The Washington times., 1921-10-16

result the body was discovered. j. E
Olcott, an elderly Summer resident, had
persisted In the search when others had
given IL up. Mr.. Olcott had heard the
legend. and at sunrise on the ninth day he
discovered the body near the island
When he started to pull the body into
his boat he discovered that it was weighted
down. He left IT anchored and sent for
the authorities. DR.. Bard, the county medi,
cal examiner; Coroner Fahey and officers
OF the State police rushed to the scene
They towed the body ashore.
Over the right eye was a discolored
bruise. Around the neck, so tight that
IL sank into the flesh, was a window cord
eighteen feet long,. with a heavy weight
that had been used as an anchor for an
other boat
In the excitement and haste of finding
the body the rope was cut from it. Opin-
ions differ as to how II was tied One
version has 1t that the rope was tied in
slip knot Another says il was tied in two
clumsy plain knots. Both agree that the
knot was under the left ear, as a hang.
mans knot. Strands of her black hair
were caught In the knot. The rope had
been worn, not cut, through
The medical examiner and the coroner
almost Immediately gave out a preliminary
verdict of suicide The State police, as
serting that 1t was case of suicide. With
drew from the case. An autopsy and an
inquest did not change the verdict
The authorities think that Mrs. Kettelle.
after her husband left, dragged the heavy
weight through the underbrush to her boat,
rowed around the leland to point invisible
from the cottage, tied the rope around her
neck and jumped out. The bruise, they
argue, was Scaused bv a flsh.bite, or by
striking a rock on the lake bottom
Yet the autopsy showed air in the lungs!
This proves that she died of strangulation.
that she died above water. The rome was
tied so tightly that II crushed the tissues
at the top of the windpipe and the knot
was pressed against the bone Could tba
frail girl have had enough strength 10 kill
herself in this manner?
Further, IL she had planned suicide, why
should she have worn the silken under
garments under her bathing suit? II she
meant to disappear without trace. would
she not have leaped into the water with
her ordinary clothes on, leaving her bath.
Ing suit behind. so that search would be
made along the shore and not in the lake?
Suicide because certain facts of life had
been revealed TO her during the honey.
moon? Perhaps.
But she could have been strangled to
death as she lay sleeping in her cottage
with or without the use of ether carried
to the boat by someone wearing her own
highheeled shoes. rowed out in the lake
and dropped overheard.
This theory, certain OF the Mashapaug
people believe, is at least as plausible as
that of the authorities. who can only
assign an unverihed and contradicted mo-
tive as the basis OF their verdict
Fully as significant, say those on the
other side. is the fact that the body was
found with high-heeled shoes on. II the
young bride was going to throw herself
into the lake, why the high heels?
And would not murd er. trying 10
make her deaCh appear as self.innicted,
cover his own tracks by making them ap-
pear her own-by wearing her own shoes?
II such was the case, the shoes must be
found on her body. And they we're,