The San Francisco call., 1908-09-06
nail PRINTS POINT
TOWOMAN'S MURDER
Marks on Throat and Face OF
Mrs. Flynn Direct Suspicion
Toward Ex-Husband

Sinister nail prints on the throat and
face of a woman found dead in a refu-
gee cottage at .55 Rausch street yester-
day have started the police on the scent
of possible murder mystery, while the
peculiar actions of the woman's di-
vorced husband have pointed the finger
of suspicion strongly at him. The
woman is Mrs. Emma Flynn, 38 years
old, who has been employed with a large
local tea concern. and the. man in the
case is James Flynn, a glass blower,
from whom Mrs, Flynn secured a di-
vorce several months ago.
Shortly after the body had been dis
covered yesterday. by Arthur Polan, a
nephew of the dead woman, Flynn ap-
peared on the scene in an intoxicated
condition. He proceeded to give orders
for the disposal of the body and the
woman's effects until Deputy Coroner
Reilly arrived, and flnding his actions
obnoxious ordered him out of the house.
The marks on the dead woman's throat
were not noticed by the police until, the
body had been, taken to the norgue,
where it was also noted that the tongue
was protruding from the mouth and
that the jaws had been setAdown heav-
lily upon it. q
The woman was last seen alive FRI
day night by Mrs. Harriet Andrews a
neighbor, to whom Mrs. Flynn called
for assistance from an illness from
which she declared she was suffering
Mrs Andrews rendered the desired aid,
getting TIA woman to bed. She then
took the oil lamp from the bedroom and
placed it in the kitchen, where its rays
would not disturb the sleeping woman.
Arthur Polan, arriving in. the morn
ing with companion, Abe Goldstein,
says that he found the lamp in the bedr
room. Believing that his aunt was
sleeping and had fallen into slumber
with the light. burning. he did not dis
turb her for. some time, but finally he
decided to awaken her. When he
touched the body he found it was stiff
and cold. s.
DIR. J. n. Toner was summoned by
the youth, and when the physician ar
rived he pronounced the woman dead,
saying she had expired several hours
past. Although the body was found
close to o'clock in the morning for
some reason the coroner's Office was
not notified until nearly O'Clock in
the evening When Deputy Coroner
Reilly arrived he took charge of the re-
mains and had difficulty with the for
mer husband. Disgusted- with the
mans conduct, Reilly drove hims from
the place, but had he then had the in
formation in his possession that he
later secured as to the woman's mode
of DEATH he might have arrested the
man.
When the body was taken to the
morgue the mysterious finger marks
were first discovered by the police. On
the right side of the throat there was
the distinct print Of thumb nail,
while on the left side of the face were
scratches which corresponded to finger
prints. The nose was scratched and
had been bleeding from lacerations. The
tongue was protruding more than an
inch from the mouth. while the teeth
had set down firmly against it with
the rigor OF death.
The autopsy surgeons at the morgue
said yesterday that they had never be-
fore seen case of natural death with
similar symptoms, but that on the con-
trary all the indications pointed to
strangulation.
Mrs. Flynn was married to Flynn a
year and a half ago. She went with
him to Pennsylvania, and several
months ago left him and returned re-
Gently. She secured an interlocutory
decree OF divorce on the grounds of
cruelty and drunkenness. Within the
last few days Flynn has been seen
much in the neighborhood. being out
of work because the glass foundries