Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-01
COAT AND VEST FOUND
WITH ALL VALUABlES
Death Of Long.Missing Druggist
Now Believed Accidental.
WATCH HAD STOPPED AT 7:la
Thought to Have Entered Water
Soon After He Was Last Seen
Alive, March Ito
Hold Inquest.

aolo Inquest.
No longer are the police handling rs Q
mystery the disappearance of DR.. william
A. Gray. retired druggist. who disap-
peared the Afternoon of March l. The
recovery of DR.. Gray's overcoat. sack
coat and vest this morning with the con-
tents intact, following the finding yester-
day afternoon Of decapitated body from
the bed Of Rock creek. made IL certain
that DR.. Gray was no longer alive.
How DR.. Gray managed to get into the
water may never be known. but the police
were able to offer an explanation Of his
having been decapitated. Mud machines
have been worked in Rock creek near
where the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
empties into that stream and directly
over where the body and clothing were
found.
THE head was probably cut of by
spud or by q shovel was the explana
tion of Policeman Passeno Of the harbo
precinct shortly after the articles OF
clothing were taken from the water, "ant
it may be in the refuse that was dumped
near here or where some of it was dumped
from scows near the mouth Of ths
creek
Believe Body Was Seen Before.
Oficials of the Chesapeake and Ohis
canal this afternoon furnished the polict
with information which convinced them
more fully that the body Of DR.. Gray hat
been decapitated by one of the mud ma
chimes. Two weeks ago. the onicials say
a machine was operated where the body
Of the missing man was found yesterday
One Of the men engaged upon the wori
said he saw what looked like the body
Of a man come up with a scoop OF mud
and roll back into the water. He re-
marked this to other men on the machine
but no further attention was paid to II.
1t Is now believed that the body OF Dr.
Gray was the one seen by the workman
Capt. Schneider said this afternoon that
he thought the body was probably deCap-
itated at that time.
Found by Three Boys.
Roy Madigan. sos New Hampshire ave
nue. northwest: Harry Raidy. 2425 stree
northwest and Leo Sherwood. SIS 26tt
street northwest, are the boys whit
found the decapitated body of Dr. GRAY
about o'clock yesterday afternoon. ane
the reward Of 500 will probably 90 te
them.
I'VE had been in swimming" said ont
Of the boys to Star reporter this morn
came out. We had pole and were jus
sticking it down in the mud when thu
body came up in front OF US"
The boys hurried away and told Police
man Farauhar of the CHASTITY discovery
the policeman hurrying to the scene ant
seeing that the body was made fast unit
ii could be taken from the water An6
removed to the morgue.
Rumors Of foul play were soon circu-
lated. 1t was pointed out that the head
may have been chopped of and buried by
murderers who had killed DR.. Gray and
robbed him, but the finding OF the wear
ing apparel this morning with all his
valuables intact quickly dispelled the
Boardman detailed Detectives Evans and
O'Dea this morning to make an investi-
cation Of the case.
Coroner Orders Inquest.
Coroner hewitt viewed the body at the
morgue He heard statements regarding
the dead man and of the circumstances
the recovery Of the body.
and concluded to have an inquest held
over the body Wednesday morning. The
coroner said today that the circumstances
indicated accidental drowning. although
he realized that the detectives may find
evidence to show some other reason for
the death.
Charles Gray and George B. Chew.
brother and brotherin-law, respectively,
Of the dead man. went to the morgue
last night and satisfied the ofncials
about the Identification OF the headless
body. Two penknives taken from tho
trousers pockets and the necktie that
was about the stump OF the neck were
identified as having been the property
Of the missing man. while an India ink
brother. The shoes, too. were similar
TO those DR.. Gray had worn when he
was last seen alive, the right shoe hav.
ng been cut to relieve bunion.
Finding of Coat and Vest.
The contents of the pockets Of the
garments recovered this morning made
the Identification and dispelled
what slight doubt Mr.. Chew may have
entertained of the Identification OF the
,ody Policemen Passeno. Lewis and
0sterman were in the small boat drag
ring the bottom OF the creek when the
looks made fast in the bundle of
clothing and the garments were brought
10. Dr. Gray's gold watch had stopped
It 7:43 o'clock. indicating that the body
lnteIe0
II was about o'clock when Crossing
Policeman O'Brien last saw DR.. Gray.
md had he sauntered along at his usual
pace 1t would have taken him some min
ltes to have followed the line Of the
,reek or to have gone down 2Sth street
o where the canal empties into the creek.
10 that not much time Is thought to have
.lasped from when he was last seen until
le got overheard.
Contents Establish Identity.
The police found q pocketbook ana
purse in the pockets of the coat and
,est, about $17 and several car tickets
,eing in them They also found gold
ing. a Chinese laundry ticket. pair OF
,yeglasses a top Of q beer bottle, piece
II, wire, railroad time table and other
,rticles of little value IN the pockets.
DR.. Gray had been in the habit OF pick
ng up beer tops. pieces Of wire and other
raiueiess articles and taking them to his
DOM. Policeman Farquhar. the first Of
Ger to reach the creek after the body
vas found said this morning that he be-
Leved the head OF DR.. Gray had been only