Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-10-26
County Coroner Brigh, DE.
clares Death of Mrs. Had
ley Due to Drowning.
Continued From First pagc.)

Ne"lbcr 80. 1918, having been notified
mat the body OF Il white woman had
oeen found there. lie found the body
"rhpped In Il raincoat. among other
'hinss. and Il piece of wire was fas-
.ehcd around the body. one end OF
mich was loose. as though something
winch had been secured by IL had
broken away. The body was frozen
AtlR. the physician said. but a super
iicial examination failed to reveal any
evidences of violence or foul play
further than that indicated by the
presence OF the wire around the wais,
ana the supposition that a weight
had been fastened to tho wire and
had broken away. He Identified the
ra!ncoat. dress. corset and other ar
,iclcs OF wearing apparel as those
which had been taken from the bod
OF Mrs. IIadley.
Reveals Negative Condition.
On December 1 the bod;, was still
TOO frozen to permit Of Il post-mortcn
c1amination. hut careful and pains
mixing examination OF the exterior of
tho BODY was made at Nelson's morsuc
80 evidence Of violence was found
when the post-mortem was finally
held, whnt Dr. Bright described rs
n negative condition" was revealed
While DIR. Bright repeated that tho
presence of the wire would seem 10
indicate that the woman had come
TO her death by unlawful means. the
examination itself disclosed nothing
that would Indicate foul play. This
heart and lungs showed n "negativc''
condition, DR.. Bright saying that, in
his opinion. death was due 70 drown
ing. There WAS no water In tho
. runEs--just "A little fluid there.
What" asked Senator Gum. leads
You to conclude that death was due
10 drowning"
Il arrived at that conclusions" re-
piled the doctor. through the pro-
cess OF elimination. We excluded
every other possible cause Of death"
Or. Bright thought the body had been
in tho water abont q month.
Roliin g. Epps. colorcd. was then
called. He Was hauling wood. he
said. In the vicinity OF wcsthamp,on
bridge some time in November. 1918
after Arinistic. Day. but before
Thanksgiving Day-whcn the team
In which he was riding was held up
awhile hy "a passing Chesapeake and
Ohio train. Nearby he saw "a white
lady and "a gentleman in an army
"ihcer's uniform" in Conversation.
They were standing still. the white
ihdy's" arm slipped through the
officers.
Got Boy To Help Him.
III get this boy TO help me-" he
heard the officer shy.
The officer asked him 10 assist I'm
launching a canoe. which was over
turned In a shed nearby. The,
rugged" II 10 the bank Of the James
river. placing IL halfway I'm the
water. The white lady Epps said.
was afraid To get In the boat. but
the officer urged her 10 get iu. and
suggested. after she had complied.
Nat she put on her ralncoat. She
h.mnrred, saying that IL VAS not
coz! but Epps told her she would
Ind !. chilly" on the water. she
y9nn"d the coat. Epps identified DIR.
had!.y as Ia. army officer he mad
assisted with the boat. The rain
coat he thought was the one worn
10y the white lady" and The Skin,
he remembered because 1t had ..poll a
dots"
The noXt witness called was AHs
y. H. Evans. OF Cincinnati, Ohio.
sister OF the late Mrs. iiadloy. SIN.
Jfst saw her sister alive about four
years ago. She came TO Richmond
she said and identified the BODY posi-
lively as that OF her sister ate,
II mad been placed in Nelson's morpu.
Ihc rolka-dot dress was one that she
had given Mrs. Hadley, she said
Mrs Evans told Of receiving a LOT
ter from DR.. Had!cy on December :
l'ie' postmarkcd Atlanta, Ga, in
winch the physician told of the
de"th or his wife from pneumonia
IN forto Rico and OF her burial in
INC American cemetery there. The
letter WAS couched in endcarinr
terms. told of the writer's grief and
sympathizcd with Mrs. Evans.
Gives "DetniIs" OF wite's death"
Dr. Hadiey again wrote to Mrs
h'ans from Texas on January . 1919
IN which he expressed a desire 10
give more definitely and in detail"
an account Of his wifc's death. He
gas stun suffering from grief. he
said, and was SO broken up that he
thought he'd never attcmpt To nr.c-
tce medicine" again. Her sisters
life with DR.. Hadley, she said. al
ways seemed happy"
Mrs. Arthur u. King. who lived nov,
door to where the 1Iadleys roomed an
West Grace Street, was called to tho
stand. She had frequently conversed
j,Tith Mrs. IIadley. and Mrs. IIadIev
Rad frequently visited at her house
after she and the doctor had moved
from the West Grace Street address.
She last saw her alive on Sunday. No
fcmber 3, when Mrs. 'IIadley called at
her house. She wore. the witness
said. the green sweater which was
produced in court and which WAS
found on her body in james River.
Mrs. J. W. Hill. nce Cora Clark. at
whose house tho Hadlcys roomed in
i9lS, and up TO the time of Mrs. Had
icy's disappearance. was the next
witness. She told OF the last time
shc saw Mrs. IIadley. which was
some Time in November. 1918. of her
going out with the doctor and OF his
returning alone. lie explained. she
s;'id' that Mrs. Hadley had gone on
an automobile trip with n party Of
a w