The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-11
ONCE WORKED IN
RICHMOND ST0Rl
BODY OF MURDERED WOMAN AZ
MOST POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED
IN PETERSBURG.
HAD BEEN MARRIEl
GAME To RICHMOND MONTH AG
SUPPOSEDLY, ALTHOUGH NO
TRACE OF HER HAS
BEEN FOUND.

After rumor has been sifted down
its source and SO far as 1t has pee
possible to ascertain all the aileg9
facts, 1t is now believed that the DOG,
of rhe murdered woman who was fcHs1
in a lonely spot on the Bon Air ro9
on July 9Th. Is that of Florence D0u4
las, alias Florence Elliott, alias F1o1
ence Byers, alias Florence McDonAiI
a comparatively young woman Va
had spent her recent years In the a
gregated districts Of both RichmofI
and Petersburg. and who. on accOu1
OF her dark, olive complexion,
| regarded by some as one OF whtI
birth, by others as OF negro oriGiI
CHIEF Ragland. OF Petersburg, Is con
fdent that the facts. IL they ever
unearthed will prove that 1t was TIL
Florence OF the many aliases who w
so foully murdered. She was in Pei
ersburg four months ago. and staa4
there that she was a native OF Ric1
mond On account OF her color,
was driven from place TO place, SOM
times living as white woman. SONY
times as a negro woman. But IT ~
never established TO which race q
belonged. She was unfortunate in TIM
her life prevented her. possibly. frol
proclaiming her true origin. But.
IL be the same woman who lived aitel
nately in the two cities and was mul
dered In Chesterfield county. she ~
probably white. for she had been ma
ried In this city, and once worked
a prominent Broad-Street store.
child was born TO her. and 1t was afts1
wards placed in home for infants
Baltimore. Her husband later secure
a divorce.
According to information received |
Chief Ragland. and County OMcl
Flynn. of Chesterfield county,
woman left Petersburg month a
saying that she vas returning
Richmond Captain Mcmahon decaii1
Sergeant Bailey TO make invsstig1
tons in the segregated district heI
but. as he found, ID had been = loN
time since Florence Douglas had bed
seen here.
With the exception OF the heiglI
the descriptions Of the dead wom4
and of Florence Douglas tally. even
the scars left by a surgical operatio
Though everything 10 now based }
speculation, IL seems that It may
finally proved that Fiore
Douglas was murderee, either In Ric
| mond OF Petersburg, and thar her Hu
than inhaman slayer carted her boz
10 EnaS 1QIA6AFn 8p1h oh ZIG fss1s
road. and there stripped IL OF all { 4
ing so as to prevent Identification
then bound a handkerchief around \
throat 80 that the wound which r
killed her might never be found :
II 10 regarded as possible that she m
never be Identified. a. the body n
remained 10 long exposed.
Captain MoMahcn Giving Aid.
Though the case 10 not within
jurisdiction, Captain Mcmahon IL 81
ing such advisory aid A. he can, al
WAS the first to hear that the bod
of the dead woman might be that
the missing Florence Douglas.
turned the information over 10 I
County Ofticer Flynn. and that ofiic
has busted himself diligently on q
case.
Mrs. Samuel Martin. who was r
ported missing from Chesterfd
county has never been considered
the police as entering the case. III
body was discovered on July sth ~
Mrs Martin did not leave home un
July Tth. Besides. her husband foul
her yesterday afternoon. and took b
into Captain McMahon's ONCE. M
Martin said she would absolutely a
live with her husband. and. a. II ~
no case for him, Captain McMah@
shooed them out.