Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-27
BONES IN SUIT CASE
Found Hidden in Rocky Cliff
Near Great Falls.
NO CLUE TO THE MYSTERY
May, However, Have Been Left
There by Some Medical
Student.

Sheriff J. r. Allison of Fairfax
county, Va, accompanied by Detec-
tives Baur and Warren Of the Wash
ington police department. today took
charge Of the suit case filled with hu.
man bones discovered yesterday by
DR.. Frank B. Laney on cliff near
Great Falls. and Immediately began
an investigation.
The authorities hastily examined the
bones and then conveyed the suit case
to Forestville. Va, where an inquest
will be held this afternoon or tomor-
row morning.
1t took the detectives several hours to
locate the hidden suit case, and while en-
gagged in the search Constable w. A
Follin Of Forestville found a. mans shirt
near the clump of bushes which concealed
the grip.
Magistrate J. W. Anderson. who will
conduct the investigation, will summon
physicians to examine the bones and to
determine whether they were severed
from male or female body.
and tho detectives are of the opinion that
the person or persons who hid 1t on the
cliff tried to burn it. When found by
DR.. Laney yesterday the suit case was
covered by tin pan, on which was
placed rock.
No Theory in Case.
Neither the Virginia authorities nor the
Washington detectives have any theory
to advance regarding the case. Whether
the grewsome find is evidence Of foul play
or whether the bones were hidden by a
medical student is still a matter Of con-
lecture.
1t developed today that fishermen on
MARYLAND Ia q
blaze near the spot where the suit case
was found one night several months ago.
An effort will be made by Magistrate
Anderson to have these fishermen appear
at the inquest.
Residents of the neighborhood are OF
the opinion that the -, and it's grew
some contents was brought to Difficult
Run on a trolley car and then deposited
search for a safe hiding place.
There is possibility. however, that
the mysterious suit case might have been
carried across the river from the Mary
land side In q boat.
DR.. Laney's Story.
DR.. Laney. at his Office in the building
Of the United States geological survey,
this morning said, regarding the finding
of the suit case.
Il had alighted from a car bound for
Great Falls. at Difficult run, and walked
down this creek toward the river 1 had
gone about 100 yards up the bank Of the
Potomac when l detected a bad odor.
On my right was the river and on my
left q steep cliff rose to a height of about
100 feet. Inasmuch as I had intended
scaling this bank to search for some min
eral deposits I continued on until l had
gotten out of the zone of the stencil.
Then I began to climb the cliff, but as
mounted higher and higher the bad smell
grew stronger and decided to determine
what caused 1t.
when I had reached a point about
forty feet above the surface Of the
water I saw a suit case hidden on a
narrow ledge. On top of the case was
an inverted pan, which in turn was
held down by a rock. I reached the
ledge and removed the pan and rock.
The suit case was bound by several
It's whiteness. had only been placed
about the suit case recently. The odor
was sickening but I cut the rope and
opened the case.
ITO my surprise I found a number of
bones, which had evidently been treated
with an alkah. There was no evidence
Of flesh. Whether they are bones of a
are male or female bones, l am unable to
say broke off a branch of a small
bush growing nearby and separated the
bones They had evidently been cut off
from the thigh, and were amputated In
sections. From my scant knowledge OF
anatomy. 1 would say that the flesh had
been removed before the bones were
that the suit case had not been hidden
there long. Certainly 1t had not been
there all winter. The bag was Of cheap
variety, and not very old"