The Washington times., 1913-03-20

Il PrOuty, neighbOr:
II never saw a man show so plain
ly his mortal dread Of poison.
surrounding the death of the admiral
commenced the day following his burial;
| John III. Scott. State detective, ana
John Condor, deputy sheriff of Pock-
| land, declared at first that no evidence
had been found to justify an arrest;
! On March 5, it was announced that
Prof. W. F. Whitney, of the Harvard
Medical School, had reported to Dis
trict Attorney Albert +. Baker. of Ply
mouth county. that Admiral Eaton died
of poison-and that the poison was
chloral. This was followed Immediately
by the sudden calling of an inquest on
| the Eaton case before the bingham s6s-
/ sion of the Second Plymouth district
court A special session of the Ply
1 mouth grand jury was caleld for the
Monday following to hear evidence re-
lating to the case.
Reported He Had Enemy.
| 1t was also learned that the State
police believed they had sufficient evil
| dence for an arrest. The members of
| tn family were reported to hav dclard
| that tn admiral had accidentally taken
| an overdose of some drug. There was
| talk that the admiral had an enemy;
that he had on one accession gone to
! neighbor in Assinippi and requested The
| loan of a shotgun-that he wanted to
| kill a skunk. II was given out al about
this time that Mrs. Ralph Preble Keyes.
| the admirars step-dauGhter, had said
| that the admiral was addicted to drugs,
| smoked "hasheesh." drank heavily and
| that she thought h. actually poisoned
| his adopted baby, and that members
| of the family feared he might poison
| them. She declared she often feared
that he had attempted TO experiment
| upon the family with drugs.
| About this time a sensation was
| caused by the statement of Mrs Har-
! rison that, although she believed the
admiraI's death had been due to acute
indigestion following a hevy meal of
fresh pork. nevertheless her dughter
| was queer. Il wos reported that this
theory was shared by neighbors of the
Eatons. Mrs. Eaton was declared to
| be sensitive. highly-strung. and with
| nature which at times caused her to get
into n temper. Il look for an exami
nation as 10 her mental condition be-
fore this affair is over" Mrs Harrison
Is alleged to have declared.
Possible Suicide Considered.
During the investigation by the Ply
mouth grand jury on Monday, the ques-
ton of a possible suicide was consid-
cred. Judge Pratt. VINO presided at the
investigation. declared that This case
| seems So important that l shall weigh
with unusual care every statement TO
be included in my report" He added
that the report would not be ready un-
| til the end of the week.
| The report of the naval officer sta
toned at the Boston navy yard, Sur
geon Dessez, did not undertake to
make any additional investigation
into the cause of the admirafs death.
but simply reported 1t in accordance
with the statement contained in the
\ death certificate. 1t was explained
that the function of naval surgeons
| in such cases is strictly limited to
| learning the cause of the death with
| reference to the ability of the widow
| or minor children to receive a pen
sion. This depends entirely, it was
said. upon whether the death result
ed from causes incident to the serv-
| ice.
Regarding the failure of the Navy
| Department to take notice Of the ad-
mirars death it is declared a report
will be made on an alleged request
! for military honors at the grave. 1t
was said that the widow had re-
quested Commandant Coffman. of the
| Charlestown navy yard, to honor the
admiral. and that he had sent word
/ he would be present at the funeral
4
othy Virginia Eaton, a guard was
asked. but was not furnished. Miss
Eaton says the request was made at
the solicitation of the rear admiraIs
| widow.
! No Probe By Department.
The attempt to connect c. D. Aims
worth, divorced husband of Mrs. Eaton,
| with the case did not produce substan-
| tial results. 1t was asserted that tie
authorities had learned that Answorth
used TO go TO Ridge Hill Grove, in
Norwell. and meet Mrs. Eaton. and that
the admiral had conceived the idea that
his wife was supplying her divorced
husband with money. search for
Ainsworth was Immediately commenced
On March II 1t was officially stated
that the Navy Department would make
no investigation of Admiral Eaton's
death. II was declared that the law
provides that a military escort shall
not be provided in funerals of officials
where any expense is involved This
meant II was declared. that the funeral
being at some distance from Charles
town navy yard, the commandant was
within his rights in not providing the
escort asked for by the Eaton family
In the meantime the Eaton home IN
bingham had been placed under a
strong guard of police and detectives
Members of the family had been close
ly watched and AL sorts of stories
were afloat regarding details of the ad-
miraTs death ard various events OF his
life.
Mrs. Keyes the admirals step-daugh-
ter, came to the court room no heavily
yelled that her features could not be
| seen. 1t was declared that since the
death of ,dmiral Eaton. this step
daughter had denounced him in scath-
ing terms.
Among the witnesses examined
early this week were Or. Joseph
Frame. of NorweIl. the Eaton family
doctor: Ralph p. Keyes. of Dorches-
ter husband of daughter of Mrs.
Eaton by a former marriage. and DR..
c. H. Colgate. of Rockland. The hear
ing was postponed on Wednesday,
although the State sDent the day
securing the country about Bingham
for additional witnesses and evidence
to use in the case.
Rear Admiral Eaton was born in Ala
bama, January 60 1877. He entered the
Naval Academy in 1863, and graduated
~,