The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-09-26
Body Of Young StenOgrapher
Found
MISSING FIVE MONTHS
Discovered Under Floor Of Bathroom in
Vacant cotthge-Doctor Held, Win
Not Talk-Remains Soaked
il Nitric Acid.

San Francisco, Cal, Sept. 26.-San
Francisco was thrilled Saturday by a
discovery brought to light late Friday
night, making this city the scene Of a
murder mystery possessing similarity
in It's ---@st striking phase to the notori-
Gus DR.. Crippen crime.
In this instance, too, a doctor is sus-
pected, and has been arrested. But in.
stead OF wife who was to be got rid Of
for the sake Of a stenographer, in this
ease it was the stenographer who was
murdered
Scared with nitric acid and crushed
into a small hole, sealed with cement,
the body Of Miss Eva Swan, 20 years
old, steuographer, formerly school
teacher Of Paso Robles, Cal, was IN
earthed by the police Friday night from
beneath the floor Of the bathroom Of a
vacant house on Eureka street here. The
girl had been missing since April %
1t is curious coincidence that in the
crippen case the murdered woman had
been missing five months before her re-
mains we're found beneath the cellar
floor of her home.
Three days ago Frank B. Gordon,
new assistant TO Dr. James Grant OF
this city, gave certain information TO
the police Detectives at once began a
search Of the vacant cottage on Eureka
street, which lies in sparsely settled
district.
The officers, without success, turned
up the paving Of the yard. Their sus-
pieious had been directed to that part
OF the lot. Afterward they examined
the flooring OF the house They diseov-
cred nothing until they came to bath
room in the basement. The floor there
bore signs suggesting that it had re.
Gently been tempered with or repaired
Speedily the detectives tore up the
tiles. They found the body IN shall
low grave. It had been wrapped in a
sheet and crushed into hole barely
large enough to hold It.
Gallons Of nitric acid had been poured
onto the body. But 50 thoroughly had
the burial place been sealed with cement
that no air could enter and eorrosion by
the air had been impossible. IN places
The surface of the remains was acid
eaten, but instead Of being destroyed,
Is had been intended, the body was dis
severed in remarkable state Of pres
,rvation
As in the Crippen case, the care taken
BY the murderer to hide and destroy the
remains led to their preservation.
Immediately after the discovery Of the
yirl's body. the police arrested Dr. James
srant. who was accused BY his assistant,
5ordon Dr. Grant was locked up in
he city prison The police would not /
iay whether they regard him as prin- ]
.ipal or are holding him only az mn.
.eral witness.
According TO Gordon, an operation was J
performed on Miss Swan, and she died
II the office Of DR.. Grant, about the !
ime she became missing at the end Of
April
The police are looking for William /
sachs, who was assistant to DR., Grant {
t that time.
Miss Mary Mossersmith, nurse en-
,loyed BY DR. Grant az his Office, has
,een detained by the police. 5
Neither Dir. Grant nor Miss Mosser- 9
NTH will make any statement. The !
octor was questioned at length Satur- i
ay, but he refused to discuss the case !
n any way.
The police have sent to Paso Robes
OF a ranchman there, who is said to
ave called for the girl at her rooms
he day she disappeared,
Near the hole which was dug for the |
.ody ran a sewer, and it is believed that
he murderer or murderers fancied that q
would assist in the speedy decomposition g
1 the remains. But in their haste they
orgot to tamper with this sewer, and
# the body in what proved to be an air 4
light eneasement. y