The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-01
BODY OF GIRL FOUND.
Mabel Morris Met Her Death in tn
River.

The body of Mabel Morris, the 16-
year-old daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. VII
! liam Morris, who live at 1154 Buchanan
street, was found in the river late
/ Tuesday by Aubrey Labern and Ralph
and Arthur Wagner. The body was
found about cne-half mile below the
Sardou avenue bridge and shows indI-
cations of hay ing been in the water
about nine or ten days.
! The body was found just before dark
| by the boys while they were flshing
and they thought it was the body or
John Metty, who was drowned at the
| foot of Madison street about seven
weeks ago. Mrs. Metty was summoned
and the members of the family went
to look at it Tut could not identify It.
The body is in badly decomposed
condition. The boys who saw 1t dld
not take it out of the water but noti-
| fed the Metty family and did not learn
that it was the body of girl until
after members of the Metty family ar
rived. The face was the only part OIL
the body that appeared above the wa
ter and it was in such condition thaI
they could not determine the color.
After discovering that it was the pody
of female coloFed person, the coroner
was notified and he identified it as the
body of the Morris girl who disappear
ed on the night of Sunday, April Il.
The body was taken out of the water
and turned over to Stonestreet q
Gaines. the dndertakers-
Drs. L. V. Sans and J. T. Joss made
a post moftem examination this morn
ing and were unable to discover any
marks of violence and nothing to in
dictate that her body was thrown IN
the river for the purpose of hiding
evidence of criminal assault. 1t is their
opinion that she either committed sui
eide or that her body was thrown IN
the river by some unknown person or
1a1Tt fl1nx md Ia
unable to advance any motive for the
crime, whatever it might have been.
The body was thoroughly clothed and
the garments did not appear to have
been disturbed excepting by the water
1t is the opinion of the physicians that
death resulted from drowning.
A bracelet which she wore on one
wrist and four rings which she wore
on her fingers were found IN their
proper places and there was nothlns
missing but d watch which she wore
on her breast which was held by
chateIaine The chatelaine was found
sticking in her waist but the watch
was missing but this might have been
done while dragging the body out OF
the water and up a high bank of the
river or it might have been caught
on a snag or other debris Wnile IN
the water and torn away.
Mr. and Mrs. Morris believe that the
girl met with foul play.
Andy Douglass is the last person to
be seen with the girl. That was on
the night of Sunday, April p, when he
and the girl were seen walking togeth-
er from her home. Douglass insists
that he left her after walking about
a block from her home but witnesses
have been discovered who claim that
they saw him and the girl together on
sixth and Kansas avenue about o:so
or IL o'clock that night and that they
either got on a street car or were wait
ing for one at the time.
Nothing has been heard of the glfi
since that time but it was believed
that she was in Kansas City until the
body was found in the river last night.
Positive Identification was established
nv b. T. Alexander, an uncle of the
unfortunate girl.
The police put in considerable time
on the case last week but were unable
to learn anything that could be con-
sidered a valuable clue excepting that
which was secured from Douglass.
They have continued in the work until
the present time but have now stopped
work on the case pending the DECISION
of the coroner's inquest.
Coroner Bumgardner empaneied
iurv this morning which viewed the
body and then adjourned until O'Clock