The Washington times., 1910-02-02
Sensational Forty Thieves"
Story Denied by Them
in Its Entirety.
EFFECT UPON BOYS
CONSIDERED EVIL
EXhuming of Dead Boys Body
Shows Charges
False.

Highly indignant At the repeated al
JeTpts OF a morning newspaper TO
make good on a sensational fake
story about the existence of a band OF
'-F OTJy Thieves IN Washington, and
~purred 10 action by the yelled accusa-
ZION that the detectives have tried 10
cover up a murder and make II appear
a suicide, officials Of the District gov
eminent this morning fled their pro
tests IN 10 uncertain taruls-
s-GOId brick fake" fraud, ana
worse than dime rOvels.'' were some
OF the expressive phrases used By
these officials
Tie curtain was runs down on the
last chapter o. the story las ~ ening,
when the body Of William SOTUell Wds
dIsiuterrsd from q grave in Congress
~ionaI cemetery, and ar autopsy was
performed by Deputy Coroner Glaze
brook Persistent statements had been
made thar SOr-el was the victim OF
an assault the night before mis- death,
bat the autopsy showed that he died
from Eas poisoning, and the original
death certificate issued by the coroner
was not changed.
"a Fake" Says Sylvester.
-I don't want TO give this matter the
dignity Of commenting on IT," said MAJ
Ilchar sylvester, superintendent OF
police The public knows the story Is
"a fake and q fraud When one news
PAPER prints a thing Ike that and none
~ the other papers take II up. the pub
li- knows Il is a screed-
The one thing that really concerned
me in connection with II is the effect
that such stories have on the younger
element Of Washington It is as bad
Tor young boys 10 read such things as
f they were reading dime novels
worse than dime novels, as a matter OF
fact
Coroner NEWT regards the disinter-
neut Of Sorreus body as one OF the
biggest gold bricks that has ever been
handed the Washington public by
uewEpa per
OF course" said Dr. hewitt. when
members Of young SoTreITs family, &C
'ompanled by representatives OF the
newspaper that has been printing these
stories, called at my Office stated tbsf
hey believed the boy haI died from in
---les received from IN assault TIRE
0ICnr previous 70 his death there z-as
capacity but comply with their REQUEST
Cause Of Death Certain.
II had not done so they would bzva
a--. VA "a tAt- 10 niue EoT19LFllrlE
o. course. I had made an investigation
Of SOTreIrS death. satisfied myself be-
yond any doubt that death was due n
accidental gas poisoning, and issued a
death certificate according The an
rupsy on the body showed that tre-s
was 10 reason 70 changing the certfa-
cate
There were three bruises on the
'''E. One was on the right hand, and
anolner on the right ear These were
ola bruises and probably had not caused
S"rreH two minutes pain The third
was on his foot. and was due 20 his
shoe rubbing hunion- There was a
superficial scratch on the face evidently
made with a razor while Shaving
Inspector BOaTdmau, when his e+te7
Ton was called TO the long list Of rob
ntEleS opposed % have been commit
t@H by rti5 Forty Thieves during the
asst week. said
You see what they are. dou.tlvou2
bicycles OEerCOatS. ClUtheSfiDa roFbs-Ias
Of wearing apparel valued AZ 4 fevr r5oI-
'~rs- Some Of these things repor4ed
stolen were IN reality lost BY their own
wants 10 about that. and there IS moth /
,nE We can do. The reports are on our |
books
Al a Huge Joke.
Ever since I have been fl the PoTjga /
department there have been six OF eight
minor thcfts ever day There are hound /
DO Ice IN city Of over $4,000 popuIa- /
lion
The inspector concluded By saying he 4
was busy, and had other things to at /
Tend TO besides talking about sensational
newspaper stories.
District Attorney Ralph Given sai6E
The Forty Thieves viii narrow I
down to two or three thieves who are 4
now locked up You don't suppose I or
anyone else tOCh It as anything but a 1
huge Joke on the public did you2 I
can't understand why a paper would I
print such things"
AorEuenaster SChOnenberEer who as
sisted in the disiEterment Of SorreU's /
body, said
1T was the biggest farce since I have /
been connected with the MOrEue. and /
that s been a few years"