Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-28
MYSTERY CLEARED UP
DECOMPOSED BODY OF JOHN F.
GRIFFIN FOUND.

There Is no longer any mystery connected
with the disappearance from the Gundry
Home at Gainesville, Md, June 8, 1905, OF
John F. Griffin, the plate printer who lived
at 2423r FL street northwest this city, the
dead body of the missing man having been
found in the engine room at the Gainesville
institution yesterday morning. small boy
who was climbing about the building look
Ing for medicine bottles found the horribly
-decoNposed body of the missing man.
Griffin had crawled into a narrow space
between the feed pipes leading from the
engine room to-the main building and died.
His death 1t is believed, was due to ex-
haustion and not to violence although a
brother of, the deceased Mr.. NJ. P Griffin,
who went to Baltimore yesterday told
Star reporter last night that the sugges-
ton of suicide was made to him when he
visited the sanitarium yesterday. He
would not listen to such a suggestion, how
ever, and thinks an investigation should
be made.
Employed at Bureau.
John F. Griffin was twenty-nne years old
and was employed as plate printer at the
bureau of engraving and printing. He was
sent to the Gundry Home for treatment
after he had suffered from nervousness for
several months, his wife and other. reIa-
tives thinking the change would do him
good and remedy what threatened to de-
velop case of Insanity. AT the time his
disappearance was reported it was thought
he had left the vicinity of the home and
probably died in the woods. Relatives went
to the country on several occasions to view
bodies that had been found, but none of
them proved to be that of the missing
plate printer.
his Wife Almost Frantic.
40 oh
almost drove his wife frantic She had be-
come nervous under the strain, and was al
ways expecting to hear something from her
husband. The local police were appealed
to for assistance and descriptive cards were
sent broadcast in which a reward of $50
was offered for information leading to a
solution of the mystery
MIR. Griffin, brother of the deceased cass-
ed at police Headquarters last night upon
his return from Baltimore and told Sergt
Garter of the finding of the body. He said
he was able to identify 1t by the gold teeth
He viii return to Baltimore Monday morn
ing and make arrangements for the re-
moval of the remains to this city. 1t Is the
intention of relatives to have the remains
taken to the home of Mr.. John Griffin
father of the deceased from where the
funeral will take place.
Notified by DR.. Gundry.
. When a Star reporter called at the resi-
dence of Matthias Griffin. 946 26th street
northwest. late last evening it was stated
that the remains had been identified as the
missing man. DR.. Gundry who has charge
of the sanitarium at Gainesville, Md, where
Mr.. Griffin had been staying before he dis
appeared last June. had called the family
up by telephone yesterday morning and in
formed them that the remains had been
found. He also stated that he believed that
Griffin had died of suffocation.
The deceased was a member of the Plate
Printers Union. He was also a member of
Potomac Council of the National Union. st
Peters Commandery, No. 1874, of the knights
of St. John. and of Division No. 7, Ancient
Order of HibeFnians
Mrs. Griffin the wife of the deceased. who
is staying at the home of her brother-in-
law, was unable to give any definite ar
rangements for the funeral until she had
consulted with the other members of the
family,