Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-01-03
SHERIFF INVESTIGATING
THE RAILROAD TRAGEDY
Believe Unidentified Man Was
Round to Tracks Near 0denton.
HIS BODY TORN TO sHREDS.
Rope Made Of Plated Burlsp Found
Near Scene Gives Rise t, ThsrrY
Of Horrible Crime.

.
of this county has today been making
a diligent inquiry into the circum-
stances surrounding the death of the
urid entitled white man. whose decap-
itated and otherwise badly mutilated
body was found on the tracks of the
Pennsylvania railroad about two miles
south Of 0denton station early Thurs
day morning, he has thus far been
unable to dig up any tangible clues
tending to support the theory that
the man was the victim of murderous
assailants.
Meantime the mangled parts Of
the body picked up at the scene of
the tragedy are in the hands of I'm
dertaker r. Thomas Williams. Of
Waterbury, this county, awaiting in
structions from the Sheriff as to their
interment. The Sheriff thought il
the proper course to hold the remains
pending the result of the investiga-
tion.
Sheriff Beasley has not been in
Annapolis today He and several of
his deputies have been busliy engaged
in working the case between Balti-
more and 0denton, as well as Wash
ihgton, as it was a southbound car
that killed the unfortunate man.
This was indicated by piece Of his
undershirt that was found Oh the cow
catcher of an engins in Washington.
IL is known, however, that no new
information concerning the two
strange men who were seen to board
the midnight train az odenton for
Baltimore about an hour following
the time the man is supposed to have
been struck by the train, has been
gathered. The authorities have no
working description of these two
men. They were seen, however, at
Odenton several minutes before the
arrival of the midnight train Wednes-
day by Mr.. John Watts, well known
resident of that vicinity.
Many pers ms, however, still in
cined to the belief that the man was
murdered that he was either secure
ly bound to the track to await the
horribls fate of being ground to
pieces, or that he was killed and his
body placed on the tracks to cloud his
death in one Of suicide. The pieces
of rope, made of plated burlap, found
near the fragments of the body, is
the strongest evidence in support of
this theory. A strip of THE rope, it
is said, was fastened to one of the
tracks, and the legs of the vic.im
showed marks that they had been tied
with it.
Undertaken Williams this after
noon stated chat absolutely nothing
had been discovered that would fur
nish means of establishing the
identity of the body, and it is ex-
peeted, therefore, that the remains
will be laid away with the simple
ceremony that attends the burial of
paupers.
If the theories advanced prove
correct, the crime is about the most
horrible in the criminal annals of
Anne Arundel county and for a time
TODAY il caused much excitement
among residents of the neighborhood.
1t was about o'clock yesterday
morning that the gruesome discovery
was made in the darkness by Isaac
Wilson, track-walker employed by
the railroad company. Wilson first
saw part of the trunk of the body.
Near by was the head and later on the
dismembered leg, and other parts
were found not far away. 1t was not
until about daybreak that it was found
that the man had evidently been LASH
ed to the rails before a train struck
him.
This theory seems to be borne Jut
by the fact that piece of rope made
of plated burlao was found fastened
at one side of the rail. and there were
pieces of the same material tied to
one of the legs. Other strips were
found that had probably been severed
when the train struck the victim.
From these facts many incline to be-
lieve that the mans death was not
case of suicide, nor was he accident
ally struck by the train. From mute
evidence gathered it is believed by
some of the county authorities that
the man was the victim Of murderer
or murderers; that be was securely
bound to the track to await the awful
fate of being ground to pieces by
| flying locomotive. The head was COM
pletely decapitated, one leg was sew
cred and the rest of the body was
literally ground to bits.
fragments Of the limbs an or gans,.
as well as strips of the mans cloth
ing, were picked up here and there
about the track, and Sheriff Beasley
was notified last night chat a strip Cf
al undershirt was found on the cow
catcher of an engine in Washington,
thus indicating that the train that
struck the victim was southbound be-
tween Baltimore and Washington.
The man is believed to have been
killed by The flyer" that passed
Odenton Station at 1O:4 o'clock We'd
nesday night.
The Sheriff stated that he would
conduct thorough investigation to-
day. with the view of obtaining all
possible information bearing upon the
theory that the unfortunate man was