The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-06-20
ARMY SURGEON
CALLED SLAYER
OF J.P.PIPER
Can't. w. J. Condor of Re.
serve Corps Held for Ex-
tradition.
BODY LONG SECRETED
New Brunswick Prosecutor
Says 1t Was Hid i'm Doctors
Cellar Since February.
BODY LONG SECRETED

New BRUNSWICK, y. j.. June l9.-
Capt. William J. Condor OF the United
States Army Medical Reserve Corps.
long a resident of New Brunswick.
where he had a large and lucrative prac-
tice, was to-day formally charged with
the murder Of John Vincent Piper. the
Rutgers College post graduate student
who mysteriously disappeared on Feb
ruary II last. 1t is further charged that
the bedy of Piper was secreted i'm the
cellar Of DR.. Condon's home In this city
until a few hours prior to its being
found in a field near Spotswood early
Saturday morning.
Capt. Condor. who left last Friday
night for Fort Oglethorpe. Georgia.
about ten miles from Chattanooga
Tenn, is under military arrest and Is
sbeing held for the action of the New
yJersey authorities. County Detective
" Pellitier went to Trenton to-day. where
H he obtained extradition papers for Con-
don's return signed by Gov. Edge This
done he proceeded at once to Fort Ogle-
thorpe for his prisoner.
Motive Is Not Established.
John E, Strickier. Prosecutor of Mid
dlesex county. who preferred the charge
Of murder against DR.. Condor. asserts
that he has established every link in his
chain Of circumstantial evidence except
a motive for the crime. This he says he
hopes to do tomorrow, and that with
the evidence already in his possession
be can prove beyond doubt that Pipers
cody was secreted all these months N
he Condor home.
af hn mi
Of Vermont. was "a years ole. married
and the father of two children. He was
taking a course in botany at Rutgers
and was working his way through. sup
porting himself and family by perform
Ing chores about New Brunswick. For
the most part these consisted of caring
for furnaces, Condon's among them. He
vas last seen alive the might he went
to Condon's home to close up the fur
mace for the night His disappearance
was reported the next day by his wife.
who was nearly distracted by his proA
tracted absence from home. When the
futile search for the missing student
stretched into Gays Mrs. Piper took her
little children back to Vermont to the
home OF her parents.
Condor a Pistol Expert.
Since then there have been many ugly
rumors current in New Brunswick as TO
Piper's presence in the Condor home
the night Of his disappearance. In con-
necfion with these rumors IL was re-
called that Condor was a crack pistol
shot and that he frequently went armed.
1t is further said that he had a habit
while talking with friends Of slipping
his pistol from his pocket and either
brandishing 1t about or levelling at
those to whom he was talking. This.
his friends say. was especially true
when the physician was In his cups.
Gossip became so rife that Condor
engaged a lawyer to protect him from
what he characterized as the "slander-
Gus suggestions" that he might know
something about the Piper case The
entrance OF a lawyer into the case had
toe effect Of bridling the tongues of the
sossips for time at least
But the gossip broke out afresh a
lew days ago when lawyer. whose
identity the Prosecutor withRolds. con-
hded to Mr.. Strickler startling informa-
ton brought 10 him by AlonzO Well
ington, negro whQ was employed about
the Condor place few days before
Piper's body was found. Wellington told
the. lawyer that while at work in the
cellar he had seen crumpled up In a
dark corner the body of a man. The
negro added that he believed the body
was that or Piper
Search Reveals Lime.
4 day or two after this the Prosecutor
and Others In the absence Of Condor.
visited the cellar and thoroughly
searched II. No. trace Of the body was
found, but In the corner indicated by
wilmington there was liberal sprinkling
OF unslacked lime. There was an un-
wholesome odor about the place which
the prosecutor since asserts left no doubt
In his mind that a human body long
dead had been concealed thereabout.
number of laborers were at work
last Friday on the road where Piper's .
body was found the day following.
There was no trace of IL there then The
next morning these same workmen found
II The body was covered with lime, the
white substance having sifted into the
pockets of the dead man. From effects
found in the pockets the identity of
Piper was quickly established. While
the authorities were going over these
effects. receipts and letters addressed to
Piper, Dr. Condor was speeding on his
way to Join his regiment at Fort Ogle-
thorpe.
Clothing streaked with Lime.
Samples of the lime taken from Pipers
Dody were compared with line found In
the Piper cellar Lime also was found In
the tonneau OF DR.. Condons automobile,
last used by him on Friday night. Mr..
Steckler charges A search OF the
closets of the Condor home. the Prose-
eutor says. revealed a suit OF the ply
scians clothes which was streaked with
lime. Some of the substance also had
sfted into the coat pockets.
Bits of mud picked up from the
roadside where the body was found Were
taken to the Condor garage and COM
pared with mud on the wheels Of the
Condor car. The Prosecutor says the
character Of the soil thus compared was
IDENTICAL
In forging his chain OF evidence Prose
outor Stickler lays especial stress on the
palms Condor went to let every one know
that he was leaving New Brunswick fol
his war duties on Friday night. He
even went SO far. Mr.. Strickler asserts
as to call at the Office Of one Of the loca