Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-01-09
MIX ON RACK Coroner is Besieged by
 Questions. HE EXPLAINS THINGS Says Laudanum Was Found in Dead Mans Stomach State At-
 torney Will Not h.
 vestigate.

inquiry into the strange suicide of Charles A. Edwards of New York at the Hitler homestead last week will not end for considerable period of time, the finding made public yester- day being only in the nature of pre liminaIy report. To-day Medical Ex- aminer Bartlett and Dr Ferriss, who
 was one of the assisting surgeons at the autopsy on Mir Edwards body, were at the Hitler homestead making chemical tests of the blood smears found on the back stairs rail, in the dining room and in the chamber occu- pied by Mir Edwards last Tuesday night.
 Coroner Mix today consented to discuss some phases of the evidence upon which he found that Mir Ed- wards could have committed suicide, although he refrains entirely from stating whether or not he found that Edwards had motive for taking his own life. He said that he had not yet received the formal statement of the autopsy. This will be matter of time as the examination of the storn- ach alone took four days. He said that the statement he gave out last night was ill no sense verdict that the heinvestigation wouldno proceed and that he proposed to keep 1t open and to give out whatever facts he obtained in which the public had an interest. He also said that he was obliged to theorize for days, but now that cer- tain definite tangible facts had been obtained it was no longer necessary to keep everything secret.
 Continuing. the coroner said: T said yesterday and I say it now that the facts obtained tend to the theory of suicide"
 Mir Mix said that the state attor- ney's office will not investigate the case as the decision of the coroner's office would be accepted as fipal. He was asked if he did not think it was strange that the revolver was not found before Saturday. He replied that he did not think so as it was partly hidden under the leaves ana 1t was not brought to light until rake was used.
 Mr Mix was asked if laudanum was found ip the stomach. He replied that Dean. Smith pf He Yale Medica, school had no hesitation in saying that laudanum was found in the stom ach. A blood stain on the front of the shirt which Mir Edwards wore came from the probe used by Dr Chener when he was trying to locate the bnl let. Continuing, the coroner said: "is is easy to suppose that Edwards, after the shooting, walked up stairs, fis left hand plugging up the wounds on his head by applying his handkerchief to his cheek. his right hand on the rail going up stairs. and the blood slightly dropping until the flow was checked by handkerchief"
 "Was there any motive for suicide on the part of Mir Edwards?'
 T have nothing to say on that point at present" ~
 Mr Mix stated that the diary which was supposed to have been stolen from Mir Edwards pocket. and which was in his safe at present. was never in Mir Edwards possession.
 This is the diary kept by Mrs Ser nazos. who was nurse for Mrs Hil- Ter. and is supposed to be record of financial transactions between Mrs Hitler. the mother. and members of her family. more particularly A. Max v Hitler. who had charge of her real estate and personal property It is also supposed to contain minutes of incidents which occurred from time to time within the Hitler family cir rle. The coroner was asked if he knew who owned the revolver which was found in the back yard and he said that was something which was being inquired into. The pistol wat bought so long ago, about twenty years. that it has been hard to trace It's ownership. The coroner said that t ought to be law that every pur- ,hase of a pistol should be recorded | when the sale is made.
 The coroner was asked as tO the | condition of the bedroom occupied by Mr Edwards when the body was 'ound. He said that the bed clothing | lad not bcen carefully drawn up1 bout Edwards shoulders. The | .Iothes were somewhat dlsheveled 1 md did not come up above the waist l In fact. Mir Edwards as he lay in bed l vas only partly covered It was Ed yards practice when he slept in A old bed to keep his stockings on and he did so in this instance. Both stockings had blood on them and ,n the tread of each was lint from he floor carTefS