The Washington herald., 1913-04-14
BURNS ENGAGED
in MARTIN CASE
American Detective Takes Up
Mysterious Disappearance
Of Memphis Millionaire.
NEW THEORIES ADVANCED
Little Doubt Is Expressed that Cotton
Factor Was Murdered, with
Robbery a. Motive.

London. April 13.-William ]. Burns
the American detective, tonight wa.
called into the investigation Of the dis.
appearance Of Joseph Wilberforce Mar
phis, Tenn. Lockhart Anderson, a
whose apartment Martin was staying
while here and with whom he was t.
have sailed for the United States on La
France on the day following his mys
terious disappearance, called upon Mr.
Burns at the Hotel Savoy tonight ant
presented the facts to the detective
Within an hour the American detective
was at work upon the case. and late
tonight expressed the belief that he
would be successful in his search fol
some trace of the missing man.
The Scotland Yard detectives admitted
today that they are baffled at tive cir
cumstances surrounding the case. The
police investigation is now in chargs
of Sir Melville McNaughton, assistant
commissioner of police. This action wa'
taken after the Identification yesterday
of the battered silk hat and stripped
pocket book belonging to the missing
man.
Little Doubt of Murder.
It was learned tonight that Scotland
Yard did not seriously consider the dis
appearance of Mr.. Martin until follow
ikr the finding of the silk hat and purse
near the Thames embankment. The po-
lice now assert that there is no doubt
but the man was murdered, and his
body thrown into the Thames.
They are working on the theory thai
robbery was the motive.
II is known that when Mr.. Martin
left his friends Anderson and Capt
Prior, in front Of the Royal Automobile
Club on the evening of April 3. that
he carried bank notes to the value oil
several thousand dollars in the pocket
book which was found near the river
When found, the black morocco GOVERNS
of the book had been ripped on al
sides.
The police have held to the belief for
week that Martin was in the company OF
the person with whom he left his friends
to keep an appointment on the evening
when he was last seen alive.
The possibility that Martin may be still
alive, or that. in the event of his death by
violence. his body was removed to Some
remote place and buried. entered the case
tonight.
Police Have New Theories.
A
the hat and purse belonging to the miss
ing man were found shows that 1t would
be possible fer one travelling IN an out
going train from Charing Cross Station
to throw the hat and purse from the NOV
ing train so that they might land on the
spot where found 1t Is thought that IN
the event Of the articles being thrown
from the train, it was the intention OF
the person to throw them into the river.
but owing to the darkness the throw was
i'll judged. and the hat and purse landed
on the embankment.
The dragging of the Thames In the
vicinity of where the articles were
found has disclosed no additional evil
dence, and many of the investigators
are now led to believe that the body
was not thrown into the river. al
though there is possibility that II
might have been carried some distance
away by the current.
The most bathing feature OF the en-
tire case is the simultaneous disap-
pearance of the beautiful Brazilian
woman with whom Martin had an APP
pointment on the evening he disap-
peared. Detectives have secured the
West End cafes and resorts which she
was known to have frequented prevf-
Gus to Martins disappearance. but so
far no trace of the woman has been
found.