The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-01-27
MAY CLEAR MYSTERY
Coroner to Testify To-day at
Shipley Inquest.
NO TRACE OF ALCOHOLISM
Testimony Before Jury Will Tend
to Show Carpenter Was Not In
toxicated When He Entered House
and Was Fatally ShOt-Autopsy
Performed on Intruder's Body.

This morning at II o'clock a jury sum.
moned by Coroner hewitt will meet al
the District morgue to investigate the
death Of George ]. Shipley, who was shot
and killed Wednesday night by Allen d
Deason, while entering the latter's home
at 200 Bryant street northeast.
Probably the most important evidences
will be given by Coroner hewitt and his
deputy. DR.. Charles Stanley White, who
jointly performed an autopsy at the
morgue yesterday. Their testimony, it is
thought, will tend to clear up mys-
terry which has enveloped the case
namely. whether the dead man felo-
niously entered the building as a thief
or burglar or whether. bainS under the
influence Of intoxicants. he was bewild-
cred and wandered into the house by
mistake.
No Trace of Liquor.
The part Of the coroner's evidence
which will be OF especial interest in this
connection will be that relating to the
condition Of the mans stomach as re-
vealed by the post-nortem examination.
These officials will testify that they
found no traces whatever Of alcoholic
stimulants in the stomach. Coroner
hewitt will add. however, that the liver
and kidneys showed a chronic condition
produced by long-continued ..tippling."
A high medical authority, whose name
is withheld. advanced the opinion that II
Shipley had swallowed any alcoholic
stimulants within two hours of his death.
traces perceptible to the nose and prob
ably visible traces would have been found
in the stomach.
ut has always been a mooted question
with me-" he continued, whether In such
case as this the absence of any such
traces is conclusive one way or the other.
Whisky is absorbed rather rapidly. but
the fumes will remain in the stomach
long afterward. I have found the smell
of alcohol in stomachs where there were
no other visible signs Of IT.
Appeared ns Intoxicated.
Another witness will be Mrs. w A.
Dixon. wife Of w. A. Dixon, of No. 70
Engine Company. and perhaps her chill
dren. The Dxons live not far from the
Deason home.
Mrs. Dixon said yesterday that a man
answering the description of Shipley sat
on a bench in front of the house earlier
to be under the influence of liquor. Her
children. she said. watched him for some
time. Finally, she declared, he staggered
on up Lincoln road toward the Deason
home.
A sister of Shipley said that her bro
Their had not been at home for about
two weeks and that he moved SO as TO
be nearer his work. She stated that he
was a drinking man. but that while in
toxicated was in the habit of staring at
people. She declared she could not be-
lieve that he attacked Deason.
+. W. Charlton, proprietor OF the
house in which Shipley had stopped for
the last two weeks of his life. reported
that the latter left there Wednesday
morning at the usual hour. ostensibly
to go to his work.
1t is believed that the statement OF
Deason. who is still detained at the
Tenth precinct for action of the coro-
ner. will be interesting as we'll as i'm
portant. He will be called on to elabo-
rate the tragedy and shed some light. IL
possible. on the condition of the man
whom he encountered in the vestibule.
Mr. Deason declared on Wednesday a
few hours after the shooting that Ship
ley did not appear to be under the in
fluence of liquor.
Secretary F.. r. Byrne. of the local
branch of the Carpenters and Joners
brotherhood. last night refuted the allie
CATION that Shipley led a dual existence.
and said he had been a union man in
good standing for twenty years.