Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-06
MARVIN BOY LAID
AWAY ON LAWN
Coroner's Inquest Begins Search for
Solution of the Mystery of the
Childs Death.

in the search that they had traversed, after
the disappearance, the identical point where
the body was found. A measurement of the
water showed seventeen inches at that
point, while a few feet away there was a
much deeper hole. The farmers said there
was not much water there when the
search was made, and pointed out to the
jurors that the heavy rain OF last Friday
night accounted for the large amount yes
terday.
This very fact. however. supplied ar
gument for those who hold that the child
became bewildered and wandered away
from the house. The large precipitation.
they say, tended to float the body and
wash 1t away from the hole, where it had
lain so long.
The post-mortem examination, held imme-
was discharged to meet at the call of the
coroner. did more to give credence to the
accident theory than all else. Examination
showed the little boy to have been dressed
precisely as he was on the day of his dis
appearance. The red knit cap, Buster
Brown suit. blue overalls. REFER overcoat
and blue knit gloves and underwear all
were on him just as he left the house on
his pockets were two pennies and two tiny
broken dolls, which he was known to have
had. The dolls are supposed to have been
broken as he crawled up the ditch or fell
on the frozen. icy ground. An examination
of his body showed no outward marks of
foul play. there being no fractures or
bruises other than a mark on the right
cheek. which was of superficial character
Only slight amount Of liquid was found
In the lungs. showing that he did not die
from drowning. The frozen condition of
the country at that time also precludes
this idea.
No Food in Stomach.
The doctors were considerably puzzled
at the apparent absence of food in the
stomach. Horace having eaten an egg with
some oatmeal that morning. This started
a rumor that he had been starved to death,
then thrown in the pool or bog. DIR. Albert
Robin. bacteriologist, of Wilmington. and
professor Of pathology in Temple Medical
College, Philadelphia, to whom were turned
over the stomach and intestines for deter
mination as to probable time of death, as
well as cause, said:
There was not, nor could there be, a
careful examination of the intestines at
the post-mortem examination yesterday
The doctors In charge had instructions
iiO Lie dttoTHey SeHeTdl 10 TURN IHem
and the stomach over to me for a complete
examination This I will hasten and re-
port within a week.
Asked if there was suspicion of poison
nation by DIR. Robin, Attorney General
Richards said: None whatever / did 1t
simply because Of the national interest in
the case and to guard against any posi-
inclined to the belief that there will be
future revelations, saying that at the pres
ent time he knew Of suspicious against no
one who might have caused the child's
death. He proposed to be prepared, how
ever. for possible Developments.
The Importance Of the discovery Of eggs
and oatmeal by DR.. Robin Is contained in
the fact that If found 1t will prove beyond
reasonable doubt little Horace died some
time during the day or night Of March 4. !
and set at rest forever any belief that he
was carried away, killed and afterward
brought back.
Exposure May Have Been Cause.
DIR. Wilson said after the autopsy that
he believed the child had been dead at least
six or eight weeks He thought death due
to exposure. Some Of the ether doctors
thought the body and clothes were not suf-
ficiently decomposed to indicate so long a
period of immersion, but readily admitted
that certain conditions would warrant such
preservation. To a layman the body in
dictated death for many weeks.
Dr.. Marvin. who completely collapsed
during the post-mortem examination, he
wishing to be present as an observant ply
stefan, said
II am through with the investigation.
Others may carry ii on If they wish. l am
firmly convinced my poor little boy was
killed and taken to the place where he was
found, but have no more theories to offer.
1 shall take his body to Sioux City during
the summer, and may remain there, but as
to this / have not DECIDED"
Father Greatly Aged.
In appearance the doctor has aged ten
years under the fearful strain he has been
put during the past two months.
In the meantime. the coroner and his
jury will pursue their investigations and
will have a large Number Of witnesses be-
fore them at the hearing. The state de-
tectives cling vigorously to the foul play
theory, while the Pinkertons say. remark
able as it was. the child wandered away,
was frozen to death. and when the thaw
came the day after sunk into the hole
The fact remains that the case Is unique
among the chronicles of child disappear
ance For. two months the country has
discussed and wondered over the mystery.
Detectives In many cities have worked on
the case. The farm is said to have been
searched systematically by hundreds of
sympathetic farmers and finale the
body was found one-third of a mile from
the house. with reasonable appearances Of
having been there during the entire time.
Thinks Boy Was Killed.
NEW HAVEN, Conn.,, May 8-Myles
Standish of New York city, brother in-law
of DIR. W. H. Marvin, said yesterday here
that his nephew, Horace Marvin. was either
murdered or killed accidentally and his
body placed where It was found. Mr..
Standish was here for two days investi-
eating clue which he thought led to the
missing boy He insisted that the case
was only just begun and that later de-
velopments might be expected.
The matter now needs a thorough In
vestigation and will get it, as the tele-
gram received from my brother states that
the boy was murdered within q week. OF
course, / have not seen nor heard OF the
doctors examination OF the body. but 1t Is
certain that IL the childs body had been
all the time at the place where 1t was dis
covered It would have been so decomposed
by now that it would be readily apparent"