The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-18
DID YOUNG FIELD
TAKE II | 1 HIS L..|Fl?!
Theory of Of Academia &C;
Killing Is the he One On Cen
erally@He''ld.
SOME SUSPECT THAT
HE WAS MURDERED
Many Important Facts in the
Mysterious Tragedy Are
Lacking-The Coroner
Thinks That Death .#
Was Acct
dental.

he killing Of young Harrison Field
q, tn. Reservoir Park about midnight
Saturday is as much a mystery now as
when II was first discovered. Information,
concerning the young mans movements
Z preceding the tragedy is @ remarkably
mcugi1. Up 10 this time no one appears
10 have been located who either saw or
spok to him at the park. If5ie had
companion he has remained incognito.
The tragedy was subject OF very.
general discussion and speculation yes
terday and Sunday. and various theories
are held and tenaciously argued. With
the mcagre basis OF facts from which to
reason. there Is ample range for conjec-
ture. 1t may be stated, however, that the
theory OF suicide has been very generally
abandoned. That OF accident is one ad-
vanced by Coroner Taylor, a man OF
long and varied experience In ascertain
Ing tho details and reasoning out the
hypotheses involved In mysterious casual
tlcs Not few OF the young mans
& friends insist that tho death of the young
man was homicide. possibly murder com 4
mtted by some other than himself II
is contcnded Sthnt he was known to have
H had some money on his person few.
& hours before the tragedy. and that he bad
none when found. 1t Is assumed also
that he had a key to his house. but
q rome was found on his person. So far. as
a can be asccrtained this Is purely an as
sumption. and an unimportant one, de-
void OF significance. s'a as3 4
The nature OF tho wound and the di- :
rection OF tho shot, together with the
II fact that 1t does not appear, TO have been,
held closely TO the body, makes at ap-.
pear likely that the tragedy was SELF
slaughter. The young man gave no nti-'
nation OF such Intention. left no fare
we'll note, and apparently exhibited none
OF the deliberation SO characteristic Of
suicide That theory. Vi altogether, ap-
pears rather untenable.
Advocates OF the murder theory fail
to adduce one suspicious circumstance OF
sufficient Importance to Justify such q
hypothesis. A motive is lacking, an
adequate motive. Granting that there
were one. 1t is hardly probable that such
a time and place would have been Sc
lectcd, when escape from detection would
be SO difficult
Many things are yet to be ascertaned.
Where did young Field secure the old
second hand revolver? How did he secure
It. and when? Who was with him on
the evening of the tragedy. or who saw
him at nll that evening? Ills purpose
in goin to the reservoir Is alleged to have
been to try to find lost dog for a
Il friend. II he went there anticipating
trouble no one seems to have been SO
told.
The coroner. the police and the major
ity Of people. probably. suspect that the
young man was killed by carclcssly.
handling r,isted and defective weapon.
1t remains to be ascertained where he
got the gun, and for what purpose he
secured It.
Conorer Taylor's View.
Coroner Taylor is OF opinion that the
unfortunate shooting OF young Field in
Reservoir Park was purely accidental.
and, 1t must be admitted. may circun1-5
+ stances would seem to corroborate his
theory. Yesterday evening. DR.. Taylor,
when interviewed by Times Dispatch
representative. said:
II think the shooting was neither sui
cidal nor homicidal, but was duo to Mr..
/ Fields carccssncss.''
His argument In support OF this hy-
pothesis may be conclsely given us fol-
lows: Mr.; Field came to the park for
reasons which have already been pub
lishcd. and while there he wandered of
from tho crowd. Taking out his revolver
~
manner that the muzzle pointed directly
at his breast, no endeavored to cock the
weapon. Meeting with some resistance
4 no applied greater force to tho hammer.
and had nearly brought 1t to a full cock
when It slipped and fell upon the cart
ridge, discharging tho contents thereof
into the mans breast, on Lowell with
and to tho right OF the heart The ball
entered obliqucly at an angle OF forty
~. 1l,,,H
passing upward. lodged probably In the
left lung. Mr.. Field dropped the revolver
from his nerveless fingers. tottered dlz-
zily ten or twelve steps and fell dead
or dying s III
What Became Of Money?
This account is OF course, mere con-
lecture. and rests entirely upon clrcum-
stantial evidence. 1t does not satis-
factorily explain the disappearance OF
the $3.50 he Is believed to have had nor
the latch key from tho unfortunate mans
pockets. Possibly, however, Mr., Field
had pulled out his handkerchief prior 70
the accident, and In SO doing, had mad
ye+tently dropped the key.
Regarding the absence Of cash on his
person, It is surmlsed that 1t was ex-
at some pawnshop OF the weapon.
When found tho weapon was half
cooked, This fact may be explained by
N phenomenon accompanying every case
OF sudden death, Mr., Fields fingers re-
taned their conyusive clasp on the
A hammer of the revolver after the load
had been discharged and unconsciously
drew back the plunger to n half-coc.
The deadly revolver is now III the pos
session of Coroner Taylor 1t is slightly
rusted, and bears evidence OF former
use. The hammer is fully cooked and
obstinately refuses to be let down. It
Iis a "buldog,p s2 calibre, one Of the
kind OF which, as Coroner Taylor ex-
presscs 1t. SIS never known to be loaded."'9
fc,ontinued on Eighth Page.l