Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-09-10
HARRIS MURDERED
BELIEVES FIANCEE
Washington Girl Refuses to Accept
Theory Of Suicide.
DETECTIVES PUT ON CASE

His Mettle and He Assumes Per-
sonaI Charge Of investigation of
Young Mans Deatn-Will Solve So
luton of Same Before Quitting Case
Washington, Sept. 3--A slight rift
an the cloud Of mystery which has en-
Veloped the death OF Norval T. Harris,
at first pronounced a suicide by the
police, was seen when his fancee add
ed her testimony to the growing be-
lief that the presumption of Harris
self-destructon is not wholly tenable
Further hope was incurred for an
early solution of the entire tragedy
when Major Richard Sylvester, who
assumed personal charge of the re-
opened investigation, detailed Detee-
tive Weldon. of The Central Office, to
go thoroughly into the case as the
representative of the Superintendent
of Police.
The report which Detective Weldon
WI make to Major Sylvester will en-
brace the disposition of the various
clues that cropped out after Harris
was found dead Sunday last which
clues. however, We're hurriedly drop
ped by the police formerly engaged
in the investigation
The renewed Investigation win be
thorough, and, regardless Of whether
the finding of suicide is approved or
whether the suspicion of murder is
more fully justified, the department,
through its head, will clear up the
things that were left unexplained
during the prelim nary cursory exami-
nation.
1t was learned that Harris was in
volved in two love affairs at the time
of his death. One was an affair Of
the heart, pure and simple and was to
have culmn mated in marriage during
the present month The other affair,
evidently, was not Of this character,
for it concerned woman, presumably
in Baltimore, of whom Harris fancee
knew nothing.
This fiancee, whose name is being
withheld for the present is now firm
ly convinced that Harris was inter-
and possibly more. She IS Just as firm
" convinced that Harris did not take
his own life, nor does she credit the
statement of the police that the var
Gus letters, supposed to be from wo-
man, which were found among Har-
ris effects, were written by Harris
to himself Harris was not so eccen-
Il. So
tiers ring true as indicative of anoth-
er love affair of which he had kept his
fiancee in ignorance.
The Washington girl to whom Har-
ris was engaged wrote to him last
week demonstrating against his re-
cent inattention It appears that he
had begun to make regular visits to
Baltimore, sometimes as often as
three times a week Business" was
the excuse given his fancee, who was
obliged to frequently chide Harris for
his broken engagements here.
The letters found in Harris room
the day his body was found, shot in
the head from the rear, at Ninth and
I streets southwest, referred TO gay
times in Baltimore, and one Of them,
signed by an unknown woman, asked
Harris to meet her N that city Tues
day night last They also spoke of an
alleged recent marriage between Har-
ris and this woman
The following features connected
with the death Of Harris are among
the more important yet to be cleared
up. before suicide can be definitely &C.
copied as the solution Of the mystery:
How Harris could have shot himself
with a 9S calber gun in the rear OF
the head without burning his flesh
and hair. Experts say it could not
have been done.
Identity of several men and women
in a summer garden with Harris a few
hours before his death and identity of
the man Of the party with whom Har-
ris quarreled
mot long ago Noryal was insisting
upon our immediate marriage" she
said more recently, however. he be
gan to break his regular engagements
with me and would always declare
that he had been called to Baltimore
on business.
Last Monday he wrote me from
Baltimore. He returned that night
and came to see me. He made anoth-
er engagement for Thursday night
waited for him until 10 o'clock, but he
failed to show up
"A few days before he was murder
ed do not believe that he commit
ted suicide--I wrote him a letter ask
ing him to explain his strange con
duct and remanding him OF the ap
preaching date for our marriage. He
never replied to this letter This was
one Of the letters found upon him
when he died.
81 did not know that he had an af
fair with another woman, until the
letters were found in his room. l dc
not think that he would sit down and
write to himself as IL has beep claim.