Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-13
English Police Convinced Joseph
WiIberforce Martin Was Slain
and Body Thrown in River.
NOW LOOKING FOR WOMAN
Believe Beautiful Brazilian Holds
Clew to Mystery Of Rich Cotton
Operators Disappearance.
Special Gable to The American.

Special Gable to The American.
LONDON. April 12.-The Scotland
Yard authorities tonight are con-
WINGED that Joseph Wilberforce Mar
tin, the millionaire cotton man OF
Memphis. was murdered and his body
thrown in the Thames. Martin dis
appeared on April 3, just after closing
a $250,000 land deal here,
This conclusion was reached upon
The finding of the silk hat which Mar
tan wore and the purse he carried
when last seen alive in a park near
Hungerford Bridge on the Thames
embankment. The purse was empty,
save for few cards bearing his
name.
The London police are tonight
searching the city for the strikingly
beautiful Brazilian woman with whom
Martin had an appointment on the
evening of his mysterious disappear
ance.
The police are working on the
theory that Martin was attacked
while in the company Of the Brazil
ian woman and robbed by men whom
they believe to have been accom-
plices of the woman. II is believed
that the clearing up of the death of
Martin will disclose the woman as
the leader of a band which has been
operating in England and on the
Continent for some time
Drag Thames for Body.
Within a few hours after the find
ing of the hat and purse which have
been positively identified as belong
ing to the missing man. the police
were dragging the Thames for Mar
TINS oody and Scotland Yard detec-
lives expressed confidence tonight
that their search would be success
full.
The hat and purse were found by
George Barnes, laborer. who turned
the articles over to the lost property
bureau at the Charing Cross Police
Station. They were later sent to Scot
land Yard, where it was quickly no
ticed that both hat and purse bore the
initials - w. NJ" LOckhart Ander-
son, a personal friend Of Martin. and
with whom he was staying while in
London, identified both articles as be-
longing to the missing man. The
purse contained a number OF visiting
cards bearing the name Of Martin, bur
nothing else.
Barnes told the police tonight that
he found the hat and purse on Fri
day morning. April 4. The purse did
not contain any money and he slipped
it into his pocket. as he did not con-
slider it of any importance.
Finder Couldn't Read.
Barnes said he showed it to mis-
wife. but as neither Of them could
read they did not know that The
cards and steamship passage slip had
anything TO do with the disappear
ance Of the American cotton planter.
Yesterday a companion Of Barnes
was reading TO him newspaper &C
count of the search for Martin in
which the purse was described.
why. I've got that mans pocket
book and hat at home" said Barnes
He hurried homo and found his
wife in the act of throwing the arti-
eIes into the fire.
Il was learned tonight that when
Martin left the Royal Automobile
club he had something over $1,000 in
his wallet. This has disappeared and
the black morocco cover OF the case
had been ripped loose TO make sure
that no bank notes were concealed
beneath it.
Searching for Woman.
The case. Of Mr.. Martin tool. such a
sinister tmn that the police doubly
increased their search foT- the mys-
FERROUS Brazilian woman. The police
are now carefully covering every por-
ton Of the south end for the woman,
whose identity is known TO them and
who is knosn to have resided there at
the time she met Martin.
While tie police have SO far re-
fused to disclose the theory as having
two motives. one being robbery and
the other CT more personal nature,
it has been learned from Mr. Ander-
sen that when he left his friend Mar
tin in front Of the Royal Automobile
club onsthe evening Of April 8, Mar
tin carried in mis- wahe. several thois-
sand dollars iE English oa' notes
on n. afternoon Of the day # his
Continued on Page ?, colunaA 3.