New-York tribune., 1903-07-11
W00DSES THERE, TOO.
Continued from First Page.


to him in a fashion self-respecting man
would have submitted to. Our suspicious were
first raised when he put in a bill for $1,000 and
the regular physician charged $40.
Il asked Woods to come and me. and he
came here told him we were prepared TO pay
any claim, and only wished to know who he was
Upon that he gave me list OF his Qualffca-
tions. which have in writing. He claimed to
be the graduate Of a medical college in Penn
sylvania a registered practitioner in Pennsyl-
vania. and Of well known physician of
Philadelphia. Well. we took the trouble to in
vestigate these claims and found them fraudu-
lent. He then withdrew his claim
Mr. Embree brought out from his safe letters
bearing the signature Of Doctor" Woods. and
compared them with facsmIles of the letters
written in the Best case by the doctor" The
resemblance of the two handwrtings was
remarkable to leave little doubt that they
were written by the same person.
INSTRUCTIONS TO POLICE.
While the of the late Colonel Best were
communicating yesterday with the police of
various cities, in the hope of securing the
rest of the Woodses, Inspector McClusky gave
the description of the missing couple to the de-
tective force, with special instructions to the
detailed to the piers and railroad stations
Best dispatch was also received from Dis
trict Attorney Boyd of Marin County, Cal, ask
ing McClusky to hold the couple if apprehended.
Several significant letters describing the previ-
Gus career of the Woods couple reached Alfred
NJ. Best yesterday. One from S. J. Sanderson,
ex-Chief of Police in Harrisburg asked for in
formation, and declared that the Woodses had
formerly lived there and were known we'll by
the police
Henry Bercaw. of Phillipsburg, n. J., on
Thursday sent to Alfred NJ. Best a significant
description Of a badger game which he alleged
the Woodses tried to work on him. In his letter
he said in substance:
I know them the Woodses) well; have known
Mrs. Woods since she born. She is
bad one. have letters written by her to a
couple of years ago, making certain offers if
l would comply with her demand for money.
After receiving three or four letters, 1 showed
them to friend, and l agreed to meet her. and
he was to be concealed near by. When l went
to the place agreed upon, my friend VINO had
got there some time before, came and told me
her husband the doctor was lying is wait to
see the interview. My friend and went TO
another place, and in a short time Mrs. Woods
and her husband appeared, the latter from his
hiding place. and talked to us.
and told me his wife had sent him down with
two books for me to look at. When l got the
package unwrapped the doctor told me ne
would call in a few moments, and II IlKed
could pay for and keep the book. opened the
n@ mn that aatu If Would let her have 800 should
inclose it in the envelope and tie up fhe pack
age and the doctor would know nothing ABOUT
the transaction. And that night shoulu IneeS
her at the Pennsylvania Railroad station anu
she would let me have her diamond ring as d
security till she paid me- l wrapped the pooS9
up put piece of paper in an envelope ana
when the doctor returned gave IT to MN.
When he got about two hundred yards from tHe
ofF1ce 7 saw him unWrap the book and tear open
the envelope. Now. if these letters or myseII
can help you in any way, you can have them
REMOVAL OF ORGANS NOT USUAL.
Many varying views were yesterday expressed
by local undertakers over the removal Oh the
organs Of the body OF Colonel Best, and the gen
eral opinion was contrary to the statement , ma
this was usual proceeding II. ID. jackson
said: 49,, ?.
is absolutely unnecessary if the body is prop
erly embalmed. I have shipped ana receiVeu
bodies from Europe and Asia without resort1ng
to anv such methods. In all my experience
never heard of such a proceeding" similar
view was taken by Charles Plowrlght; ms
would tend to shake the theory tnaI tne - re-
moval of the organs in the case Of Colonel BEST
was an entirely regular proceeding. particularly
as a dispatch from San Rafael last night re-
rorted that they were thrown into a sewer
No additional evidence of the result of the
original autopsy could be secured yesterday,
but Alfred NJ. Best reiterated ms statement
that the report of this had confirmed all ms
suspicious.
From Atlantic City information was received
Yesterday of the recent attempt of the Woodses
to care for the health of an old woman there
an attempt which was unsuccessful Moreover,
It was learned that they had failed TO pay Dill
at a hotel and that later the register, with their
names written on it, had been mutilated and
their signatures removed
PRACTIsED MEDICINE IN HARRISBURG.
Harrisburg, Penn, July 1O-"Dr." John Daniel
Woods and Alice Clay Woods, his wife. in whose
house in San Rafael, Cal. Colonel w. j. Best
of New York, is alleged to have met his death
in SUSPICIOUS circumstances, were residents of
Harrisburg for several years, practising medl-
cine and their professional signs may still be
seen on the office they rented in Walnut-st
Dr. Woods was one of the surgeons at the Penn
sylvania Steel Works but remained there only
a short time locating in this city. He was a
member of the best club here, and affected the
best of everything. Later he moved to a hand
some house in Cottage Ridge, furnishing it in
! good style, and asserted that he had an eXten-
sive practice. It was noticeable, however, that
the doctor and his wife paid few bills, and final
" when the demands Of tradesmen became too
pressing Dr. Woods and wife disappeared leav-
- EnI.%- Rnr IT, araA