The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-21
COrOner's Jury Uncertain About
Identity Of the Body
MEN HELD JUST The SAME
Physicians Say the Body Was So Badly
Decomposed That the Sex Could
Not Be Determined-con-
Trajectory Evidence.

Chicago, August 2o.-After an investiga-,
a fortnight and two days coroners In
quiry, the authorities are still in doubt
whether the body of the murdered woman
found IT. the field at Seventy fourth and
State streets was really that of MirLic
Mitchell. Three men stand accused of
completely in her death and that of Mrs.
Annie Bartholin and are held in heavy
bonds to the grand Jury. Yet Patrolman
Watson. who found the body. could not
tell its sex because of its advanced stage
of decomposition. Coroner's Physician
Springer stated that the body must have
lain ten or twelve weeks before the brain
could have been absorbed and that had
quick lime been used by the murderer as
conjectured, maggots would not have en-
tered the body as was the case.
Even the coroner's jury when it sender
ed verdict today recommending that Os-
car Thompson, Edward Counselman and
John Claffy be held to explain the death,
stated only that the body was supposed
to be that of Minnie Mitchell. Articles
of clothing found near the body, how
ever, were identified by the Mitchell fam
lily and a week ago the body was buried
as Minnie Mitchell by relatives of the
girl who had been missing since July 30
and who was last seen In the company
of her sweetheart. William ]. Bartholin.
Two witnesses, Lieutenant Healy and
William Allen, testified that Counselman,
the intimate friend of Bartholan, had
told them the fugitive wanted money with
which to pay for surgical operation on
the Mitchell girl at Northside hospital.
With this conflicting testimony to hinder
them. the police are almost stalled In
their search for William Bartholin, whom
the coroners jury recommended to be
apprehended.
Identified False Hair.
At the inquest some excitement was
created when a wig maker positively
identified a switch of false hair as one
that he had made for Minnie Mitchell
Lieutenant Healy of the Kinsington po-
lice station, telling of the circumstances
leading up to the arrest of Edward Coun-
selman, the man who is alleged to have
been with Bartholin on the day of the
disappearance of Minnie Mitchell, said
that Mrs. Counselman had told him that
Bartholin had informed her husband that
"his (Bartholin 81 girl was In a North
side hospital and that he needed $50 to
care for her; that he had got her into
trouble.
Lieutenant Hewey said:
1.-The woman came to me and told me
of the queer conduct of her husband She
related to me of her receiving and OPEN
ing letter from Bartholin to Ed on July
II. The letter was the one In which
Bartholin hoped to secure money on a
loan. The woman told me soon after
she opened the letter Bartholin came
into the house.
"Then she said: When l told him that
had opened his letter to Ed he seemed
very angry about 1t and told me 1 ought
not to do that sort of thing
HE said, You are likely to get into
trouble opening letters that way" Bar
ttolin asked me where Ed was working.
I told him that Ed was at the Austin
Manufacturing company, Harvey. ILL.,.
and he went in that direction
Was Anxious to Get Away.
Mrs Counselman said that Ed came
home that night" continued Lieutenant
Healy "but was very anxious to get
away. He said he was going to SEQ VIII