Evening star., 1921-04-07
SLAIN BODY BORNE
IN AUT0| IS THEORY
Caretaker Tells of Watching
Machine Stop Near Ravine.
Identity Mystery.


the theory on which Montgomery
county officials are working today in
connection with the discovery Tues
day of the body of a man in a ravine
on the grounds Of the Georgetown
Preparatory School. near the Rock
vile pike.
Sheriff George E. Nicholson Of
montgomery county said today he be-
lleVed the man was murdered in some
nearby city robbed. and his body TAX
en- to the place and thrown into the
ravine. The fact that the mans An
ger nails were well manicured. only
four pennies found in his pocket and
the discovery of an expensive. green
felt hat near the skeleton late yes
believe that robbery was the motive.
and that the man was at least we'll
to-do.
Caretnker Tells Of Auto.
Supporting the theory that the
pody was carried to the place in an
automobile and disposed of in the
ravlne was a report made to SheHff
Nicholson last night by the caretaker
OF tne Corby estate. near where the
The employe told Sherinf Nicholson
that late one night. six or :even
months ago. large automobile came
along the pike and, pulling close to
the side Of the road, stopped. He was
unable to tell how many were in the
machine. but as his employer was
away from home the caretaker in
formed Sheriff Nicholson ne feared
an attempt was about to be made to
rob the house. He took particular
care to see that no one approached
the house. but was unable to say
whether any one in the machine got
out ana approached the ravine.
AFTER a time the machine sped
away. Upon hearing of the discovery
OF the body in the place about fifty
YARDS from where the machine had
Deen stopped the caretaker notified
the county officer of his beliefs.
skeleton Carefully Examined.
A careful examination Of the skele-
ton was made last night at the under
taxing establishment of W. R. Pun
phrey & Sons. Rockville. by Sheriff
Nicholson and the undertaken. 1t dis
closed that the breast bone was
IS believed that the ribs. when broken.
pierced the heart. causing death. A
carefui examination of the skull
tailed to show any marks upon it.
That the man had reddish or brown
hair Is the belief of the officials. and
measurement n. OF the skeleton leads
70 the belief that the man was about
nve feet eight inches tall and weighed
about one hundred and sixty pounds.
his teeth. they say. indicate he was
about forty years of age
When the body was found Tuesday v
afternoon, only one arm was attach
ed to the skeleton, but late yester-
day afternoon the missing bones of
the other arm were located some feet
way from the spot where the body
lay.
Clue From Baltimore,
The tightly corked eight-ounce bot
tie of chloroform and the presence
OF the pound can of chloride of lime
beside the body is one mystery which
the omcers are at loss to under
stand. Whether the man was made
by use of chloroform and
the intention was to use the chloride
OF lime to wipe out all possible
they are unable to de-
termine: 1t is thought that the per-
sons who possibly placed the body
In the ravine were in hurry to leave
the place and left the bottle Of
chloroform and can Of lime beside the
body
Sherff Nicholson received word yes
terday that an Army officer had mys-
teriously disappeared some months
ago from a prominent hotel in Bal
timore. but after getting a descrip-
ton OF the missing officer he came to
the conclusion that the body and
clothes did not tally with the Army
ohcer's description.
The officials have not given up the
theory that the body is that Of Lieut.,
Edward Walker Franklin of the Z. s,
Marine Crops. who disappeared from
the Raleigh Hotel last September.
An enort is being made by the Ma
rine Corps officers to trace the teeth
chart of Lieut.. Franklin, as such a
chart probably would make identifi-
cation certain. Marine headquarters
in Philadelphia, where the officer had
been stationed prior to his transfer
to Quantico and later to this city,
has been asked to cooperate.
Dental Work Described.
It is believed that the dentist who
performed the operation of construct
ing the gold bridgework in the mouth
OF the victim could aid in the identi-
hcatfon OF the man, and the police are
endeavoring to locate him.
Detective Sergt. Fred Sandberg of
the local police department, who pho
tographed the skull yesterday which
disclosed the unusual bridgework,
took the pictures to a dentist, who
gave him a professional description
of the work.
He said the dental work showed it
to be: Lower sanitary all-gold bridge
extending from second bicuspid to
second molar. right side.
Lower left, sanitary all-gold bridge
from first bicuspid gold
crown.
Upper left. three-tooth bridge from