The Washington times., 1902-04-30
Body of PyleS' Farm Vic
tim Identified as That
of Lewis Turner.
DISAPPEARED ON JANUARY 3
His Wife Recognized Lock of Hair
Found Eear Scene of Tragedy as Be-
longing to Her Husband-Police Unable
to Determine Whether Murder OF Sui
eide.


and former navy yard employe, the police
are trying to find an answer to. Out Of
the mystery Of the Maryland tragedy, en-.
acted supposedly on the farm Of William
Pyles, in Prince George county, sever
miles from ,Anacostia. the identity of the
victim alone became known yesterday
The body found in the ravine on Sunday
morning by flower hunters, one of whom
was James II. Grimes, of Oxen Hill. Md,
and which was buried on the farm OF
Pyles, near the spot where it was dis
covered, has been claimed that of her
husband by Mrs. Lizzie Turner. $50
Eleventh Street southeast, although the
widow is not able now 10 pay for its re-
moval and burial in this city.
The revolver found beside the body of
Turner was bought at the store of ID.
walford in this city, on January 2. This
was established yesterday. Mr.. Walford
identified the weapon. Portions OF the
clothing of the dead man were brought
here and have been identified.
Turner spoke lightly of suicide before
leaving home He said, Il would never
take my life for anybody" This remark
was made to his wife several days before
he disappeared from his home, early on
the morning of January 3. since that date
Mrs. Turner had seen nothing at all OF
her husband, and she had not heard from
him. She does not believe he killed him
sclf. She says he had no reason to do so.
She can give no facts which ten1 &c bear
cut the theory Of murder.
Believed to Be Murder
Dr. Albert W. Evans, CT Indian Head.
Charles county. Nd, ten miles from tie
Pyles' farm, feels sure that Turner -
murdered; he testified to this elrccs q.
the Inquest held over the body on Suaz-y.
He made the autopsy, and discovered that
the man had been stabbed through the
breast, from the left side to the right. ap-
parently with 4 big knife, the blade of
which must have been six inches long. DIR.
Evans also found bullet wounds in the left
breast.
The adherents of the suicide theory
hold out that Turner purchased the re-
volver found near mis- body from the Wal
ford store; that he had resigned his posi-
ton in the navy yard some days before
he disappeared; that he had little or no
money. as evidenced by the fact that he
vague reports by friends of the dead man
that he had a second wife living some
where in Iowa.
When he went away from homo, turner
merely stated to his wife that he was GO
ing TO see Representative Mudd of Mary
land, member of Congress from the dis
trict where he was born and reared So
far as known, he did not call upon Mr..
Mudd al ALL
Perplexing stories from the scene of
the tragedy cause the police annoyance.
Facts are hard to obtain. Three detec-
tires and Photographer Johnson. from
Police Headquarters, have visited Pyles'
farm detectives Miller and johnson on
Sunday viewed thc remains
On Sunday it was stated that three
bullet wounds were found in the body
and that enc hole was large and ragged /
as though caused by the discharge of
shotgun. while the other wounds probably |
resulted from pistol bullet. On Monday |
ii was said that four bullet wounds had |
been found, while yesterday, when De- |
tective Hartigan interviewed DR.. Evans, |
the statement was made that Turner had |
been stabbed through the breast with a !
huge knife, so that two of his ribs had |
been broken by the blade of the weapon
The story of Sunday of the three bullet
wounds in the body was verified by Dr.
Evans.
Body Should Be Examined Again.
II is claimed by the police that but one
way remains TO settle these vexed ques-
tions. If Turner was stabbed, he could
not have committed suicide. as the knife
blade would have placed him beyond the
power OF shooting himself three times in
the breast. If he fired the shots first,
for a like reason, he could not have
-s,Lt ~zI -
was fatal The other shots, report says,
glanced off from the ribs. No one ac-
tually questions the result of the autopsy,
but the police believe that the body
should be examined second time. In
this way only can the mystery Of murder
or suicide be positively settled.
To bring the remains here would entail
small expense, but the widow cannot do
so; the body has been buried. There is
said to be no fund to pay for the removal
Of the body. The detectives believe there
should be another examination of the re-
mains TO clear up seeming discrepancies. !
The police are now trying TO locate
Turner'S watch, SO as to prove that ii was
not stolen from the body OF the victim.
A watch answering the description OF the
one belonging to the dead man has been
found In the stock of local second hand
dealer, but the Identification of the prop
erty cannot be made until this morning
IL IL supposed turner SOLD or pawned U
his watch before he left this city. The b
police do not believe he was killed here. @
81 he was murdered at ALL s
Recognized the Hair
lock of hair found hanging to a
Lhicket on the Pyles farm near the spot I
where Turner's body was found. led TO
he identification OF the remains by Mrs
Turner yesterday. She had read The n
Times accounts OF the finding OF the body
n the woods, and as her husband had
1een missing for several months and the
description OF the dead man tailed with
hat of her husband, she determined TO
investigate. Sc she visited Police Head
quarters yesterday morning. She saw
captain Boardnian. He showed her the r
rticles taken from the person of the 7
murdered man. She was first shown his
watch chain, which she identified, but IL |
vas not until she WIS shown the several
trands of black hair, in excellent condi-
ion, that she gave way to her sorrow and
obbed aloud. She positively Identified ID
be hair as being that of her missing hus-
and and pleaded so earnestly with
aptain Boardman that he gave her a few
trands of IL TO carry home. She stated
hat she was in no position to bury the
cmains, but would communicate with
rother of the deceased and ask him to
O SO. Should he not do so, however, she al
aid she would In some manner make ar h
angements to take charge OF the re- to
aims and they would be given mill .,
Try burial in Arlington Cemetery.
Turner, according to his wife, was TWEEN
y-sis years of age. and at the time of his A