Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-06
BY RING
Wedding Band Found on Body
of Mrs. Greever.
DEATH FROM DROWNING
Coroner Rejects Theory There May
Have Been Foul Play.
W0MAN'S SCREAMS HEARD
Fort Hunt Soldiers Tell of Hearing
Cries on Night Pastors
Wife Disappeared.
W0MAN'S SCREAMS HEARD


Mrs. Roberta Greever, wife of Rev. w. H
Greever of Columbia, S. c., who disap.
peared from 18th and F streets northwest
the afternoon of Saturday, February II
The body was discovered yesterday after.
noon.
y. II. Kohn of Columbia, S. c., accom-
panied Rev. Greever to this city They
reached here shortly before noon ant
went to police headquarters, where the,
conferred with Inspector Boardman an6
Detective Armstrong, later going to the
morgue. The articles of jewelry taker
from the body were turned over to the
| mn,st
The identified ton of the body termi-
mated the long search which has been
made by the husband, brother, brother-in-
law and a host of friends of the popular
Lutheran minister and cleared the mys-
! terry which SO completely puzzled the po-
lice
Stories told by artillerymen at Fort
Hunt of having heard screams of a wom-
an on the reservation the night of Febru-
airy II. about three hours after Mrs.
| Greever disappeared from her nurse, sug-
gested to Capt r. f. Mcmillan, post
| commander the possibility of foul play,
| ana lie TepOI Tue lUtiueut 10 SOIOHei
Kerby. The latter attached no impor-
| lance to the incident.
Result of Investigation.
| Because Of the absence of papers from
| the Virginia authorities, Coroner hewitt
| this morning made an investigation and
gave certificate Of death by drowning.
The certificate does not contain sug-
| NJ in,
! the water Dr. hewitt heard statements
| concerning Mrs. Growers condition be-
| fore she fled from her nurse. lie also
was told that about twenty years ago
Mrs. Greever suffered an attack of mel
ancholia.
| 1t is thought that Mrs Greever, who
had expressed a desire to see her three
| children at Columbia, :. C., and TaZewell,
| Va, started to walk to these places and
| fell in the river.
Captain Sees Body.
| The police first became active when
Christian Jansen, captain of the naval
| tug Indian, reported having seen a body
! floating in the river about twenty yards
off the end of the abandoned pier at Fort
Hunt. about g o'clock Thursday evening.
| Lieut.. Dean and crew went down the river
in the Nigilant yesterday morning in
| search.
| Nothing was see nof the body by the
crew of the boat. The river shores were
| searched a S far down as GlymOnt. On the
return trip the Vigilant reached Fort
| Hunt about one hour after the body had
been found on the shore only short dis
lance from the new wharf. Private John
l.. Austin of the 47th Coast Artillery dis
covered the body while gathering grass
| for a duck blind.
The high tide of yesterday morning de-
posted the body at the extreme edge of
hgh-water mark and behind log. There
was little likelihood OF the next tide tax
| ing it away.
What are you doing there?' Private
Austin called. when lie saw the feet. He
afterward explained that he thought one
of the sOldiery was lying there.
But IN an instant 1 realized my mis-
take" Private Austin told a Star re-
porter, land it was some minutes before
L could get myself together.
Wedding Ring Identification.
Only three of the soldiers knew of the
finding of the body, until after Capt r.
F. Mcmillan, commander of the post, had
been notified. DR.. H. NJ Darnall, post
surgeon, went to the river front and ex-
amned the body. He had d card giving
the description of Mrs Greever. The
clothing. he soon found tailed with what
was contained in the printed descrip-
ton, and there was also the plain gold
band wedding ring on her finger. but
the ring was not removed until the
rival Of Coroner a. d. Kerby: 1t was
found to contain the inscription, wv. H.
G. to n. r. B., June 81 1901
Detective Armstrong and Lieut.. Dean
examined the ring when it was taken
from Mrs. Greevers hand on the wharf
last night. read the inscription, and were
then certain of the identification. Capt.
1f.t Int1 l3l until l.yp
guard the corpse on the shore until the
coroner reached the military reservation
about s O'Clock He would not permit
any one to touch the body, fearing in
reference by the state officials.
Womans Voice Heard.
1t was while Lieut. Dean, Detective
Armstrong and others We're waiting for
the arrival of Coroner Kerby that Capt.
| Mcmillan related the story of a womans
voice having been heard on or near the
| reservation Saturday night. February II,
| between and . O'Clock, about three
hours after Mrs. Greever disappeared
| from her nurse, Miss Louise Ryan, at
| 18th and + streets northwest.
Corporal Cameron was on guard that
night, and he and two others heard the
voice. One of the men says he under
stood the woman to say, Don't strike
me again, George" while another artii-
leryman said he heard a smothered cry
Of Mother and moaning. The sound
came from the direction OF the marsh to
the south of the reservation.
Sunday morning the incident was re-
ported to headquarters. Capt. Mcmillan
promptly ordered out entire company
to make an investigation. The artillery
men made d thorough search of the res
ervation and waterfront, some of them
going out on the ice, but no trace of any
one was found. 1t was recalled at the
| fort last night that a man was drowned
| in the river between Forts Hunt and
Washington that night and that voices
| from the opposite side of the river were
distinctly heard.
Coroner Kerby was inclined to believe
| that Mrs Greever had fallen in the river
about the city and that the strong cur
rent of recent days had washed her body
down stream. He turned the body over
| to Lieut.. Dean and it was brought to the
| city.
Brother Arrives Here.
, Adolph r. Bruegel, brother of Mrs.
| Greever, arrived here from Philadelphia
| early last night and went to the morgue.