The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-10
MURDER MYSTERY
MAY BE CLEARED
SKIRT FOUND NEAR PLACE WHERE
DISCOVERY or DEAD BODY
WAS MADE.
LOOK FOR tFLORENCE
PoLICE BELIEVE WOMAN OF THIS
NAME FROM PETERSBURG
MAY DE VICTIM AND WORK A.
TO THAT END.

With the hnding of woman's skirt.
cut 10 pieces and the remnants cover
ed with blood. and the information
that a woman of the underworld
named Florence" of lei Lombardy
street, Petersburg, is believed to be
missing, the authorities of Chester
field county and Richmond believe
that the Chesterfield county murder
mystery may soon be solved,
The skirt was picked up on the Bon
Air road half mile from the scene
where the murdered woman's body
was found Beside ii was found "A
blood despatched copy of an afternoon
newspaper, dated July LIST County
officer Flynn, who has been working
on the case since TIE body was found,
discovered the torn skirt and news
paper near the roadside Yesterday af-
ternoon, and brought 1t to Richmond,
where he consulted with Captain Nc
Mahon
Shortly before the captain of derec-
tives had obtained Information that
the description OF the murdered wom-
an answered 10 that of a woman, re-
Gently in Petersburg, but now said To
he missing. The informant described
the abdominal surgical wound which
the county authorities had observed
when they examined the dead woman's
The Richmond woman said further
that the general details OF the dead
woman's build and stature correspond
ed with those of the woman she had
known, and she believed them to be
the same
Skirt is Found.
The skirt found By County officer
Flynn was Of tan or fawn color,
with d panel back. and large fawn-
h.
tanned a dark colored satin center. the
size Of dollar. The skirt was Gus
tom made, and the material was of
serge. An experienced dreEsmaker
consulted by CAPTAIN DcMohon esti-
mated the cost at SIS
Closer observation disclosed that the
hooks and eyes In the skirt were new.
which shows that the skirt was bought
recently But there was no tag giving
the name OF the maker. and nothing
to disclose where the skirt was bought.
It is believed that the murderer. who
had carefully cut all the woman
clothes from her body. dropped the
skirt in the haste Of his flight II is
possible thar the bloody newspaper
had been used as a wrapper for the
clothing
Body ho*+deaAAeS -
The body was found on July 9Th in
q GeIlSs UHutEEToR In 0I l3@ Farm OF
Jefferson Brown, who lives about q
mile from Bon Air. II was nude ex-
cent for garter, Bat the unfolding
Of a piece of cloth around the wom-
ans neck showed that her throat had
been cut almost from ear TO ear and
IL IL supposed that she was first muir
dered and that then her body was
brought to the hiding place. The body
was inferred on the day 1t was found.
bur was later exhumed that further
examination might be made. The coro-
ners jury which investigated the case
was unable to determine whether the
body was that OF white or colored
woman, though the majority or opin
ion was thar she was a mulatto.
After consulting with Captain Nc
Mahon, County Officer Flynn decided
10 go TO Petersburg today to make
further investigation. and TO look for
the woman Florence" In vfie mean
time Captain Mcmahon wiIl interest
himself in the case so far as he can,
az IL is outside Of his jurisdiction, and
give advisory aid.