The Washington times., 1921-04-07
BODY TAKEN TO
GULLY IN AUTO
Machine Seen Near Death Spot
Taken to Substantiate ~
Murder Theory. o.
HAT FOUND NEAR SKELET0J n
Police Cling to Belief That VIC
tim Is Missing Marine
Lieutenant.

The man whose badly decomposed
body was found in a ravine about
seventy-five yards from the Rock
Vile Georgetown pike, near the
Georgetown University Preparatory
School on Tuesday afternoon, was
robbed and slain in Washington.
This is the opinion Of Sheriff George
E. Nicholson, of Montgomery coun-
ty, who has been working on the
case with the assistance Of Wash
ington and Baltimore detectives.
MURDER THEORY DETAILED.
NICHOLSON thinks the man. who IL
is believed may be Walker Edward
Franklin, a Marine lieutenant who
disappeared from the Raleigh Hotel
last september, was slain by Wash
ington criminals. robbed. and his
body taken in an automobile to the
lonely ravine where II was found by
]. Shelton Andrews. an employe OF
the preparatory school
In support of the murder thSory II
was revealed today that:
The ''e-. .fhcne and several ribs
e the skeleton were broken and
the position Of the fractured RIBS
showed they might have pierced
the heart.
The man wore expeasive elethinS
and the Anger nails shSw q mani
curist's care. but only fsur pennies
were found on the bsdy.
caretaker Of q nearby estnte
declares an automobile stOppeA On
the road near where the body was
found one night about six or seven
months ago and sped aw.y after
pause long enough to have permit
ted Its occupants to place the beAy
In the ravfne.
These new clues, together with the
previous discovery OF a can Of chloride
OF lime, which may have been
sprinkled on the body to destroy IL,
and vial of chloroform near the
body have convinced Nicholson that
the man was done to death.
FIND MISSING Arm.
Search Of the place where the boAy
was found has disclosed the missing
arm, which Tuesday afternoon caused
the officers to believe that the man
had but one arm. 1t was several yards
from the body. where it may have
been dropped by some animal or q
scavenger bird. The bones of tho
mans hands were small.
Late yesterday afternoon Q green
felt hat of an expensive make was
found but a short distance from the
skeleton This also, in the opinion
Of the sheriff, shows that the man
undoubtedly was we'll to do.
The discovery Of the broken boDss
Of the skeleton was made last night
by Nicholson and w. r.. Pumphrey. a
Rockville undertaken. who has chargs
Of the body.
The mysterious automobile mat
stopped on the road near the place
where the body was found, was seen
to draw up close to the side of the
road. according to q caretaker of An
estate in the immediate vicinity. Tho
man became suspicious and watched
the machine for a time. as he feared
an attempt was about to be made to
rob the home OF his employer, who
was away at the time.
sped away and the caretaker dismiss
ed 1t from his mind until last even
ing, when he heard Of the finding of
the body. He communicated WishE
Sheriff Nicholson. who theabUxG4
1t was in this machine that a. &<6r
body was carried to the DxoGn
thrown into the Yavine. 2<>|
THINK DoDY rnAurrxTNso
Tho washington police have not
given up the theory that the body is
that OF Lieutenant Franklin. The
fact that the man wore shoes of an
army officer leads them to believe
that he held rank in some branch Of
the United States service.
Sheriff Nicholson and States At
torney Thomas L. Dawson received
Information yesterday afteN .on that
an army officer ha' appeared
while a guest at the Beiveoere Hotel
in Baltimore some time ago. They
went to Baltimore iast night and
questioned employees of the hotel, but
the description of the missing officer
did not tally with that of the skels-
ton.
A small patch Of reddish hair vas
found by Montgomery county officta1s
In their examination of the slCull q
the. man last night. A measurement
of the bones. together with the sfsA
leads them to believe the man was
about s feet s inches tall and weigh
ed about $50 pounds.
Bryan's Brother Elected.
| LINCOLN. Neb., April 7.-G. w.
Bryan, brother of William JENNINGS
Bryan. will be a member OF Lnco'n's