Evening journal., 1904-06-03
MURDER MYSTERY
ABOUT SOLVED
Victim of Tinicum Marsh
Murder Believed to be a
Wilmington Youth
FATHER BELIEVES SON MURDERED

1 tFN NffNN 49, fHA ~ NHNh 1NHNf
That Dead Man is Frank Hancock
and Are Looking For His chum,
Harry Bottles.
That the man found murdered on
Tincum Island above Chester with his
body half burned is Frank Hancock. OF
this city, the local police are fully
convinced. The authorities are search
ing for Harry Bottles. young man
who formerly lived in Wilmington, but
who has been employed for some time
in Chester. Detective Berry, Of Ches-
ter. thinks that Bottles, who has been
missing for three weeks. can furnish
some information that may do much
toward clearing up the mysterious af-
fair.
Hancock who is believed to nave
been murdered. is a son OF John l..
Hancock, OF No. 102 Coycord avenue.
this city, and is % years old. He has
not been seen by his father since No
vember last. but the elder Hancock
has heard indirectly from Bottles. that
the last time his son Frank was seen
his clothing was on fire.
IF my son Frank is dead. Bottles
knows who did it," declared Hancock
to a reporter last night.
Chester Detective Here.
Detective Berry. Of Chester county,
was in Wilmington yesterday afternoon
following out clews he has obtained in
the Essington mystery, and II was
e through his trip TO this city that the
! suspicion that the murdered man is
Frank Hancock leaked out Aside
from Identifying the victim and gain
ing the name of one of Hancocks last
companions the investigation OF De-
tective Berry in Wilmington has proved
T. beyond much doubt that Hancock was
murdered about three weeks ago. just
three weeks ago Harry Bottles told IN
Wilmington that he had seen Hancock
with his clothing on fire.
Search For Harry Bottles.
The authorities must find Bottles te
4 clear up some essential points still
! lacking but Bottles must be sought
a elsewhere than in Wilmington. Det%t
n i've Berry visited the home OF John L
\ Hancock. on Concord avenue, yester
! day afternoon. From the father n
: ELECTED the information that leaves lit
tie doubt Of the Identification. A tootl
Q is missing from the upper jaw of tn
slain man. The elder Hancock told De
n tective Berry that his son had a tootl
i missing in the same place. The eide
4 Hancock knew nothing of a bunch o.
3 keys found beside the decomposed ant
i charred body at Tinicum This is no
r. significant as he had not seen Franl
+ lfor half year.
The elder Hancock with tears stream
4 ing down his face, last night express
s ed his belief that the murdered maI
was his son and gave his reasons To-
a so thinking.
d Saw Body in Bushes.
It appears that the elder Hancock
attention was first drawn to the mur
G der when Mrs. Elizabeth Veale, Of No
} 1901 Jackson street, told him that Har
ry Bottles. a chum Of Frank Hancock s
had told her that the last time he hal
y seen Frank he was lying in some bush
es in a thicket above Chester with hi
clothing on fire.
The father then read the description
- OF the mutilated remains of the marsl
- murder victim and was convinced tina
a the dead man was his son. The fac
! that a tooth was missing from the up
= per right side of the dead manis jaw
e and that all the rest were In the mos
perfect order. comedies exactly witt
" the teeth of Frank Hancock. Franl
had dark hair and the little remaining
> scalp found unburned on the skull Dor
!, hair of that shade.
- Frank Hancock disappeared from hi
home in November of last year Hi
father was unable to trace his where
abouts very closely. but learned tina
he went to Philadelphia and later wen
to Chester and secured employment fl
one OF the wooden mills. That was tn
: last the father heard of his son.
u Boarded With Mrs. Veale.
- Harry Bottles, who is said TO hav
4 stated that he saw Franks clothing OF
fire, in thicket near Chester, former
ly boarded with Mrs. Veale, but is sal
to have been working in Chester wit
Hancock for several months. Mrs
% Veale met him on the street in thi
IL city and inquired after his chum Fran
l. Hancock. Bottles is alleged to have re
:, piled, why the last time l saw Fran
Il was about three weeks ago and he wa
lying in thicket along Darby cree
with his clothes on fire."
Mrs. Veale declared that Bottles ha
been at her house for a brief stay thre
- weeks ago. She declared that she ha
not seen him since, and she did nc
know where he had gone.
George Bottles. a brother Of Harr
Bottles boards at the house. He ais
said he knew nothing Of Harry
whereabouts.
! To learn the whereabouts OF Bottle
> will be the special object OF the polic
He evidently knows much that wi
tend to solve the mystery.
= Chief of Police Leary, Of Chester, W;
called up by telephone by a reporter 4
The Evening Journal this morning bl
he was not in his office. Officer Robinso
u who answered tho telephone said thei
- were no new developments in the cas-
"a Detective Berry and Chief Leary wei
= both out Of town presumably working q
Il the case.