Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-23
STILL IN THE DARK
Police Unable to Identify
Torso
FOUND IN SUIT CASE
BELIEVED TO HAVE AN IMPoR-
TANT CLUE.
Death Due to Criminal Operation Re-
Gently Performed-Dr.
Harris Deduction.
FOUND IN SUIT CASE
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
BOSTON, Mass. September 2}-The police
of Boston and Winthrop are apparently as
much in the dark ever today concerning
the identity of the girl whose torso was
found in a suit case floating off the VIM
throp Yacht Club house on Thursday after
noon. AS admitted by a prominent police
officer this morning. the first step in ap-
pretending the person or persons respon-
sible for the death of the young woman is
in securing an Identification OF the body.
An important clue is believed TO be In
the hands of the police. on which they
are working today. What this cue Is they
refuse to say. One step In the identification
is the announcement that the young woman
in life was a pronounced blonde. Several
light-colored hairs were found in the suit
case by officers of the state police. Two
were found stuck to a piece of white OIL
cloth In which the torso was wrapped. They
were carefully rolled up in n piece of paper
and given to Medical Examiner Harris, who
has charge of the other tangible pieces of
evidence. The hair is that Of a pronounced
blonde and tallies with the fair tint OF
her skin.
to a recent criminal operation, and that the
instrument used punctured one OF the VIC
Tins organs. Death resulted from blood
poisoning some time after the operation,
days. The autopsy also showed that after
the operation the operator evidently made
a post-morten examination to determine
what had actually caused death
Another important deduction made by DR..
Harris and the other medical experts was
that the girl had not been dead more than
four hours before the waves tossed her mu-
tiated remains within view of the Win
throp Yacht Club house. They also figure
that she could not have been in the water
more than three hours. leaving but an hour
to accomplish the work of dismembering
the body and carrying 1t to a place where
1t could be dumped overheard without de-
tection.
Puzzles the Police.
Another fact that seems to puzzle the
police and the medical men Is the wound
showing that the victim has been recently
operated upon for appendicitis. and It was
reported after the autopsy that the
stitches were still in the healed incision-
From its condition II was calculated that
this operation had been performed within
the last three months at the most.
. Undertaken Briggs removed the body in
,the same dismal olive green suit case to
the pathological department of the Har-
ward University medical school, where Pro-
fessor Whitney will carefully weigh 1t and
measure ii by the Bertillon system and
then preserve 1t for future examination.
The measurements and weight will be se-
cured for the purpose of showing II the
arms ana mead are 1Ounu later, tDat the
dismembered parts are members of one and
the same body when assembled.
New Clue in Boston.
new clue In the mystery developed to-
day, and physician. formerly resident
and practitioner Of the north end. is being
searched for by several detectives.
This physician has of late frequently
quarreled with his wife, a young and comely
woman. and the police have the word OF
different persons that on various occasions
he has been heard to threaten to take her
life.
Some months ago this physician and his
wife removed from Boston and took up their
residence in another place, but not outside
the confines of greater Boston. Certain
friends of the couple were aware that the
wife of the physician was in delicate con-
dition. Neither the doctor nor his wife
has been seen about their home for a week.
The young wife of the physician re-
ferred to was native Of a southern city.
and with her maiden name and the address
of her family in his possession ii Is be-
lieved that Chief Watts has already tele-
graphed TO the police of the southern city
in question asking for information concern
ing her. but so far no reply has been re-
ceived.
May Fall Short.
OF course, these deductions may fall short
an hour or so. but even in that event the
time allowed for the disposition of the body
after death occurred was remarkably brief.
and strengthens the theory entertained by
the police that the remains must have, been
hurried in quickly driven vehicle over the
road to a point in Winthrop vicinity in
comparatively close proximity to the cove
In which the suit case and its grucsome
contents were found.
The work of the knife wielder shows him
to be conversant with every detail of the
human anatomy, for his blades cleverly
avoiding the bones forming the joints and
severed arms. head and limbs clean and
true, leaving no ragged or hacked edges.
1t was not the work of a man easily ex-
cited. for every indication points to the
greatest precision and care. Nothing that
would lead In the slightest way to identi-
fcation was overlooked by the perpetrator,
who is thought to be a physician and sur
geon of standing in Boston.
II would not surprise the state police to
learn that this same practitioner Is con-
nected possibly with one of the many pri-
yate institutions or hospitals In the city.
But the autopsy showed that an extraor-
dinary blunder had been made by the opera
tor, which he attempted to repair in a man.
ner equally faulty. The blood poisoning re-
suited from this clumsy work. and 1t is
probable the victim died shortly after, 1t
may have been few hours few days.
The autopsy revealed also that perhaps
almost Immediately after death the mall
practitioner removed the intestines and
stomach through incision extending al
most from the lower extremity OF the torso
to the breastbone. These viscera were d.s-
posed OF in some mysterious and yet undis-
covered manner. Other organs Were re-
placed and the abdomen closed up with
stitches such as surgeons are accustomed to
employ. Then the head. arms and legs
were dismembered by disarticuiaton close
to the trunk.
The removal Of the stomach Is thought to
be an effort to thwart the medical examiner
in his efforts to determine the time OF death
by an examination and analysis OF Its con-
tents.