Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-04
TAKEN FROM WRECK
PROPERTY CLERK HOLDS JEW
ELRY AND OTHER vALUABLEs.

Chief Clerk Kemp of the police depart
ment. who is also property clerk, has
taken charge of about 5000 worth of
property that belonged to the victims of
the wreck at Terra Gotta, including dia-
monds to the value of about s., 900 taken
from the hand of Miss Mary Alice Bohrer
of Baltimore, who was killed while re-
turning home from a visit to her brother,
Dr. William Owings Bohrer, at Garrett
Park. A number of other diamond rings
were turned over to the property clerk. He
has about dozen watches, sums of money
aggregating more than $1,000 and various
articles. Several persons have complained
to the police that they lost property at the
time the wreck occurred, several articles
of jewelry and S12O in cash being missed.
1t Is the belief of the police and others
who were at the wreck that the property
in question was not stolen. Maj. Sylvester
had detail of police on guard few
minutes after the wreck occurred, and the
persons who were upon the scene early that
night were mostly substantial residents of
the city or of Brookland and vicinity. It Is
deemed probable that some of the missing
property was destroyed by fire when the
railroad employees, acting under orders from
their superiors. applied the torch One boy
who scraped in the burning ruins Monday
morning pulled out what appeared to be q
melted watch, and others managed to re-
cover small sums of money.
Amount of Money.
There is no way Of ascertaining just what
amount of money was found by those
who searched but 1t Is known that a
number of men and boys did obtain small
amounts. 1t was reported that one colored
man picked up S42. Several boys pulled
from the burning cars shapeless pieces Of
melted metal and carried them off as SOU
venirs. The metal may have represented
silver money or tewelry.
In cases where the recovered property Is
valued at less than $50 it is turned over
to relatives of the deceased or applied to
paying the undertaker's bills, but In cases
of larger amounts the property will be held
subject to the order OF the Probate Court.
An interesting question. 1t Is thought will
be raised In the case of Commodore Perry
Brown and his wife. who were killed. Mr..
Brown had been married second time. his
second wife being many years younger than
himself The question that Is likely to be
raised, should the matter be taken into
court. is as to which one died first.
Inquiries at headquarters.
Chief Clerk Kemp has in his possession
about 81 600 belonging to the Brown family,
in addition to other personal property. Mrs.
Brown had bank account In her own
name. Relatives of the couple called at po-
lice headquarters yesterday and conferred
with Mr.. Kemp about the property. Rea-
tives of others also called to inquire about
the property that was recovered. and In
cases where the amount involved was small
the property was turned over to the claim
ants.
Soon after Mai. Sylvester learned of the
accident Sunday night he gave directions
that the police protect the property of the
victims and see that none of 1t was carried
away. The property was gathered from
the wreck by the police and sent to the
morgue or to a police station. Friends of
several of the victims have compllmented
the police and Chief Clerk Kemp for the
manner in which they recovered the prop
erty and cared for 1t.