Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-11
CHICAGO IS SHOCKED
BY MURDER MYSTERY
Woman Is Found Dead in
Cellar and Son Is Charg-
ed With Having r1ur-
dered Her.

CHICAGO, Aug s.-With a Jagged
wound IN the left temple and physical ev-
idence that she had been strangled or
emothered, the almost nude body Of Mrs.
Annie Bartholin was found this evening
buried beneath the cellar floor of the
house IN which she had lived, at $40 Cal
umet avenue.
Coincident with the finding OF the body
the police redoubled their efforts to find
the missing son, william Bartholin, who
Is also suspected of the murder OF Miss
Minnie Mitchell, whose body was found IN
a vacant lot at 74th and State streets last
Thursday evening. The police have ev1-
dence that Bartholin slept IN the house on
Calumet avenue last Thursday night.
three weeks after his mother had been
murdered and six days after he Is suppos-
ed to have killed Minnie Mitchell.
The body OF Mrs. Bartholin. was found
by a party of newspaper men after the
police had searched the house and had
concluded that II the woman had been
murdered her body was concealed some
where away from the residence. All the
rooms Of the house had been ransacked,
partitions torn down, walls sounded and
the basement and the premises searched.
Earlier in the day persons who were
searching in the basement found place
where the cement floor seemed % have
been disturbed. Digging there, they found
what at first was supposed to be frag-
ments of a human body. Later they be-
came satisfied that dog had been buried
there. A crowbar, apparently stained with
blood, and a Ratchet. which bore dark
marks, were found in the basement, and
the searchers were unwilling TO abandon
their task even after II seemed that there
was nothing further for them to do.
Finally. tonight, some one found a small
crevice in the cement floor, indicating
that the cement had been disturbed, and
then skilfully patched.
In a moment the men were attacking
the floor with pickets and spades, while
a large crowd Of neighbours and other
curious ones watched the work from the
stairway or through the basement vim
dows.
The cement was quickly. broken away
and then the digsers came on a bed OF
white sand.
Digging through this they came upon
dress skirt. This was dragged out and
other articles OF woman's wear were
found. When these had been removed the
body Of the woman was found. It was
wrapped IN a blanket aud practically was
without clothing. there being only Q
stocking on the left foot and a corset
cover. around the chest, ri
From the appearances Of the body II
was beiisved that Mrn Bartholin was
struck down either while disrobing for
the night or when dressing in the morn
ing On the woman's left temple was a
deep and ragged cash two inches long.
but DR.. z. p. Noel. physician who was
summoned, said that. in his opinion, II
could not have caused death.
The wound is superficial, but may have
served 20 render the victim unconscious"
DR.. Noel said. after the blow had been
strOck the woman was either checked or
smothered."
The body was removed to an UNDER
taking establishment where the coroner's
inquest will be held Monday.
The police have abandoned the theory
that BarthoIin is dead and Police 1nspec-
tor Hunt, in whose district Is located the
home Of Mrs. Bartholin, declared tonight
that he was confident that the man Is
alive and has not left Chicago.
The clerk Of a real estate agent, one
of whose clients holds mortgage on
the property OF Mrs. Bartholin. met VIM.
BarthoIin in front OF the house on the
morning of July 81 or August 1, he does
not remember which. This fact causes
the police 10 believe that they VIII cap
ture him soon, as he has had less than
one weeks start OF them.
There Is no apparent motive for the
killing OF Mrs Bartholin or Of Minnie
Mitchell. but the police are following
every possible theory. The one that finds
most favor at present is that the young
man. being in debt. killed his mother In
order that her equity In the mortgaged
property might revert to him. While this
theory Will not cover the murder Of the
Mitchell girl in any way. the police be-
iieve that Bartholin had the idea that
she either suspected him Of killing
HIS mother or that she had taken him to
task for telling conflicting stories regard
ing her disappearance.
Bartholin and his mother were not on
good terms, although they lived In the
same house, but beyond a desire TO IN
herit her property, there is at present no
known motive for the murder.
DR.. Springer. the coroner's physician con-
Quoted an autopsy on the body Of Mrs.
Bartholin tonight and announced that her
death had been caused by strangnlation.
the assassin having made sure Of his
victim by first breaking her skull With
q blunt instrument, a fracture having
been found beneath the temple