The Washington times., 1908-07-27
ASKS ACCUSATION
IN DREW TRAGEDY
Coroner Tells Jury to Name
Suspect in Murder
Case.
UNCLE OF GIRL
GIVEN SWEATING
Paid Little Attention 10 Hazel on
Her Last Visit-Smith Boy
Increases Confusion.

d
/ erness. whose mutilated body was found
! floating IN Teals pond, near this city,
two weeks ago. began today at Wag-
! ner's Hotel. Averin Park. about two
miles from the scene of the crime
Twenty-eight witnesses were on hand,
among them William Taylor. the uncle
OF the murdered girl. and Frank Smith,
the half-witted farm boy, waiting 20 be
interrosated ~ District Attorney
OBrien.
The coroner's jury. after hearing the
evidence gathered by District Attorney
O'Brien and the police. was instructed
! 10 name the slayer Of the girl.
The coroner IN his Instructions d.
rected the jury 20 carefully consider
the evidence which he held 10 be SUI
fcient 10 indicate the Identity OF the
murderer He insisted that their YER
dict should include the name OF the
man 10 whom suspicion points most
strongly.
Given Rigorous Examination.
Taylor and smith went through a
rigorous examination by District At
tOrney O'Brien Taylor stoically fought
with monOsyIla5les the effort to get q
! straightforward story OF his life and
friendship for his niece Smith was
more volubIe. but his story is not be-
lvved by the authorities 70 be free
from IntrULh-
The points which it was believed
neither Taylor nor the boy could ex-
plain without giving some Illuminating
evidence were met With such subter-
fuges as tend only 20 make more difE-
cult the task OF solving the mystery
-rr
the heartIess old miser that he has been
pictured. and was carried time and
again over the revolving details without
any display OF emotion
District Attorney O'Briea had Taylor
brought In first and began by asking
the old man II Hazel was at his home
in April.
I don't think she was" Taylor re-
Piled
Taylor Is NOn-COmmittal
The witness wa then questioned at
length about his past life and his fam
ily.
John Abel. Of Averiu Park. says
Hazel was at your home in April ana
that he took her there" persisted 9Ir.
O O'Brien.
de has not got any proof that he
did, retorted Taylor
Then. when did your niece visit you
the last timer
When she was sick at my house
just after Christmas" was the answer.
After questioning the old man for
fully thirty minutes about the January
visit, which brought out many facts
not previously developed, Mr.. O'Brien
! summed up all that had been said with
one question He asked
is II possible that you permitted that
girl to remain in your. house sick for
three weeks without asking what was
the matter with her. without seeing
that she was given medical attention,
without so much as asking her sister
INLAY, whether she had the measles
or The smallpox, and without going 10
/ her room yourself 10 see her?"
~Not That I Know Of"
yes" answered Taylor, without Of
fcring any further explanation
Taylor then told that he was at home
on the night Of July Z, saying that he
did see Hazel ther.
When did you first hear that Hazel's
| bOdy had been found in the pond?''
( At this question Taylor stumbled bad
I 1lkG
minutes. When he old speak he be-
came so confused that several conflict
7 ing answers were recorded He at first
said it was the night following the
day the body was found. This was cor
rected as meaning that he had heard
/ OF the finding Of the body.
| Still another answer was that he did
not know il was HaZel's body until
/ after the Official Identification made by
/ the girls father the following Mon
/ day. Go. -
/ Won Sunday his boy had said IL was
! Hazel and suggested that you 20 and
! make the identihcation2' he was asked
/ Tavlor would not admit this much
| until confronted with proof that John
! Smith had made a statement concerning
1 the interview.
'la IT d aid not not do anything until that aft
! ernoon.' was the answer That after
/ noon | went to Averil Park to get
| shaved. but did not ask any questions.
/ [ was in the village only little while 80
No Excuse to Offer.
! ..TIave YOU any excuse to offer for
! not sending word to some Of the girls
] relatives that John Smith thought the
l unidentifed S)dy was that Of Hazel.
/ even If YOU did not want TO make the
J Identification yOurself2'
| None" was the sullen answer.
| In striking ontrast with the indiffer-
| ence displayed by the old man concern
ing the tragic death Of his niece. was
/ his statement that he teased and ioked
| with Hazel about her sweethearts when
1 she visited him. The old man cut short
| This part Of the story when questions
] we're asked with the apparent intention
! of revealing that jealousy could have
been q reasonable motive for killing the
| girl.
/ 70 add 10 the confusion into which the
i mystery has developed. On account of
admissions made, IL is certain that il ne
i escanes prosecution for connection with
| the murder he viii have TO face another
| serious criminal charge.