Evening journal., 1913-09-23
SLAIN THEN
ROBBED ON
COUNTRY ROAD
Delaware County Authorities
Suspect That W. H. Gregg
Was Murdered
YOUTH WAYLAID WHILE
ON WAY TO CITY

George Golly. Of No 204 East Sixth
street, went TO the office of Deputy |
Coroner r. p. Cloud, at Marcus Hook,
at II o'clock last night, and identi-
fled the body of the young man who
was found lying dead near the en-
trance Of Lawn Croft Cemetery, on
Sunday morning. as that of his
nephew, William Howard Gregg, IL
years old, of No. 200 East Seventh
street, this city. The Identification
was brought about by the newspaper
description of the dead youth. It is
believed that young Gregg was on his
way to this city when he met with the
injuries that resulted in his death.
AS the investigation in the case
progresses the theory of foul play in
connection with the manner in which
the youth met his death, grows strong
er. The injuries which caused his
death are OF such a peculiar nature
that the coroner and county detective,
of Delaware county, Pa, are both at
] loss to account for them. Il is the
general belief that the young man
was murdered, with robbery as the
cause. When the body was found by
the crew OF a trolley car Sunday
morning, it was lying near the tracks,
as though it might have been struck
by trolley car, but the pockets of the
clothing we're turned inside out and
had been rifled of all their contents,
while the ring finger of the young
man was bruised and all appearances
indicated that ring had been torn
roughly from the finger
The finding OF the coroner's physician,
DIR. Fl. Furness Taylor, would indicate
that the foul play rumor was the right
solution. He stated that the young man
! had been struck in the back Of the head
by a blunt instrument, and it is hard to
J account for the hole in the skull unless
= it was made by weapon welded by
human hands, and not the result of an
accident.
: Another peculiar incident that points
} TO foul play is the queer nature of the
wounds upon the body. An examination
. BY the Delaware county coroners ; physi.
clan Yesterday disclosed that the man
r suffered two deep gashes.-nne about tvs
4 inches above the right knee joint, an6
= the other four inches above the left Knee
Y Joint. The wounds are clean cut, giving
d the impression that they may have beer
4 made by sharp instrument; yet, at tho
/ same time, underclothing or trousers or
y the body do not show any cults or tears
/ Damage to the trousers, a cut or teal
J. must have resulted had the young mar
= received the injuries accidentally. Botl
!. wounds were slashed deep to the bone
the clean cut denoting the use OF sharI
+ instrument. yet only. one clot of blood
was found upon the garments, that upoI
: the left leg of the underclothing. Ih'
I trousers which the victim wore were mo-
;. lamaged
! Fully two thousand persons have Wis
! tied the Mlrcus Hook morgue du1ni
the time the body has been there. &C
cording to the statement made by Dep
: utv Coroner Cloud The most of tn
: persons who came 10 view the remain
= came from the vicinity of Chester an
philadelphia, although there were
considerable number from this city an
T. other Delaware towns and few iror
New Jersey An aged woman fror
Camden. \. j.. called at the morgu
a YESTERDAY to see il the dead youth wa
J., her son who has long been missing froI
q home Her relief was great when sh
u discovered that the body was not tina
II of her boy. A number OF the person
! who saw the body yesterday said the
II had seen the young man before, and wv
@ men from this city stated positivel
that thev had o. n seen him here The
a stated that he was a baseball play'
q and they had sec him in the vicinlt
of the Christiana Athletic Club II wa
II not. however, until Mr. Golley calle
m late last night that the body was pos
g lively identified.
is At fist there was theory th'
le Young Gregg had been struck by an AZ
j. tomobile but this was discredited
r, the fact that there were no signs OF al
ia tomobile tracks, or signs OF fall'
lie body near the spot or within hundr'
feet Of the place. There were !
rs. bloodstains upon the grass or roadwa
er but only on the platform and beneai
Us the head of the body. Twenty cen
re- was found in the grass few feet avs
ne from the body and the detective b
an lieves this NAV have rolled from q
sc victims pockets
er The post mortem examination W
ut made Yesterday afternoon by Coroner
ed phvsician H. Furness Taylor. 4
m fuil findings were not announced, q
physician and coroner merely statii
that the Young man had come TO
death as the result Of blow on {
N. head. which fractured the skull inhict
N. in some unknown manner. County j.
NJ. tective O'TOole declared that in
NJ. opinion the yeung man had met
death while on the platform, which a
NJ. Joins the tracks of the Southern Pen
Al sylvania Traction Company's Chest'
so Wilmington division lines opposi
NV Lawn Croft Cemetery.
OF Gregg's uncle will go 20 Marc
Hook this afternoon to make arrang
. ments to have the body. brought
this city. No arrangements have be
been made for the funeral.
Gregg. who was II years old la
Tuesday. has been missing from hoI
about three weeks. Until four wee
> ago he was employed as messeng
, for the Wilmington Morning New
and after leaving that position he ]
4 II mained around his home for about
week. Three weeks ago he left hol
without saying a word TO anyone. a
, Il is believed he went 10 Philadelpf
! TO work.
Gregg lived at No. 200 East Sever
street. with his mother, Mrs. Mini
A Gregg. His father is living. but
parents separated several years al
y and his father does not reside her