Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-05-14
VENT CASE IS UNSOLv ED
Coroner's Jury Returns Verdict Of
Accidental Death.
DETECTIVES HARD Ar WORK
Family Discardsss All Theories Except MUIR
der, and an Effort Win Be Made
To Capture Supposed Assassins.

To Capture Supposed Assassins.
The body of Edward L. Vent. the
Philadelphia millionaire, who is be
lieyed to have been murdered by
Inoonshiners in Wise county, Va.
passed through Hagerstown Wednes-
day night en- route to Philadelphia.
The body was IN a Theoretically sealed
casket in a special car. Relatives of
the deceased rode in Pullman. These
two cars were attached to Norfolk
and Western train No. IA, which ar
rived at 10 p. M, and were taken
north by Cumberland Valley No. 10,
which left Hagerstown at 1915.
A special dispatch from Knoxville.
Tenn, says that warrants were served
Tuesday on Silas Ison and Tom
Wright. prisoners in iail at Tazewell,
Tenn, charging them with the muir
der OF u L. Wentz, whose body was
found near Big Stone Gan last Sun
day. The two nen.were being held
in jail on the charge off being fugi-
tiges from justice, awaiting Eorders
from Virginia. These men were first
suspected of being the .murderers of
Wentz. because riding suit-similar
to one wornsby Wentz when hey went
riding was found in their quarters in
the mountains. This suit of Clothing
had. blood-stains on it.
A probably cause for enmity be.
tween Wentz and the men was that
Wentz stopped them running blind
tiger in Wise county, Va, on VENTS
property.
Another reason for believing them
guilty Is that the men We're commun-
icating with persons outside the jail,
and wrote as if they were trying to
cover up some graver crime of which
they were guilty. The theory is that
these men are involved in an attempt
to get the reward for the finding OF the
body, it having been suggested that
VENTS body was probably buried
for months before it was placed where
it was recently found.
The startling feature of the inquest
yesterday was the discovery Of a 80
caliber pistol bullet in the BODY,
which might have been discharged
from the empty pistol of the same
caliber found IS feet from the body.
The bullet had passed through the
fifth rib, entering in front, had pene-
trated the heart, back rib, and
lodged in the musles of the back, one
and half inches from the spine.
Several holes were found in the cloth
ing other than where the bullets en-
tered, but beneath them the body
was found intact. Theclo.hing around
the bullet hole was burned, showing
that the pistol was held near it.
A theory of suicide has been ad-
vanced by some, but this is secuted
by friends and members of the dead
mans family, who say there was no
reason for self-distrrction. The more
reasonable theory advanced is that
Wentz was murdered with his own
weapon.
CORONER'S VERDICT.
"He came to his death by the &C
cidental discharge of his own pistol
is the verdict Of [the coroner's jury
which for nearly two days has been
Investigating the circumstances and
conditions surrounding the death of
young Wentz, whose lbodv was dis.
covered on spur of Black mountain
last Sunday afternoon. The first and
second days sessions of the investi-
CATION were held at the spot on the
mountain where the body was dis.
covered. The verdict came as sur.
prise, as the great majority Of the
people who heard the evidence and
examined conditions surrounding the
body as it lay on the mountain, be-
lieve 1T to be case of suicide while
there are others who think that
crime has been committed
Regardless of the juIy's verdict of
accidental killing, it is certain tnat
detectives will remain in that section
working the case. There is little
doubt that the Wentz family believe
there was crime in the death. Mr.. ID.
b. Wentz expressed himself as believe
ing there had been an encounter
before his brother was killed.