New Britain herald., 1917-09-20
Said to Be Investigating Possible Implication With Taft Case-No Autopsy Ordered on Mrs. TObin.

Although no formal confirmation has been secured by police author ities, it is said that efforts are being made to duplicate in the Taft mur- der, William J. Wise. now under ar rest at New Britain hospital on the charge of having murdered Mrs. Anna Bacon Tobin of 12 Maple street early yesterday morning on Pearl street. Wise, who formerly worked in restaurants, was familiar with the night life of this city and Hartford and the police are wondering whether he was connected with the murder of the chauffeur or whether he had any knowledge of the guilty party.
 Wise still persists in his story that he and Mrs. Tobin were attacked by an unknown man as they were bid ding each other good night on Pearl street The police are frankly skep- tical and consider his story without basis in fact
 Wise Expected to Recover.
 The statement given to Policeman Hellberg and Medical Examiner FL cock shortly after the murder does not differ materially from the one Wise made yesterday afternoon to Prosecutor Klett and Detectives Bam- forth and Richardson. Just what this statement, which it is said was taken down verbatim by a stenographer, says Is not known but the authorities claim that it does not differ material ly from the other one and does not duplicate any definite person. The razor slashes on the face and neck suffered by Wise are not very serious and at the hospital it is stated that he will recover. In the meantime he is at all times guarded by a police man. Those who have been permit ted to talk with the accused soldier claim that he seems to take his pre- dicament calmly, does not appear to be frightened at the prospect of the gallows which, authorities state, stares him in the face and consistently maintains that he is innocent.
 According to the first story told the police by Wise, he had stopped on Pearl street Wednesday morning at about 1 30 o'clock to kiss Mrs. Tobin good bye when he was attacked from the rear by a strange man who knocked him down and chased the girl. The man then returned, kicked him, took his razor from his (Wise's) pocket, again chased the girl and slashed her and then came back and slashed him. Wise claimed that he did not know who the stranger was. The police place absolutely no cred ence to this story. and are apparently working on the sumption that Wise himself slashed the girl and then at tempted suicide. The razor with which the deed was committed is said to have been one that was given to Wise, in common with the other sol diers at Fort Slocun, the gift of George Gould, the New York million alre.
 Woman Not Considered Murderer.
 Another theory put forth in some quarters to the effect that Mrs. Tobin may have first attempted to slash Wise and then took her own life is secuted by the authorities. In the first place they claim that no person could have inflicted such a wound on themselves with a razor as the one across the victims throat. They also claim that were this the case there would be no reason for Wise to hide the fact and think that he would 1m- mediately tell of the incident. A num- Der of friends of the accused soldier are said to be working hard to obtain additional information which might show him to be innocent of the crime
 The body of Mrs. Tobin, which was kept at tho undertaking rooms of Erickson and Carlson yesterday, will be moved to the home of MT. Tobin's father at BIO Maple street and may be viewed by relatives, and friends be- tween the hours of 10 A. M. and P M tomorrow The funeral which will be private, will be held later in the day and interment will be in Fairview cemetery. Rev. H. l. Bod ley, pastor of St. Marks church, will conduct the service.
 People long connected with the po- lice department and others who have followed court proceedings are open today in their astonishment that no autopsy has been performed on the body. One authority states that this is the first murder case that he knows of where a post mOrten examination has not been held to determine the ex- act cause of death. It is said that un- der the law positive proof of the cause of death must be shown, even though such cause may be Obvious For instance in the case of the mur- der of the Rev. Joseph Zebrs who was shot and strangled, the cause of death was evident, yet an autopsy was held to prove that it was these things that actually caused death. Thus in this case it is thought queer that no a utopsy has been ordered to prove conclusively that no other cause con- +r;J, tO hn oi r1 hal