The Washington times., 1905-09-28
SUIT CASE ENIGMA
NEARS SOLUTION
Drug Clerk May Be Ar
rested Today.
DOCTOR AND TRAINED NURSE
Physician Seen by Policeman in Sus-
picious Acts Alleged to Have
Smirched Reputation.
DOCTOR AND TRAINED NURSE

BOSTON, Sept. 2S-The net is being
drawn about the parties responsible 1or
the death of the girl whose dismembered
body was found afioat in q dress SUIT
case off the Winthrop Yacht Club house
q week ago today.
Today the police will bring face 10
face Joseph Berkman. who sold the Ia1ai
suit case, and drug clerk at the South
End who closely answers Berkman
description of the purchaser OF the SUIT |
case. IL Berkman Identifies the drug |
clerk, the latter Will probably be imme- |
, diately taken into custody
A missing young woman Is mentioned IN
connection with this drug clerk, and he
is known TO be quite Intimate with |
certain physician.
o-, the night of September 16. or the |
Saturday before the day on which the
body was found. a policeman saw a well
known West End physician with wo-
man who appeared TO be a nurse get OF
the car at the corner of West Newton
and Huntington avenue.
Pair in a Hurry.
The pair appeared 10 be in hurry.
The man he knew as physician whose
reputation had been smirched by several
encounters with the police, who had
previously arrested him In connection
with criminal operation cases.
The woman, he said, carried bag and
wore a long coat. which was thrown
partly open, revealing what he took TO
be a dress resembling those commonly
worn by nurses.
He saws he followed them TO house
in the neighborhood, where. after enter
ing the doctor was seen to come TO
Window in the front of the house and
puli down a curtain
'rhe officer SAYS he was inclined to re-
gard the incident as suspicious. re p,t .o4n
nothing more about ii until the olscoV-
ery of the torso in Winthrop waters.
Purchaser Nervous.
The man for whom the police are
searching went to the store or the SUD
wav Loan Company. at CA Pleasant
street between 1920 and 30 r m on
Tuesday. September -. This is pawn
shop and clothing store kept by Berk-
man and Viiensky. There is a third
man in there, who was also present
when the stranger entered the place
The man appeared 10 be rather ner-
vous and agitated. He carried under
his right arm a heavy bundle done up
in brown wrapping paper. He said the
bundle contained hardware.
Il want TO buy the largest and heavi-
sst dress suit case You have In your
store" he said TO Joseph Berkman.
who met him at the door.
There were about dozen new and
secondhand dress suit cases liEeG up
near the main door He looked them
over and selected the one which was
found floating in the bay OF Winthrop
containing portions OF the mutilated
body of the unidentified girl.
The bag had been in the store for
about a year 1t had been pledged by
man who yesterday identified IT as
hts former property. After having beer
there four months and unclaimed. IT
was taken from the pawnshop part OF
the store and put in the store proper
and offered for sale.
Paid Big Price.
.How much is this case WORTH" in
Quired the stranger.
-Four dollars and fifty cents" sait
Mr. Berkman.
AS matter of fact the pawnbroke
would have gladly sold it for 81 or ever
for a less sum-
II will take it" said the dark
skinped man, much to the surprise o
the efpawnbroker. Then the custome
handed the pawnbroker a So bill and re
ceived his change.
II want to buy another case" he add
ed. 1T should be larger than this one
certainly large"
Mr. Berkman looked about his stor
and found siiat he had no other cas-
of such large size in the place. MI
Berkman offered several other sui
cases. but the stranger said that non
of them was large enough FOR the us
he had for it.
where else" he said. Can leave thi
bundle here. also the dress suit case
have Just bought? I Will be back
soon as | can find the other case.
Buys Second Case.
Then he left the store and walke
across the corner TO a pawnshop know
as the Shawmut Loan Company, KEEP
by Meyer Rubin. This place Is a
Pleasant street and Shawmut avenue
LET me have the biggest dress sui
case YOU have" said the stranger.
MIR Rubin showed him a large cas'
but the stranger said Il would not dC
He said Il was not deep enough
II want the deepest case you have,
he added. Then he was shown yer
deem suit case This one was not quit
as large as the one he had bought fror
Mr. Berkman. but a little wider.
How much will you take for tni
suit case?' asked the man
Another Five-DoiIsr Bill.
sy4ve doTars." replied the pawr
heeker He would have gladly sold
for half that price.
Here is your money" said the ouS
er. handing q s. bin TO Rubin. He too
the money from a large roll Of bill
he bad In his clothes. Then after hay
ing been in the store less than fiy
yn.n,fes he nicked mp the silit cas-
ran back 10 the subway Loan Con
pany's store. and put the heavy hund
Containing hardware" I'm the secor
suit case
He picked up both suit cases and hu
ried away He took the subway. whic
has its station directly opposite u
pawnbroker's place. This Is the ma
ffe police want today
KNIGHTS OF MkcCABEGS