The Washington herald., 1912-04-06
MINISTER'S WIFE
DROWNED IN RIVER
Continued from Page One.

country in buggy from Fairfax Court
House.
He said an inquest was UNNECESSARY.
and being without certificate blanks did
not issue a death certificate. He gave
the police permission to remove the body.
1t was placed on a stretcher, carried
aboard the Vigilant, and removed here
to the morgue. Detective Sergt. Arm
strong Identified the body beyond ques-
ton of a doubt On the fourth finger
of Mrs. Greever's left hand was a plain
band gold ring. engraved Nv. II. g. to
n. II. b. June q. 1901"
Mrs Greever wore such a ring. bearing
the same initials and date. II was plac-
ed on her finger the day she became the
bride OF the Lutheran clergyman. A
fiowered-enamel gold bar pin. Identical
with one worn BY Mrs. Greever, was
found pinned at the throat of the waist
found on the body. A label bearing the
name "Erlebacher'' inside OF the collar
of a dark blue serge coat also was found
on the body. Such a coat, made by that
firm. was worn by Mrs. Greever.
But for the ring. pin. and label the
body probably never could have been
identified. Having been in the water
nearly two months. the body was unrec-
ognizabIe, and could not have been iden-
titled, it is said. even by her husband,
because Of the horrible decomposition.
Brother Reaches City. :
Notified by long-distance telephone,
Adolph Theodore BruegsI. brother Of
Mrs. Greever, arrived in Washington at
tO:9 o'clock last night, just a few
minutes after the body reached the
morgue. After learning that identifica-
ton was complete. he decided not to go
through the ordeal OF viewing the body.
Miss Louisa Ryan. of 1901 orcoran
street northwest, was forced to decline
the request of the police that she visit
the morgue and view the body to make
the Identification more complete. Her
ssiter. Miss Francis S. Ryan, went to
the morgue. gut at the advice OF officials
did not enter the death room.
Rev. DIR. Greever. the husband, who
returned to his home in Columbia. S. c.,
a few days ago. after doing everything
possible to aid the police in finding his
wife. was notified of the discovery of the
body by long distance telephone and told
the Identification was almost certain. The
grief-stricken churchman will arrive here
this morning.
Mrs. Greever was forty-four years old.
She was the daughter of the late Rev.
G. A. Bruegel, q Lutheran clergyman.
who had charges in Syracuse and Utica,
y. Y, Erie. Pa, and several cities in
the Lehigh Valley. After being graduated
from the female seminary at HagerstOwn.
Mrs. Greever taught in the public schools
in Syracuse.
Mother of Three.
She discontinued teaching to become
the bride OF Rev. DR.. Greever. now edI-
tor Of a religious paper in South Caro-
lima. Three children born to them. Wal
ton. aged nine; Miriam, aged six, and
Virginia, aged three and a half years,
are now at the home of DR.. Greever's
father and sister in Burke's Garden, Va.
The children We're taken there on No
vember l last, when Mrs. Greever's men,
tai condition made II necessary to re-
move her to this city for treatment.
While under the care Of specialists
here, Mrs GreeVer stopped at the home
OF the Misses Ryan in Corcoran street.
who cared for her in the capacity OF
trained nurses. On the afternoon of
February II Miss Louise Ryan and Mrs
Greever went shopping. About o'clock
they left a department store and stood
at Eleventh and F streets, awaiting a
car.
A woman, accompanied by a child.
made her way through the crowd and
addressed Mrs. Greever. The women
recognized each other as school chums.
though they had not seen each other
for years. Each had been married since
they parted. "reminiscences were ex-
changed. but the conversation was pain
full to Mrs. Greever. who was very sensi-
tive Of her mental condition.
Realizing she was causing her old
school Chum pain. the woman made her
adieu. Just before the woman left Mrs.
Greever looked at the child and in a
voice OF anguish exclaimed: ''She Is
just about the age of my baby" A
moment later the nurse looked around
to discover Mrs. Greever had vanished.
A few hours later the police search.
which did not end until last night. was
begun.
Boarded Mount Vernon Car.
The police believe that Mrs. Greever
walked south m Eleventh street to Penn
sylvania avenue, and thence to Twelfth
street. where she boarded a trolley car
for Mount Vernon. How she left the
trolley and wandered through the woods
to the wind-swept wharf can be only
imagined.
No arrangements have been made for
the funeral Mrs. Greever is survived by
her husband. three children, mother.
Mrs. G. A. Bruegel of GAINESVILLE. Ohio;
a brother. A. T. Bruegel, of Philadelphia,
and a sister, Mrs. w. ]. Oil. also OF
Philadelphia. \ certificate of death BY
accident probably will be issued by Cor
cner hewitt to-day after investigating