The New York herald., 1921-05-04
RIVER YIELDS BODY
OF MRS. RANKINE
No Bruises to Indicate Nio-
lence, but All Valuable
Jewels Are Gone.
MISSING SINCE APRIL l
Widow Who Shared Legacy
Of 81, 100000 Disappeared
After Motor Drive.

The body of Mrs. Annette Kingsley
Rankine OF Il East Sixtieth street,
who disappeared from the vicinity of
Fifty ninth street and Second avenue
late in the afternoon of April l. was
picked up late yesterday afternoon by
a police launch Off the Marine Division
of Thirty-ninth street, Brooklyn. The
body was taken to the Kings County
Morgue. in Clarkson avenue, Brook
lyn, and at 10:30 o'clock last night 1t
was identified by Miss Sphinx. who had
been nurse and companion to Mrs.
Ranlxine for many years. and by the
dead woman's chauffeur. Frank Clout-
Ing. who was driving her car on the
afternoon she disappeared.
Mrs. Rankine's body was viewed in
the presence Of DR.. c. II. Magma, ad-
n1ittance physician at the Morgue who
has begun an examination to determine
II possible whether Mrs. Rankine was
murdered. DR.. Magma said last night
sEat so far as he had proceeded he had
been able to find no signs of violence.
The only thing that has developed SO
| far that leads the police to think Mrs.
Rankine might have been murdered Is
the fact that all her Jewels are missing.
When she disappeared on April she
was said to have worn a gold wedding
ring. ring with a ruby and two dia-
monds and another ring set with two
sapphires and one diamond. all in gold
mountings. The condition Of the hands
on the body found yesterday. however,
| was such that the rings might easily
have slipped off.
Miss Sphinx arrived at the morgue in
company with Clouting and John j.
Pender, assistant superintendent Of the
Pinkerton Detective agency. After she
had viewed the body she refused to make
any comment and would not say to re-
porters whether IL was that OF Mrs. Ran
kline. Pender and the chauffeur. how
ever. as well as detective who came
with the party from the Missing Per-
sons Bureau In Manhattan said that she
had stated positively that the body was
that OF Mrs. Rankine.
The detectives said Miss SPHINX ex-
amined every bit of clothing on the body
and apparently came to the conclusion
that the apparel was the same as worn
body had been 80 long in the water that
Ii would not have been possible to make
the identification from 1t alone. DR..
Magma said that to eliminate whatever
uncertainty might remain chart OF the
teeth In the body would be taken this
morning and compared with the chart OF
Mrs. Rankine's teeth. which is on flle
with her dentist
Mrs. Rankine was the widow OF WILL
lam Birch Rankine, who left her a for
tune approximating s1,000.000. She
made her home with other members Of
her family. including a brother. Benja-
min Norton. at the house In East Six
.ieth street. The last time that any of
her relatives saw her alive was early
In the afternoon, when she went out in
her automobile. At ~Fifty-ninth street
and Second avenue, for some unex-
planned reason. she left her car. telling
the chauffeur 10 wait.
The chauffeur saw her walking toward
the public market at the terminal or the
greensboro Bridge and then his atten-
tion was turned to something else. He
tried 10 find her after she had been gone
some time. but. failing. turned the car
nome and reported the disappearance to
her brother.