Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-18
Doubt Regarding the Death of
William H. Through.
SUICIDE THEORY REJECTED
Attorney Mackey Believes the Young
Man Was Murdered.
SEARCH MADE FOR EVIDENCE
But Little Hope Expressed, How
ever, of Obtaining Solution
of the Mystery.

With commemorative Attorney Gran
dal Mackey of Alexandria county, Va,
and Earl Through. a brother. declaring
that William ii. Through, the young Bal
tmore electrician whose body was found
In the woods near the Signal Corps sta
ton, Fort Myer. Va, last Tuesday morn
ing. did not take his own life. it is ex-
pected that further steps will soon be
taken in an effort to solve the mystery
surrounding his death.
Mr.. Mackey was one of the first persons
notified of the finding of the body by
Corp. Newman of the Signal Corps. MIR.
Mackey Immediately went to the scene
and started investigation. He found
that the shoestrings tied about the young
mans neck were loose. and he also pulled
a handkerchief from his mouth.
1t is cited also that a coroner's jury,
composed of c. o. Thomas, r. l.. Ball,
Silas Deibel William Marcy. a. C..
Crounse and T. NJ. Wamplar. viewed the
remains as they lay in the woods. and
after hearing all the obtainable evidence
returned a verdict that the young man
had come to his death at the hands of a
/, person or persons unknown to the jury.
Views of Attorney Mackey.
Mr.. Mackey is still firm in his belief that
the young man did not take his own life.
He says he has no clews to work upon
except that Mrs. Henry II. Smith, wife of
a sergeant of the Signal Corps, saw a
young man answering to the description
of Through going with a companion in
the direction of the place where the body
was found. last Sunday afternoon.
In order to satisfy himself that his
theory of murder was correct Mr.. Mackey
said that several days ago. in the pres
ence of Earl Through. the dead mans
brother. he had removed the shoe strings
from his own shoes and tied them loosely
about his neck in a manner similar to
those he had found about the dead man s
neck. He said he then lay on the floor of
his office, where the experiment was TAX
ing place and putting a lead pencil
through the strings. twisted it tightly
about his neck. He declared that al
though he began to lose consciousness he
was unable twist the strings tight
enough to stop breathing.
Brother Not Satisfied.
The brother of the young man. who
came to Washington and identified the
body, also declared that he did not
think it possible for his brother to
have ended his life in the manner de-
scribed He said that although his
brother was of a melancholy disposi-
ton. he was cheerful when seen last
Saturday. the day before he disappear
ed. He had received a cheerful letter
from his brother he added and that
as the latter had a good position and
seemed satisfied with it, there is no
reason why he would want to take his
life.
why would the young man want to
come all the way over to Fort Myer
to kill himself when there are just as
many places on the outskirts of Balti-
more where he could have done SOP
Sfr Mackey inquired. He had a razor
In his pocket and a large pocket knife,
either of which he could have used to
end his life. In his room at Baltimore
he could have taken his life by as
phyXiation. as gas was used In his
room. or he could have been equally
successful in the waters of the Poto-
mac before going to Fort Myer.''
Search for Through's Companion.
The companion of the man thought
by Mrs Smith to have been Through,
who inquired of her Sunday afternoon
the way to the street cars and de-
parted toward the woods after receiv-
Ing the information. is being sought
by AR Mackey.
AS Mrs. Smith is unable to give the
commonwealth attorney a description
OF he missing man. 1t is probable that
the death of young Through will go
into tine history of Dead Mans Hol-
i"w" and its vicinity in Alexandria
county, Va, among the unsolved mys-
tories.