The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-15
DEATH IN HOTEL
BATTLES POLICE
Bruised Body of Ex-SOldier,
Recently Overseas, Found
in McAlpin.
MAY HAVE BEEN SLAIN
Registered With Friend Who
Left No Clue to His
Identity.
MAY HAVE BEEN SLAIN

luenUlCy.
A man, who is believed 10 have been
but a short time in civilian life after
service with the A. e. T. in France
was found dead in a room in the Hotel
McAlpin at 2:40 o'clock yesterday
afternoon. He registered with another
man at $3.50 o'clock yesterday rporning
and tossed SO bill on the room
clerks desk as indifferently as IL the
payment of that sum for a few hours
lodging for two was matter of nc
consequence.
The mans companion left the hote
without notice. He left what the police
consider proof that he had been in the
room after the other man died.
The cause of death, however, was
not certain. The dead man had a cut
over the left eye, from which much
blood had flowed. The cut might have
been caused by a blow or by a fall
against the metal back Of the bed
There was also some evidence that the
victim had been i'll.
DIR. Charles Norris. chief medical
examiner, said he thought the man had
been murdered. He said that, in addi-
ton to the cut over the eyebrow, there
were abrasions on the cheeks and the
forehead, He said that IL the man had
been injured in fall there would have
been blood marks where he struck
Blood was found only on the bed and
on the towel covering the face. The
man had been dead several hours when
found.
Carried French Coins.
If the dead man had any money in
quantity beside the bill with which he
entered the hotel II was not on him
when he was found. In purge were
twd French five centime pieces. one ten
centime piece. a German pfepnig and d
silver quarter. Besides the money the
evidence that he had been o soldier
overseas was a webbed tan belt bearing
the letters 20. NJ. c." the Insignia a
the army quarternaster's department.
An unusual feature of the case was
in the fact that the dead mans collar
socks and necktie were missing. He lay
in his underclothes. which were of army
stock, on one of the twin beds A towel
had been placed over his face after ne
died.
The men registered as P. ]. Pourerer
and G. +. Landon of New York city
The night clerk who assigned them tc
room No. 1897 on the fifteenth floor took
practically no notice of them. He ya.
unable to tell later which one had regis.
Tered as Pourerer. The clerk very busy
durinC the early morning hours. said
one OF the men asked for a room and
laid az ten dollar bill on the desk with.
out questions when that sum was asked
for. The clerk called a hallboy and sent
the mer up stairs.
The hallboy, John Harris, said the
men made Joking reference to a taxicat
ride Curing the trip in the elevator
when they made turn in the hall one
of their called Squads right"
Harris described the man later found
dead as the taller of the two. He was
about ) feet Z inches in height and
weighed 140 pounds. The hallboy said
the missing man was stockily built, with
dark hair, swarthy and clean shaven.
He wore dark suit and a straw hat
with a straight brim.
1t was the room clerks impression
that 1t was the taller, or the man found
dead. who did the talking at the desl,
and paid for the room. The hallboy's s
recollection was that the shorter man
took the lead in conversation in the
elevator and in the hall. He showed
the men into their room and received
a tip. Neither had baggage. The hall
boy was the last person to see them to-
gether in the hotel
Early yesterday afternoon maid in
making the round of the rooms on the
fifteenth floor went to No. 1897 1t was
marked on her slip as occupied. She
tried the door gently and II unlocked.
She partly opened 1t and saw the man
lying on one of the beds with a towel
over his face She notified Austen Dem
nistOn, chief house officer.
Police Notified.
Blood began to trickle from the cut
over the eye when Denniston attempted
to lift the body, and finding the man
dead, he notified Police Headquarters.
Inspector Cray, Capt. Carey and John
f. Joyce. Assistant District Attorney
in charge of the Homicide Bureau.
FASTENED to the hotel. DIR. Norris exam.
ined the body and ordered IL taken TO the
Bellevue morgue for an autopsy
Detectives filled the room and clint
tered up the hall outside of It, They
kept reporters from their chief. referring
them to Dennlston. The house officer
said the police and the medical examiner
had not reached a conclusion as to the
cause of death. He expressed belief thai
death had come from natural causes.
The dead mans clothing was on a
chair beside the bed. There was n blue
serge suit with the label of Talbot, man.
ufacturer, Boston. Low tan shoes had
the mark of Max Fe!dman, 1866 St
Nicholas avenue. A straw hat had the
mark of the seller, dealer at, Amster.