The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-02-13
Strong Suspicion of Murder
Causes District Attorney
Stroup to Order Full Inuesti-
cation By Coroner in Effort to-
Solue South FourteenthStreet
Mystery Wisp ofHair and a
Shred of Clothing May Help
to Identify Victim---Author-
tiles Seek Names of All Who
Haze Occupied the House
in Recent Years

A wisp of chestnut brown hair and
bit of calico with stripe running
through it are clues on which may
hinge the Identification of the body of
the girl whose bones were dug up in
the cellar of 1913 South Fourteenth
street, yesterday morning by plumbers
who were digging to lay sewer. There
is strong evidence to support the theory
that the girl was murdered. While
the authorities have not publicly COM
mitted themselves to the murder theory.
they are known to be investigating on
the belief that murder was done.
District Attorney Stroup said to-day
he has ordered Coroner sEckinger DO
make the fullest possible investigation
to include the names of all the persons
who have occupied the house in recent
years. He will later take un the case
himself.
The police looked through the records
and said at noon to-day that no report
of missing girl sent to police depart
ment could be connected with the find
ing of the bones in the cellar.
Body Burned Before Burial
There is no doubt in the minds of
the men who uncovered the bones that
the girl was murdered. DR.. R. l..
Perkins, Coroner's physician, who was
asked to make report on the bones,
said that he could not positively state
that murder had been done but he has
found from investigation this morning
that the body had first been burned in
a fire before it was inferred in the
basement.
Y. n. eastman, plumber, 206 South
Thirteenth street, whose men uncovered
the bones, is of the opinion that the
girl was murdered. He had the bones
removed to his shop and called in DR..
George H. Widder, who said they were
those of girl between the ages of 16
and Is years. The doctor advised
eastman to notify Coroner Eckinger.
The latter started his investigation at
! clock yesterday afternoon and last
night turned the bones over to Dr.
Perkins.
DIR. Perkins, after having worked ON
the case all morning, gave out the fol.
lowing:
81 believe the body was burned BY
fire before it was buried, for / have
burned other bones and the same marks
of discoloration have resulted.
''What was first believed to be
particle of flesh turned out to be a bit
of cloth, kind of calico with a faint
stripe running through it.
Some of the bones are missing,
among winch are the back and the
left side of the skull and the smaller
bones of the fingers and toes. The flesh
Will disappear from buried bones and
l believe that body had been buried
from ten to fifteen years, Judging from
the condition it is in.
Discovered by Plumbers
The plumbers, yesterday morning, in
seeking place to dig, found spot un-
der the cellar steps leading down from
the outside yard at the rear of the
building that seemed at first an s'old
ditch and there they dug. At the
depth of two feet they found the skull
of the inferred body.
Charles Thomas 126 South Thir-
teenth street, who made the gruesome
discovery, Immediately told eastman,
who ordered the hole to be opened up.
The cold ditch" was opened. The
body was found to have been crowded
into space two feet by three feet. It