The Washington herald., 1910-09-18

Concluding q TWO weeks investigation
into the circumstances surrounding the
death OF Norval T. Harris. on the night
OF August q, the hnal report Of Detec-
tive Sergeants Weldon and Burlingame
was placed In the hands of Maj. Richard
Sylvester yesterday afternoon.
Shortly after receiving the papers. Maj.
Sylvester forwarded them 10 Coroner New
lit, with the following statement:
Respectfully forwarded 10 J. Ramsey hewitt NJ.
D.. Coroner Of the District Of Columbia for his in
formation and for such action as he may deem
TToper,
This department viii he very glad % do anything
further IN the premises as may be directed By the
coroner. RICHARD SYLVESTER.
Major and Superintendent.
The report, after undergoing careful
examination at the hands Of the coroner,
was returned to the police officials with
this Endorsement:
Respectfully returned 80 Maj. Richard Sylvester
Superintendent Of Police.
Papers submitted TO me in the Norval T. Hams
ease have been very carefully gone over together
With an interview with the detectives immediately
engaged in the case.
l am unable % appreciate where this case could
o. more thoroughly Investigated If brought % the
attention q coroneTs jury or ans deduction made
than Is not implied OF forth in the original ceT-
uHcaTe u death. J. RAMSEY HEWITT.
Coroner Of the District II Columbia
Mystery Cleared Up.
Thus are brought TO an end the mys-
ferrous circumstances surrounding the
death Of Harris an Inspector in the
street-cieaning department. who was
found dead near the boiler factory in I
street. between Eighth and Ninth south
west, on the morning of August 2S. 1t Of
fers a complete and thorough vindicatlon
OF the action of the police and the coro-
ner in the matter which resulted in a
verdict OF death by suicide being re-
turned.
The report made by two Of the most
experienced men in the Central Office
detective bureau covered the entire mat
ter, delving far into the past Of the young
mans life, and giying careful eXamina-
ton into the events following his death.
II is the opinion of police officials that
it would have been impossible for Harris
10 come TO his death by any other means
except that Of his own hand. This con-
Clusion. the same given out by Coroner
hewitt on the day following the death.
bears no reflection upon the name Of the
family or upon the young man himself
II shows. instead, that the act was the
result of a disordered mind, a mind de-
ranged from weeks Of brooding over a
purely fancied wrong done 10 a young
woman.
The final report on the case includes
six separate sections. The first, made
on September / by Detectives Weldon
and Burlingame; the second by Capt.
George Williams. of the Fourth precinct.
on September s; the third and following
ones by detectives on September Z. 9
Il, Is. and l.. The following is the gist
Of the report:
Interviews In Case.
The preliminary report of Detectives
Weldon and Burlingame. made on Sep
.ember (. included interviews with Frank
f. Hall, the proprietor of the saloon
where Harris is alleged 10 have been
drinking on the night before his death
Martin Goode. the bartender at the place;
= o. Rockwell and Robert 2. Bailey,
inspectors in the STRENGTHENING depart
ment: Andrew J. Kimmel. who was in
Hairs saloon on the night OF August %;
Harry Chick and his mother, Mrs. Vir-
ginia Dickerson, who occupy a house
diagonally across the street from the
spot where the body was found Mildred
Anderson. a cousin of the young man,
and TO whom he was engaged 70 be mar
-ied; Rosie Summer. who knew Harris
Cor about one year before his death;
John Harris, a negro employe Of a stable
near the scene of the tragedy: Isaac
Roseuburg. who purchased the revolver;
Clinton CantwelL the negro who first
saw the body and reported the matter;
Clarence Collins. uncle Of the boy by
marriage. and Mr.. and Mrs. Robert f.
Harris. uncle and aunt Of the man, with
rhom he lived for three years.
These interviews brought out these
salient facts. First, that. according 10
Hall and Goode, Harris was IN their sa-
loon on the night before his death, and
that he was engaged In a quarrel with
one OF his three companions. This testi-
mony was rendered absolutely worth
less in respect TO solving the mystery
when it was found that the two men
contradicted each other on the fact of
whether Harris had been drinking or not,