The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-08
BUTTONS IN ASHES
POINT T0bROWN|NG'
AS VICTIM
THEY BELONGED TO AFuR COAT
WORN BY HiM--sEvERAL VII
Layers IDENTIFY BUTTONS AZ
BRowNiNo's.

PORT HURON, Jan. e.-Prose-
cutor Brown said this afternoon
that there seems to be conclusive
evidence that the man murdered
In the little church az Rattle Run
was Gideon Browning. Three Of
Browning's false teeth. taken from
the ashes IN the church stove,
have been identified.
PORT HURON, Mich. Jan. 8.-(Spe-
cial.) 1.-The victim Of the foul murder
in the little Methodist church at Rat
tie Run. near Richmond. may be iden-
tined by seven buttons found In the
ashes which were taken from the stove
In the church. That the remains were
those of either Rev. j. II. Carmichael.
the pastor OF the church. or Gideon
Browning. Ia accepted as conclusive
The officers believe that the seven
buttons belonged to Brownings fur
coat The buttons are frog" shaped
and have been identified by several OF
the villagers as being attached to
Brownings' coat.
| Strangely enough, the buttons wero
the only things that remained intact
after the terrible blaze had reduced
the body Of human being to .
charred mass OF crumpled bones and
pulp. The mystery becomes deeper.
however, when IL is stated that both
men wore fur coats. Mrs. Carmichael.
however, Is unable to identify the
seven buttons as belonging to the coat
that her husband wore. In addition
to the buttons there were a tie pin
and several patches OF brown hair
found, and Sheriff Wagenseil says that
these have been recognized as Brown
Iing's.
Frank Smith, at whose home "Gid"
Browning roomed, and who has been
held as a witness by the sheriff, was
this morning released from custody. II
was believed that Smith knew some
thing OF the actions OF Browning prior
to the murder, but his story was rath-
er weak.
| Thinks Acids Were Used.
Coroner Falk said this morning that
lin his opinion some acids were used to
destroy the body Of the man thrown
Into the stove. IT do not believe that
la wood fre copld ,crcs1Ats = ~ ~
s(evoGft ~ AN thx corousr. He added
that In his opinion the terrible crime
II had been premeditated Tor days.
Mrs. Carmichael and Mrs. George
Smith. Browning's sister. who live ar
Adair. were brought to Port Huron to-
DAY TO be questioned.
Detectives Baker and Fenton, Of De-
troit, have been conducting q search
ling examination at the village In
which the principals In the tragedy
fhAI
Rev. Carmichael IL living.
The officers are running down clues
in every direction. The latest report
said that Rev. Mr.. Carmichael had
been arrested In Toronto. This report
without foundation.
When the sun rose over the little
village Of Adair today the people were
still divided in opinion as to the man
who was slain and the man who es-
capped. The tragedy has caused fac
lions To form-one side contendinE
that Gideon Browning. the carpenter,
seaman on the lakes and tack-of-all-
trades. was the victim OF the murderer
in the little Methodist church at Rat.
tie Run; others contended that there
was every indication that Rev. Mr..
Carmichael was foully murdered and
his body was burned In the stove.
AS each hour passed the mystery
became deeper than ever. The quaint
little village OF Adair IL stirred as IL
has not been stirred In 81 years. when
Ienother murder was committed. Both
Rev. Mr.. Carmichael and Gideon
Browning had staunch friends. The
former, who gave spiritual advice to
the people OF the vicinity, was looked
upon as a man OF upright character:
the people had seen or heard moth
ing TO change their opinion. except his
meetings with Browning in the past
two months.
Carried No Weapon.
Those who have arrayed themselves
on the Browning side say he carried
no weapons whatever when be left
Hickey Tuesday afternoon and pro-
ceeded towards the little church az
Rattle. Run. The two men who ac-
companied him part way observed no
weapon. II he carried any 1t was con-
cealed. The officers do not think he
carried death-dealing instrument. and
this seemingly strengthens the theory
that II was Browning and not Rev. MT.
Carmichael who was slain.
M n point half mile from the church
building Here be was met by man
who drove a horse and carriage. Brown
J ing got in the rig aud the party turn
ed around and returned TO the church.
Was the man who drove this rig Rev.
Mr.. Carmichael? In the church yard
are footprints which tally with those
az the minister's. IL Is probable he
tied the horse In the shed
theory. which Is not given much
credence. IS advanced that neither
Rev. Mr.. Carmichael nor Browning
was murdered The questions are ask
ed. Is the blood on the floor that OF
a human being recently killed? Could
the fire In the small stove consume
Nthe body OF a person who had been
slain that night or would ~ REQUIRE
more heat than was given by the
stove7 Has a grave been robbed?