The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-09-14
Authorities in CITY and
County Hold Conflicting
Theories.
VICTIM SEEN ALIVE
NEAR FORT MYER
Residents Report Young Man and
Companion in Vicinity
Sunday.

Garroting by means Of shoe strings.
twisted TO cause strangulation, IS today
the accepted theory OF the manner in
which the victim Of murder OF Of sui
eide came 70 his death on the lonely
road near Fort AIyer
Times reporters have established that
z man answering the description OF the
dead youth, and accompanied by a com
paniOn. passed down Whipple street,
toward the spot where the body was
FOUND Sunday afternoon about s O'Clock
An autopsy VIII be held later. This
VIII establish beyond all doubt whether
the young man died from stranguIation
or from blows. indicated by what may
be bruises upon the head.
In the absence OF the autopsy. how
ever the Alexandra county author
ides, taking issue with the suicide
theory advanced BY the Washington
detectives on the case. contend that the
man was strangled because
Basis Of Murder Theory.
The strings from his shoes were
FOUND knOuteG around his neck
Well-de11ned marks, now obIit-
Grated by discoloration and swelling.
were markedly apparent in the soft
nesh Of the neck when the BODY was
discovered by Sergeant Newman yes
terday
The victims tongue. sltboueb 81
truded- -
Evidences Of a decided hemor-
rhage, such as occurs following
etrangulation, were present in the
dead mans throat
The fact that the man had on his
',Is9 Isoh ---z z knlIe and a razor, both ade--
Cuate weapons Of Self-des1ructi0n
ana Iar more easily used than a gar
rote, IS also advanced against the
theory OF suicide
Many have called at the morEue To-
day to view the body, with the hope OF
loentlIylng IT. Among those callers was
MS ChAtonr who conducts a roominz
mouse at - L street southeast who
lold the police this morning that she be-
neved the dead man might be one OF
her boarders who had been missing sew
eral days
She. however. declared positively that
she had never seen the dead man be-
fore
The clothing, however, she saws. is OF
ne same description as that worn by
Ine missing man The police DO not
place much creGence in the theory that
the missing roomer and the dead man
are the same
Body Near Road
When Troop Sergeant Newman. tax
ing his mount for daily exercise vester-
day, discovered the body lying at =
point some hundreds Of yards south
OF the junction OF WbippIe street and
Arlington avenue IN q small .cIuu1p of
bushes directly east Of the Signal Corns
neaQquarteTS. the condition Of the bodv
indicated at first that the man had bea1
dead only about thirty-six hours The
erect Of the sun yesterday. however
mas practically destroyed the possibility
o. accurately determining the exact time
a WnlCn the man met his death and
me police are left with two clues rha
one furnished BY The Times reporters.
and transfer issued BY the CauitaI
Traction Company on Sunday. Septeu7-
Der Il at Seventh street and Florida
ayeUne, with the time OF issue unpunch-
The statement Of Mrs Smith and Mrs
Mcconnell that the man who passed
their house and asked 70 be directed to
the car lines, about 3 o'clock Sunday
afternoon, tallies in general with the
victim
That this man was accompanied by
another, IS considered the most com
prehensive clue Yet discovered
Asked About Cars.
Mrs Smith stated 10 Times reporters
that the man, who looked like the dead
man, stopped and asked her If Whipple
street led 10 the Falls Church car
tracks The pair then crossed the street
and entered the low brush which lines
Continued on Eleventh PaEel