Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-06-21
FIND WEALTHY
WIDOW KILLED
IN HOTEL ROOM
Finger Prints On Thighs
Only Mark On Body
Police Bafled.

woman in the City Hall Square no
tel, 81 West Randolph, between the
hours of IL o'clock Thursday night
and s yesterday morning, has pre-
sented the police with the most
battling case in recent months.
They believe she was murdered,
though so far investigation has
failed to disclose the cause OF
death. A man who accompanied
her and registered as husband and
wife, disappeared during the night,
no one having seen him depart
1t might be called the case or a
thousand angles. Letters, notations
in a personal notebook, with names,
addresses, cryptic references, and
other data found in the woman's
handbag, carry one all over Amer
lea and across the Pacific oceah
into the orient. Only the dead wom-
an and the persons named in alb
breviated fashion can interpret the
notebook.
A Wealthy Widow.
The woman was identified yester-
day at the Western Casket COM
pany, 1T North Michigan avenue,
as Mrs. Anna Pocock, a wealthy
widow, formerly of Canton, o., Dut
who prior to and since the death of
her husband in 1914 has been living
in Chicago, lately at 1888 Winthrop
avenue.
She was identified by her son,
Harry F. Pocock of 334 East Fifty
sixth street, an employe of Adds a
Co., accountants. However his
Identification only added another
element of mystery to the case. He
displayed no emotion when ae
viewed the body and said he mao
no theory as to how she met death.
So far as he knew she had no
suitor, he said, and he knew virtual
ly nothing of her life in Chicago.
He last saw her five days ago, when
she visited his home and helped
take a number of camera pictures
of his little son. At that time she
seemed happy and in the best Of
health.
Companion Enages Room.
1t was 1850 o'clock Thursday
night when a gray haired man with
an English accent and fashionably
attired in a summer suit and straw
hat, approached the desk of the City
Hall Square hotel and accosted
Frank J. Kenmore of 172 East Su-
perior street, the night clerk.
81 would like to reserve a room
for myself and WIFE" he said.
Kenmore handed him pen and
he inscribed on the register a name
and address Kenmore could not de-
cipher
BEG pardon, but I cannot make
this out" he said
81. S. Mintren," said the man, a
shade of annoyance passing over
his face
Registered From Iowa
The signature read, ~. S. MintreL
and wife, Baldwin, Iowa." as nearly
as Kenmore could translate the
name of the town. Kenmore then
summoned a beIlboy. He did not see
Mrs Pocock. She had remained il
the woman's waiting room.
The belIboy, Edward Sorenson of
1924 North Clark street, cav her,
but had no conversation with her,
as he escorted the couple to room
6O7.
Boy" said her companion at the
door of the room, bring me a
pitcher of iced water. And, say. boy,
leave call for me at a. m"
That was all. That was the last
time Mrs. Pocok was seen alive
and the last time any one saw her
companion Occupar-s of adjoining
rooms heard no sound from CO.,
nnOFIoTff tho niOhf E-Unn tho hell
boy, when he brought the ice water,
heard no one. He raped at the
door and then left it outside.
Call Unanswered.
At o'clock the next morning
Sorenson and Kenmore, the night
clerk, had gone home, but the day
clerk saw the call and had the hotel
telephone operator ring 607. She
rang for several minutes. Then
ceased. She thought nothing of the
matter, as guests frequently leave
calls and fail to observe them.
At 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon
making her rounds She raped at
607. There was no response She
opened the door with her skeleton
Key anu 6ALtTtu- DldSOudlly dCIOSo
the bed lay Mrs. Pocock, in a silken
night dress. Mrs. ONeill thought at
first she was asleep. On nearer view
she found she was dead.
Authorities Summoned.
She summoned the day clerk, who
in turn notified the authorities. Cor
oner Peter NJ. Hoffman, Detective
Sergeants John Prendergast and
Charles McGurn of the central
station and Detective Sergeant VIII
liam ONeill Of the bureau were the
first to arrive. Coroner Hoffman I'M
mediately summoned Drs- William
H. Burmeister and William McNal-
ly. city chemist.
These two conducted hasty
postmortem Of the stomach con-
tents and the heart They found
only traces of alcohol and those
very slight A more thorough chem
ical analysis is being conducted to
determine whether there is any
poison present
And here develops another re
angle OF the case. Coroner
Peter NJ. Hoffman said:
g l. - a.