The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-07-25
POLICE FAIL TO
SOLVE MYSTERY
LAME OF WOMAN FOUND IN SHIRT
strongest Glass Fails to DecipheT
It Blurred and Indistinct.
Condition of Torn Clothes
Shows Victim Was Killed
While Lying Down.

cNuutUeU NoIOUcT ldllOF VIII not
he present, but it is probable that
he will later assist in the inYeSti-
CATION.
Coroner Taylor has had n great
deal Of experience in such cases
and has frons time TO time rem
dcrcd valuable assistance to the
police. His possible connection
with the case will mean no re-
Election upon the county officials.
lie il merely being called in a.
an expert. and Commonwealth
Attorney HaSkinS HObSOn. who
desires Coroner TaylOr'S assist
ancc. has been widely commended
i'm police circles for suggesting IT.
Though the county police force
has now been working upon the
mystery for twelve days, and
though numerous ClcwS have been
discovered. the identity of the VIC
tim and that of the murderer are
still absolutely unknown.
Except her stockings and one
garter. all the clothes of the muir
dcred woman have been found,
and the police have also diScOV-
cred number OF small articles
which belonged TO the woman
and which may ultimately assist
i'm establishing her identity.
WHY so TORN2
ShrcdS. aS if by a maniac They
were found scattered through the
bushes on the right-hand side of
The county road. between Forest
IiiIl and Bon Air. Several OF the
garments are bl0Od-staincd. All
appear to have been unncccSsa-
riIy mutilatCd.
Near the body was found the
bottle containing the dark fluid.
nv
COwan. of Bon Air. though il was
supposed that an effort would DC
made TO identify the bottle and
TO ascertain the nature of its
contents. The bottle bears the
name of a South Richmond drug
Grm-WciSigCF * Anderson
stamped in the glass.
Among other articles is a small
red pin-cuShion. There is n price
mark stamped on the bottom of
the cushion. and knowing that
all dry goods stores have their
distinctive marks the county Of
ficerS first thought of attempting
To find out if any local store sold
the pin-cushiOn. They later
changed their minds, however,
and have since kept il under lock
and key, holding ii, they say, for
what they declare may soon be
IAN important development"
Further. there il "a pair Of half
SOled shoes evidently worn by the
murdered woman. IL was SuG-
geSted to the Chesterfield officers
that the shoemaker who half
sOled the shoes could probably
recognize his work and might
furnish n valuable clcw as TO the
identity of the owner. There are
not many shocmakcrs i'm Rich
mOnd-nOt SO many that the
county police could not visit all
OF them i'm one day-but the Of
ficerS have decided to postpone
such inquiry until they find out
whether they are trying TO find
the murderer of white woman
or n coIorcd woman.
NAME FAMILY SEEN.
Examination of the clothes by a
reporter resulted in the discovery
OF Il partially Obiitcratcd name
in the front band of the WOman'S
ShirtWaiSt. The name had been
written in ink, but had faded so
that il could not be read. Even
the strongest glass failed TO rem
der assistance. The first name
appears TO begin with an II, the
last name with a w. but it is al
most impossible to he certain.
The examination of the clothes
mans throat was cpt while she
was lying down. There was no
blood to speak of on the shirt
Waist-eNcept on the cOllar-and
there was none on the under
clothes. If the WOman'S throat
had been cut while she was
standing or sitting her clothes
would have been soaked with
WIN TWO CIxURTCo
What is regarded as the great
est puzzle of the mystery is the
fact that two skirts have been
discovered. One Skirt-Of blue
Ser@c-Which matches the packet,
shows unmiStakabIe signs of wear,
and is an old skirt. The other
slSirt-Of tan serge-ScemS to
have been new. IL is blood
stained. There is no blood on
together with the condition of the
torn and mutlated garments,
leads to the questions:
Was the murder committed by II
man?
Was the tan skirt worn by the
murderer?
Would a man, even in great
haste and excited, have SO need
lessly torn the clothes?
Would n woman in a jealous
and maniacaI rage have torn up
the garments?
But then could woman have
carried the body into the woods
unasSiStcd?
These are questions for the de-
tcctiVes to consider, but at pres
cnt they are but little concerned
with them, for they are trying TO
learn whether they are looking
for the murderer OF white Wo-
man or a coiOred woman. and
now that the body, mexamined,
has been in the ground more than
than ten days il is by no means
certain that even the most careful
examination VIII answer the qucS-
ton.
y MENTAL PROBLEM.
To analyZe the mental processes
OF a murderer, who is fleeing from
the consequences of his crime, is
more than difficult. as excitement
and fear are often predominant.
Ii may he stated with reasonable
assurance, however, that the prin-
iOal in the Bon Air mystery
either made no pIans-as far as
lie disposition OF the clothes was
cOncerned-befOre committing the
crime. or having made some plan.
speedily abandoned it.
The clothes were torn of in or
Ter that Identification might be
impossible.
The clothes were then scattered
Along the roadside, where they
were sure TO be found.
The murderer must have had
some idea of getting rid Og the
clothing, but on his way TO Rich
nond, he appears 10 have become
panic-stricken. IL is possible that
he feared meeting with an oufO-