The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-23
THINK HEASLIP
WAS MURDERED
Officers Abandon Suicide The
DRY and Look for the Sup
posed SIayers.
HAS MARKS OF VIOLENCE
HE WAS QUIET MAN AND HAD
NO BAD HABITS.

Developments of Importance, looking
toward solution of the mystery which
has surrounded the delth of Irving
Heaslip. whose body was found in the
Salt Lake and Jordan canal near Cres-
cent Friday after noon, are expected
by the officers who are working upon
the case
1t is believed that evidence will be
produced in short time which VIII
show conclusively that the Ole soldier,
veteran of many battles, was foully
murdered, for few dollars which he
had in his possession Just prior 10 his
death.
Abandon Suicide Theory.
The theory that Heaslip had COM
mitted suicide has been abandoned by
Sheriff Emery as untenable, and the ell
tire force of deputy sheriffs, headed by
the sheriff. is now working on the
theory that Heaslip was murdered.
The suicide theory was never serious
ly considered by the sheriff's office,
and developments that have been
brought to light during the Hast day
or two, have convinced the Officers that
Heaslip was he victim Of asss ssins.
Heaslip bore a fine reputation Cor
clean living, and high morals. He was
received in the home of the Rev. DR..
Frederick J Vincent $50 East Fourth
South street, and enjoyed the conf
Gence of the members of the Vincent
household. Mrs. Vincent declares that
Heaslip had no bad habits, so far as
she knew, She said that he neither
used liquors nor tobacco She said that
he had no friends who are in the city,
and that he kept regular hours. and
was seldom absent from the house until
the later hours of the evening.
What Mrs. Vincent Says.
Mr.. Heaslip was most regular in his
habits" she said yesterday, and was
considered almost as a member of the
family. He complained a snort time
ago of i'll health, and suggested that
perhaps this was caused oy lack of
exercise. He then began to take long
walks
"Mr Heaslip left the house Monday
morning at Jas or s O'Clock. and We
did not see him al;ye after that time.
He seldom talked to us about his finan-
cial affairs, though we knew he received
a pension of $40 per month. This was
sufficient for him to live comfortably.
He never exhibited money in the house
except when ne paid his board bill.
May Have Been Robbed.
The theory has been advanced that
Heaslip was led into a trap and was
gagged or sandbagged, after which he
was robbed of the small amount of
money which he may have had in his
possession. 1t is known that Heaslip
was partial to currency, and the eX-
hibition of several bills. even of small
s.rl.& InA b he
motive for robbery and murder.
In this connection. two theories have
been advanced. One is that after
Heaslip had been lured to a den of vice,
he saw the trap into which he had been
led, and when the attempt was made
to rob him, he resisted. To overcome
this resistance ne may have been
Strangled or struck on the head or
neck with sufficient force to cause his
death.
Another theory is that those who had
him in their power gagged him, or
strangled him, and did not dosist until
life was extinct. In either case, the
body must be disposed of, and it was
bundled into a vehicle and carried to
the canal into which it was thrown, in
the belief that the waters would eff
fectually cover the traces of crime for
a sufficient length OF time TO allow the
murderers to escape.
Injured Before Put in Water.
Either one of these theories is borne
out by the results of the autopsy per-
formed by DIR. w. r. Calderwood. The
autopsy has developed the fact that the
muscles, tendons and ligaments of the
neck were bruised, and the tissues
broken down before death. This fact
lends color to the theory that Heaslip
was strangled or that he was struck
on the back of the neck with sand
bag, or other blunt instrument that
would render him unconscious or per-
haps kill him. without fractpring the
bones of the skull or vertebrae.
Another fact which gives additional
color TO the murder theory. is that
the autopsy showed that there was no
water in the lungs. This is conclusive
proof that Heaslip was dead before he
was thrown into the water, and that
he was rot drowned, as at first sup
posed
The theory that Heaslip may have
been given choral hydrate or knock
out drops" is being worked upon by Dr.
Calderwood, who performed the au-
topsy. DR. Calder r'ood fears that he
will be unable to determine whether or
not Heaslip was poisoned, because of
the advanced stage of decomposition in
which the stomach and pancreas were
found when the body was discovered.
The work of analysis will be extremely
difficult on this account.
A special effort has been made to
trace the movements of Heaslip last
Monday, but no light has been shed on
this phase of the case.
The officials working on the case
have thus far been unable to find any
person who saw Heaslip after ne left
the Vincent home at 7:45 or o'clock
Monday morning. The deputy sheriffs
searched the canal all day yesterday for
a black felt hat which it was reported
TO the office had been seen floating in
the water Saturday. They were I'M
able TO find the hat, although the canal
was searched for miles.
Heaslin wore a brown fell bat. and