Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-09
NOT FULLY IDENTIFIED
BODY OF NUDE MAN FOUND NEAR
LAUREL EXAMINED.


Special Dispatch to The Star.
! LAUREL, Md, July S.-The nude body of
a white man. about five feet seven inches
in height, found about five miles from
Laurel in an isolated clump of bushes on
the Birkhead estate, and which was buried
shortly afterward, was viewed this after
| noon by Mr. Howard F. Harrison and Mr.
Alan Bryant of Laurel and the latter gen.
tieman stated he almost sure it was
the remains of his brother. Although the
| tattooed marks his brother had on his arm
could not be found it was surmised that
the body lying out for nearly a month ex-
posed to the weather might have had some
effect in removing the marks They also
found, short distance from where the
body was found. a derby hat pair of blue
serge pants, white shirt, black figured
Mr.. Bryant stated the hat looked like the
one worn by his brother, and that he also
wore blue serge pants when he left Laurel.
The coat could not be found, nor the shoes.
bottle found near by supposed to
nave contained the poison with which the
mar ended his life.
William Bryant made his escape from
Laurel about four weeks ago, after shoot
ing negro by the name of Andrew Cooper
in a saloon brawl, and 1t was not thought
he had gone far.
good teeth and one filling in the back which
agreed with the body found, although the
shirt was not the one worn away by Will
liam Bryant, nor could the pants be identi-
fed by his wife, as Mrs. Bryant stated they
were of much lighter blue but of the
same material. The body was very much
deComposed.
Capt. Boardman and other police officials
are very much interested in the case be-
cause of the. conflicting statements rela-
tive to the identification of the body. Mr.
D. S. Sheehan, a friend of John F. Griffin,
yCh m 6iSan raA he ,-;,
Catonsville, is confident that the body is
that of his friend. After visiting the grave
of the dead man in a ravine on the Birk-
head estate, but not seeing the remains or
the clothing, he wired Capt. Boardman:
II believe yet it is Griffins remains
Should the relatives of Bryant eventually
reach the conclusion that the body is that
of the man who fed after killing the col
ored man, their Identification would be tax
en- to mean that the efforts of the Prince
George county authorities to apprehend the
alleged murderer might cease. At the time
the murder was committed ii was reported
that the report of a pistol shot was heard
in the woods that night, but the woods re-
ferred to, 1t is stated, We're nearer the scene
of the crime than is the clump of bushes
in which the nude body was found
Then, too. no revolver was found near the
body, nor is there any intimation that the
dead man met his death by violence. Po-
liceman Sanaberg, the police photographer
returned from Laurel early last night and
reported 10 Cdpt BO4fd.fiaD tnat the cloth
ing found in the woods had been partly
identified as having Eeen worn by Bryant
the night of May -, when he shot and
killed the colored man. Bryant wore a
black derby bat, and so did Griffin The
size of the bat found in the woods will have
an important bearing upon the question at
issue.
Mr. Sheehan was seen by a Star reporter
last night upon his return from Laurel and
he said he felt certain that the body buried
in the ravine near Laurel is that of his
friend Griffin. He says he intends to re-
turn to Laurel tomorrow and have the body
exhumed. The clothing. although he did
not see it. he thinks does not tally with
that worn by Griffin when he left this city
to go to the santarium. 1t was an easy
matter for him to have changed his cloth
ing, however, and until he is shown to the
contrary he viii believe that the body is
that of his friend.