The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-22
MAY Be MURDER
OR SUICIDE CASE
Body Found Near Crescent
Identified as That of Irving
HeaSIip, an ex-SOldier.
LEGS AND ARMS BOUND
YET SOME THINK THAT HE
KILLED HIMSELF.

The body found lodged under a foot
bridge corssing the Salt Lake & Jordan
canal near Crescent, three miles south
of Sandy, Friday afternoon was identi-
fled yesterday as that of Irving Hea-
slip, a retired on-commissioned officer
| of the United States army. Rev. Fred
erick ], Vincent living at $50 East Fourth
| South street, made the identification
Heaslip had lived at DR.. Vincent's house
| since last November. when he came here
| from Chicago for his health. Monday
morning Heaslip disappeared from his
room and was never heard from again.
| At the autopsy held yesterday by DR..
w. r. CaldeTwood and County Physician
E. w. Whitney, it developed from the
condition of the dead mans lungs and
stomach that ne was dead before the
body was thrown into the canal. Thls
carries with it the murder theory, but the
suicide theory is held tenable by some.
The examination is not yet completed,
and DR.. CalderwOOd expects to introduce
testimony after a further analysis of
the stomach that the man was not
drowned. but murdered and thrown into
the canal. Sheriff c. Frank Emery holds
TO the murder theory, and is working
every possible end to unravel the mys-
FERROUS death of Heaslip.
Might Have Been Suicide.
1t was shown yesterday that Heaslip,
who had been Respondent nom i'll health,
could have committed suicide. 1t would
have been easy for him TO sit down on
the bank of the canal, buckle the strap
about his legs, place the rocks in his
pockets and tie his hands as they were
tied. The left hand was tied in slip
knot and a loop formed through the
buckle on the other end of the strap. 1t
would not have been at all difficult 10
put the right hand behind the body and
with the left hand slip the loop over it.
The fact that no marke of violence were
or 9th chi
eide theory. Some of the officers argue
that after tying himself he could have
thrown himself into the river and
drowned
was accustomed to take long walks for
his health. 1t was nothing unusual for
him to spend the day in a long jaunt.
He had no money. and no motive for the
murder has been advanced.
Justice Dana T. Smith summoned a
corOners jury consisting of Thomas
Williams, o. P Miller and Orsen Bourne.
They examined the body yesterday
morning and an inquest was begun. DR..
Calderwood testified as to the external
examinations he had made of the body
He said that he found no bruises that
would have caused the mans death. ghe
skin was peeled off in places, but this
DR.. Calderwood said, was because the
corpse had been in the water several
days. DR.. Calderwood will continue his
examination Of the stomach and lungs
d
O'Clock tomorrow afternoon.
The body was buried yesterday after
noon in the City cemetery.
Was An Old Regular.
Heaslip was about Sc years of age and
came here from Chicago last November
on account of his health. He was a re-
tired On-commissiOned officer and drew
a pension of $50 per month He was in
the Indian wars in the eos and went to
Aes 1sv,r,r -,
there his health became broken and for
some time he was in the hospital After
returning from the islands he was re-
tired as sergeant and pensioned hav-
ing served thirty years in the army
HeaSlip had become respondent a num-
Der of times since he came to DR.. Vim
cents to live and oftimes talked despair
ingly of his i'll health. He would get up
in the mornings after a sleepless night
and take a long walk Perhaps he would
be gone ali day. This was nothing I'M
usual and when he disappeared entirely
DIR. Vincent thought nothing about it at
first After three or four days had passed
DR.. Vincent remarked that it was strange
that he did not write to them. When the
description of the man found under the
bridge was published yesterday morning
Mrs. Vincent was positive that 1t was
Heaslip. She had DR.. Vincent take a
vest TO the suit of clothes Heaslip wore
when he left to see if the coat and trous-
ers matched. 1t was identical and DR..
Vincent also recognized the features of
the man, although they were bloated and
partly decompOsed.
HeaSlip was in the habit of spending
much of his time at Fort Douglas. He
worked in the adjutant generals office
there for pastime. When the Twelfth bat
terry and the Twenty ninth infantry went
TO Fort d. A. Russell, WyO., he went
with them as far as Cheyenne and then
returned to Salt Lake.
Has Son in Los Angeles.
Heaslip has q brother living in Chicago
He also has a son in Los Angeles His
son is a bassO singer and was with a
theatrical company which played in Salt
Lake last winter. The son visited his
father at DR.. Vincent's home while he
was in Salt Lake. The father advised him
to leave the stage and when he got to
Los Angeles he left the company Hea-
slip received several letters from his son
since he has been in Los Angeles In
them he told his father he would better
take a trip to the coast for a month or
two for his health.
Heaslip talked little of his life or per-
sonal affairs. 1t is known that all he had
to live on was his pension. He had but
few effects, consisting mostly of wear
ing apparel.
His son Charles HeaSIiD was wired las