The Washington times., 1921-04-26
RUPP'S WIDOW
TO Be QU|zzED
BYGRANDJURY
Investigation by Secret Service
Agents Casts Doubt on
Theory of Suicide.

NORFOLK, Va, April 26.-De-
termined to clear up the mystery
surrounding the death of Lieut.. D.
A. Rupp, U. S. A, the United
States grand jury will begin an in
vestigation next Monday.
Mrs. Rupp, the young wife of the
dead officer; Colonel Hensley, COM
manding officer of Langley Field,
and other officers have been sum-
moned to appear before the jury in
this city.
NOT SUICIDE. BELIEF.
| That Rupp's death was not by his
own hand has been the belief of mem
| bers of his family and friends of the
cnicer at Hampton and Langley Field
Efforts on the part of army au-
thorities to conceal certain circum-
stances preceding the tragedy first
gave rise to the suspicion that the
| whole story of the officers ending had
rot been made public.
| The officer, who had been the
center of sensational happenings at
The air service post. died of carbolic
| acid poisoning month or more after
lie had admitted responsibility for an
attack, on his wife in their quarters. =
| RUPP'S RELATIVES DIssATTsFIED
| Fora month or more agents of the
| Department OF Justice have been in
estigating the death of the officer
Relatives were dissat isfed with the
findings OF the army board of inquiry.
| which held that Rupp had died from
carbolIc acid. accidentally."
At the request of one of Rupps
hrotherJ. the department assigned
several Secret Service men to the
case, and it is assumed that sum
cient evidence has been unearthed to
| justify presenting the case to the
| Federal grand jury.
Acting District Attorney d. Law
renee Groner today said that wit
nesses having knowledge of circum-
stances surrounding the officers
death will be put before the grand
jury.
FOUND DYING ON FLOOR.
According to meager information
given out by the army authorities
| concerning the officers death. he was
found lying on the floor Of his bed
| room unconscious at IL o'clock at
night by Mrs. Rupp. She had only
returned to the post the day before.
Burns about the mouth indicated that
he had swallowed some poison, pre-
sumably carbolis acid.
| Later a greasy coat, covered with
carbolic acid. was found in the quar-
| ters. but there had been so much de-
lay in getting detectives on the
scene that it was believed that much
| evidence had disappeared which
might have aided in solving the
tragedy
Mrs. Rupp. who ia at the home of
relatives in a suburb Of Philadelphia.
has been interviewed by agents Of
the Department of Justice. She made
| a statement to the army board OF
| inquiry. in which she is said to have
| husbands death.
THE ATTACK ON MRS. RUPP.
"The Rupp case" as it has come
to be widely known, had it's inception
the night of December 16, when Mrs.
Rupp was reported to have been at
tackled in her bedroom at the lieu
tenants quarters. The report given
out at the time was that her as
sailant, or one of them, was woman.
There was talk of the civil author.
ties of Elizabeth county, in which
Langley Field is located, making ar
| Investigation. No formal request was
| made, however, and ten days later
Lieutenant Rupp walked into a news
paper office in Newport News and
gave out a signed statement, in which
he admitted "full responsibility" for
the attack on his wife.
| MADE LATER DENIAL.
| The alleged confession Is said to
have been repudiated by Rupp before
his desCh, and his friends assert that
he made the statement to quiet pub.
lie talk.
| In January orders were issued by
the War Department transferring the
Cfficer. who had been auartermaster
at Langley Field, to Honolulu. Ia
stead OF carrying out the orders, he
IS said to have sought his discharge
from the army through strong pollt-
ical influences. While his application
was pending he remained at Langley
Field. In his statement in December
the lieutenant said he had requested
the commanding officer at Langley
| Field to have board of medical cf-
| fcers examine him with a view to his
| transfer to a hospital for treatment.