stone desired to know if there
YVES any clue to the age of the person.
DR.. Tobey said that the body was
that of a young person, if the teeth
could be accepted as an indication.
Judge Stoue-"Could the teeth have
fallen from the jaws naturally? Would
the place il which the body was found
make a difference?"
DR. T0bey-"It is rather a mystery ia
all of us how those teeth got out. The
body lay OH it's back with the Jaw
tightly closed. ] do not see how they
fell out They should have fallen into
the cavity Of the skull. The teeth were
found on the ground in the neighbor-
hood Of the skull.
Judge Stone: Have you theory as to
how the teeth might have fallen out?
DR. Tobey: None except that posi-
bly, some animal may have been claw
ing about the head.
But even then, the teeth should have
fallen into the cavity of the skull.
Judge Stone asked only one more
question on this point, as if to be sure
that he had heard correctly. He said;
IF the body was naturally placed
there, would those teeth fall out with
out something being done to cause then
to fall out?" To which DR.. Tobey re-
Piled In the position which the body
was found. / do not see how they
could"
Some of the spectators, including the
representative Of The Spy, who had fol.
ginning, thought it unfortunate DIR
Minnott v. Bastian was not in tho
room
DR.. Bastian is the expert dentist who
was present at the autopsy which was
held back Of the dead house in Ster-
ling, June %. DR.. Bastian said then
that it was a natural and a dental
lmpossibility that the teeth could have
Your Watch Cleaned or div m