Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-03
Four Stab Wounds in Body Be.
|ieved by Coroner to Have
Been SeIf-InfIicted.
FOUND BY COL ORED MAN
NEAR THE DIXIE LANDING
Victim Had Been Melancholy Owing
to Illness Autopsy Disproves
Murder Theory.

Rumors Of q murder spread through
the police department yesterday after
noon following the finding OF the body
Of George w. Collins, sixty-four years
old. Of 1417 G street northeast, in the
river. with four stab wounds near the
heart.
Detectives from police headquarters
hurried to the District morgue. while the
police of the seventh precinct started an
Investigation when informed Of the stabs
in the body. An autopsy performed sew
eral hours later. however. led the cor
oner and the detectives to believe that
the wounds were self inflicted
The autopsy revealed that death re-
suited from drowning, and not from the
wounds, however. The fact that water
was found in the lungs showed that
death had resulted after the body was
by the acting coroner that the wounds
would have later resulted in death. as
the lungs had been punctured.
Body Found By George Frye.
The body was found floating in the
river near Dixie Landing by George
Frye, colored.. while he was crossing to
the District side from one Of the stone
quarries in Virginia.
William M. Collins, q son, was at the
morgue about the time the body reached
there In charge Of the harbor police and
he identified 1t. Young Mr.. Collins, who
is employed as clerk in the Navy De-
partment. was unable to conceal his
grief. He had last seen his father alive
when he went to his place OF employ
ment from his home at 1417 G street
northeast Friday morning, and when. he
reached home that afternoon and learned
of the absence Of his father he became
alarmed and appealed to the police ia
find him.
DR.. Charles NJ. Emmons, acting deputy
coroner, performed the autopsy at the
clusion that death had resulted from
drowning, he stated the wounds were
q contributing cause.
It was found that a knife blade had
passed between the ribs and touched the
lungs. and a serious hemorrhage had
resulted.
Police Trace His Movements,
As soon as 1t was learned that there
were stab wounds in the body Capt
Schneider Of the seventh precinct and
Lieut.. Giles OF the Tenleytown police
district started an investigation along
the river with q view to tracing Collins
movements prior to his disappearance
Detectives Evans and ODea also tool
q
being In attendance at the morgue when
DR.. Emmons performed the autopsy.
Mounted Policeman Kuster learned
that Harry Troup. son Of a foreman on
the canal near the outlet lock. about
one mile from the Aqueduct bridge, about
2 O'clock Friday afternoon. -.
In order to. reach the river at shat
point 1t was necessary for Mr.. Collins
to cross the canal. He could have reach
al fho tnv1 70 q OF fh0
duct bridge or he could have passed un-
der It had he gone as far as Lock Cove,
about q mile farther west, but he prob
ably had q reason for wanting to cross
near the Troup home, where there IL an
opening in the canal wall.
That reason, the police think, was be-
cause he probably had stabbed himself
and concluded he had made SO bad q
job of his attempt or was suffering 80
much pain that he thought jumping into
the water would make certain his death.
Even then he had to walk a short dis
lance from shore in order to reach deep
water.
Appeared Entirely Sober.
Young Troup told Capt. Schneider.
Sergt. Easley and Policemen Heide and
Law the story of having taken the
stranger across the canal He said there
was nothing unusual about the actions
Of his passenger. He said he merely
asked that he be taken over and the boy
accommodated him. He said that the
man appeared to be entirely sober and
that he said nothing as to why he wanted
to cross the stream or where he was 60
ing when he got across.
1t appears that Mr.. Collins, a sufferer
from stomach trouble, had been melan.
choly at times. although he had never
given any intimation that he contem.
plated taking his life. The condition OF
his stomach as revealed by the autopsy
DR.. Emmons stated. suggested that he
had been q sufferer.
When the autopsy was finished an un.
dertaker took charge Of the body and
prepared it for burial The certificate OF
death was not given last night. It will
show that death resulted from drowning
but the question Of how he got into the
water will be determined probably today
Mr.. Collins was a native of Delaware
He served in the civil war and many
years of his life were spent In Philadel-
phia. He resided at the G street ad-
dress with his son and daughter, Flu.
neral arrangements will be completed to-
day.