The Washington herald., 1918-05-19
Hidden IN Clump Of Bushes
Four Miles from
Town.
ONE BREAKS DOWN
ON SEEING BODY
Robert Newman Weeps; c.
E. Gamble Shows Only
Suriness.
WIFE OF MARINE SAYS
SHE LOVED GAMBLE BETTER
Mrs. Harry Burgess. One of Party
Will Be Held as
Witness.

Terribly deCompoSed, the Dody
of John P. Werrcs, missing jit-
ncy driver, to whose murder on
May 10 two army deserters have
confessed, was found late yestcr-
day afternoon in a clump oi
bushes at Torreyson's station on
what is known as the Bon Air
property, near Bluemont Junction
four miles from Washington.
identification of the body was
made through signet ring on
the dead mans finger. A scarf
pin with his initials engraved on
it was also found on him. His
wallet having in it his chauffeur's
card was found a short distance
from the body.
sIayers Find Body. -..
Two soldiers. Charles Earl Gamble,
and Robert Newman. pFivates in Com
pany a. soist Engineers. stationed at
Glenburnie. Nd. who have confessed
10 the MURDER. led the searching par
ties to the scene of the crime,
In the roadway was found glass
from a broken bottle. with which
they said the man was killed. The
iron bar with which. according to the
soldiers confession WeTres was
beaten. could not be found.
When the scene of the murder was
reached the soldiers told the driver
to halt and the searching party
climbed the 12-foot emtankment al
i, the side of the road. A few minutes
later Headquarters Detective Hugh
lett shouted to his comrades that he
had located the body. At the cry
Newman broke down and wept-
The body was badly decompOsed.
While the searchers were in the
woods looking for the body. the two
soldiers were kept under cloSe guard
in the automobile. Gamble throughout
bore an indifferent and surly air, but
his companion evidently realized the
gravity OF the offense and was visibly
afraid.
Mrs. Harry Burgess, IS years old,
"the woman in the case" admitted to
detectives yesterday that she was in
the automobile at the time of the mur-
der. and directed a searching party
early yesterday morning. She was un-
able. however. to find the spot where
the mans body was.
.Loyed Gamble Better,
Mrs. Burgess husband is in the
Marine Corps. stationed at Guam
tico. Va She told the police yes
terday that she was going with
Gamble because she loved him bet
ter than her husband. While she
was on the fatal automobile trip
with Gamble. her five-month-old
baby died and II was buried before
she could reach her home in Laurel,
Md.
After conducting the unsuccess-
ful search yesterday morning Mrs.
Burgess was taken to the Alexan-
dria county Jail at Fort Myer
Heights. She is being held. as a
States witness.
Immediately after finding the
body. the two soldiers were whisked
away to the Alexandria County Jail.
The first person they saw as they
entered the corridor was Mrs.
Burgess.
The woman wept bitterly when
she saw Gamble and threw herself
down on the little bench in the little
cell.
Tried to Console.
Gamble tried to console her and
said: Don't cry about it, kid, you
won't get in wrong"
Detectives who were present when
the body of werres was found were
astonished at the ability Of the soi-
diers to locate the spot. The banh
the soldiers had to climb Is fuzzy
twelve feet in height and they walked
with their victim fully seventy-flve
yards where they laid him in a thick
underbrush. The entire ground is m
a thick underbrush and is seldom
traversed by anyone. Had the sol-
diers not been able to locate the spo,.
there Is probability that the BODY
never would have been found.
Werres, who was employed in the
Government Printing Office. drove a
'jitney" on H s'reet northeast after
Cfice hours. last FRIDAY he left
his home, z710 Bladensburg road
northeast, to keep an engagement
with two soldiers and two girls who
had hired him to drive ther, about
the city,
The soldiers state that an argu.
ment followed his refusal to drive
them any further after reaching
the little station at Torreyson's s.
Newman admits thath he struck
Werres with a near-beer bottle,
rendering him unconscious When
he revived a second blow with a
bottle was struck and was followed
by q blow with an Iron rod. The
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