Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-20

here were all the marks or cold.
blooded, an unusual and an Imagination.
stirring crime!
And where was the missing part OF the
body7 In what suit case did 1t hide?
The work Of looking through the fiotsam
in the baggage cell now went on swiftly.
spurred by the grimmest interest But in
none Of the opened receptacles was the
missing half of the murdered mani
Nor was there one who remembered
who had left the case. 1t bore a brass
oval checkroom tag marked No. 1895. The
records showed that 1t had been deposited
some time in November. 1915. 1t had lain
for month in the checkroom and then
had been sent to the cellar. where It had
rested with its grisly contents for more
than three and half years. On ono end
were the initials II. N. A" and on the
other "a. W." An attempt had been made
to obliterate both.
At once the police were confronted with
a series Of mysteries. Why had the muir
Gerer taken this extraordinary means Of
disposing Of the fragments7 There were
at least half dozen other ways Of getting
rid Of them. There we're the rivers The
case. weighted little, could have been
thrown there to disappear forever in the
bottom mud. Within easy reach of New
York are scores Of out-of-the-way places
where 1t could have been hidden or buried.
Why had the slayer taken this one extra.
ordinary method7 Why had he checked
the suitcase. 30 running an obvious risk OF
discovery through the accidental opening
or the bag and subsequent Identification
by the clerk who had taken 1t? And why
had he picked out the Mills Hotel7
There could be but one answer-he had
expected to return for It, But. again, why?
What possible incentive could there be for
the preservation OF the gruesome contents
Of the case?
Had It been, after all, no murder, but
simply that a poor medical student had
taken this means OF disposing OF his
anatomical specimens for a time? Analy-
sis OF the manner In which the bones had
been cut soon set this doubt at rest. Emf
nent surgical experts unheSitatingly gave
the verdict that severance had been done
by hands ignorant Of the faintest surgical
knowledge. They had been sawed and
broken for one purpose only-to At in the
suit case. common hack saw had been
used The police were back exactly TO
where they were before!
But stop-there was an hypothesis which
would ut the facts. suppose the murdered
man had Leen put out OF the way by COM
rand Of some organization. some govern
ment, even. some executive counsel per-
haps Of body engaged In secret. sinister
activities. Suppose 1t had been necessary
for the executioner to bring proof that the
killing had beeA done-carry in true an
cient fashion the BODY Of the victim before
those who had cond mned him! Suppose
there had been not one, but two In the muir.
der and that each had taken part OF the
body to deliver! And suppose that hard
pressed by what mysterious emergency,
one Of these had found it necessary for q
time to free himself from his burden.
That would explain why he would check
!. like any ordinary piece Of luggage, hid
ing until the time came when he could
safely reclaim 1t: would explain, too. the
selection Of the Mills Hotel, for 1t was
known that place was the only one in the
city where such baggage would remain I'M