Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-04
A SUICIDE OR MURDER
Autopsy Upon Body of Dead
New Yorker Today.
A VERY MYSTERIOUS CASE
Charles A. Edwards May Have Been
Murdered While Sleeping.
AT HOME OF BRoTHER.IN.LAW
Revealed That Victim Could n Not Have
Shot Himself Because he Was
Right-Handed Man.
AT HOME OF BRoTHER-IN-LAw

NEW HAVEN, Conn, January 4-That
Charles A. Edwards, the New York business
man who was mysteriously shot while in
bed at the home of his brother-in-law
Charles A. Hitler, did not commit suicide.
is expected to be the report to be made to
Coroner Eli Mix this afternoon by the sur
geons who have viewed the body 1t will
then rest with the coroner to determine the
form of death, and 1t is thought he will
state that Mr. Edwards was murdered. The
official autopsy has not been held and the
coroner's inquest, begun last night, had
not been reopened at noon
The Hitler homestead, on College street
Is now entirely in charge of the coroner.
and this noon workmen were busy rippine
up drainage pipes and floors under the eyes
OF squad of police. Coroner Mix and
| Deputy Coroner Pond were in conference
examining the evidence submitted last
night.
1ll-Feeling Over Estate.
Mr. Edwards married the sister of Charles
| y. and A. Maxcy Hitler. Their mother.
| MRS. Abigail Hitler, died on November 8
last, lhtestate, leaving property the total
Faiue or which Is as yet unknown but
which includes realty of an assessed value
| of $4,000. ">
In all the weeks which have elapsed since
Mrs. Killers death no application has bnen
| made in the probate court for the annn,nt-
nlent OF an administrator and the eyplana-
ton Is that the two Hitler brothers and Mr.
towards and his wife were in dispute over
the matter.
Repeatedly. 1t is said, Mr.. Edwards has
come here from New York to discuss the
situation, and at times, according to those
VINO are near friends of the family there
was much acrimony and a show of lIj-tem
per on the part of the Hitler brothers Rnt
A. MaXcy Hitler al the inquest last nirht
stated that only the best of relations ev
listed between himself and Mr. Edwards.
An inquiry into the family affairs is ex-
pected TO be officially opened Mrs Ed
wards, widow of the dead man. has retain
ed counsel to protect her interests In the
tinier estate. only short time ago her
husband consulted counsel in order to be
prepared for legal contest over the dis
tribuuon of the property
Autopsy to Be Held Today.
An autopsy, which will be held upon the
pooy OF Charles A Edwards. the New York
business man who was fatally shot in y
mysterious manner while the guest of his
prother-in-law, Charles A Heller. on Col
iese street, early yesterday, is expected ia
determine whether the shooting was s,,i
eide or murder. In case the latter ia in
dlcated the police will proceed to run down
some clews which they possess, but which
do not at present offer much promise OF q
result.
When DR.. Benjamin Cheney was called
In to see the dying man yesterday he did
not discover the bullet wound until he
turned Edwards over. He ran a prohe into
the wound and located the bullet In the
lower section of the brain. The bullet has
not been removed '''
After the autopsy Coroner Mix is ex
pected to reopen the inquest, which was
nelu Tor many hours last h,-
deputy, Philip Pond. Over night no clews
were brought to light by the detectives
who continued to examine the Heller home
stead.
A servant girl in nelghboring house had
told of hearing three pistol shots during
tuesday night, and scrutiny was made of
the walls and ceiling of several rooms to
see II any stray bullets could be located
Bullet Fired at Close Range.
That the bullet was fired at close range is
Indicated by the statement of Dr. B-H
Cheney, who was summoned to attend the
injured man. The lobe of the ear was
black with powder stains around the
wound. DIR. Cheney found no stains on
Mr.. Edwards finger.
1t seems to be generally known that there
were disagreements between Mrs Edwards
wife Of the dead man, and her brothers
Charles \. and Maxey Heller, over the set
tlement of the estate of their mother, Mrs.
<NDiSdl WHO UleQ SIX weeks
Mr.. Edwards recently consulted counsel
preliminary to what was expected to be a
contest IN the courts over the division of
the estate, which is said to be worth
100000
Medical Examiner Bartlett summoned
to the undertaking rooms where the body Of
Edwards had lain all night Doctors Benja-
min H. Cheney, William II. Carmalt who
is understood to represent the Hitler fam
lily, and Jay w. Seaver. formerly of Yale
gymnasium, who is an authority on physi-
cal measurements The surgeons viewed
the body, but did not begin an autopsy and
will not do so until they have made a re-
port to Coroner Mix to their opinion re-
garding the manner in which the wound
was inflicted.
A Right-Handed Man.
At the inquest last night it was positively
stated that Mr.. Edwards was a right hand
ed man, and, If So the locality of the wound
was such that it would be impossible In the
opinion of some of the surgeons. for him
to have selfinflicted 1t. Moreover. the
first joint of the index finger of Mr.. Ed
wards right hand was. amputated to re-
move a felon years ago. A close friend
of Mr.. Edwards says that 1t is his recol-
lection that the latter was an adept at ball
playing with his left hand.
Coroner Mix will interview Mrs Ed
wards later in the day. and will inquire
more fully into the family business af-
fairs, especially those relating to the set
tlement Of the estate Of Mrs. Hitler.
A. Maxcy Hitler, in an interview today
reiterated his statement of last night that
both himself and his brother Charles were
on the most friendly terms with Mr.. Ed
wards Maxcy Hitler is evidently suffering
at present from nervous trouble, and this
morning remained at his home on Temple
street and declined to see any but closest
friends.
Certain Documents Missing.
1t was reported that the inquest evidence
showed that certain documents which Mr.
Edwards was supposed to have with him
were missing. but Coroner Mix is quoted
as saying that nothing has been missed
far as determined. There has been no |
evidence presented as yet to give strength
to report that there was an argument
and quarrel at the HiIer homestead Tues
day night