The Washington herald., 1921-04-09
Jesse ]. Kidwell, "a, Part
ly Identified by Dental
Work in Skull.
UNABLE TO OFFER
MOTIVE FOR CRIME
Youth Last Seen Three
Days Before Christmas.
Details Coincide.


Police struck their hrst tangible
clue to the possible Identification
Of the skeleton discovered Tuesday
night in a gully off the Rockville
pike near Georgetown Preparatory
School yesterday when parents of
Jesse ]. Kidweli. "a years old. of
lis Eleventh street southeast.
missing since just before Christ
mas, viewed the remains and part
ly identified them as those of their
son.
Additional revelations in the in
yestigation coming to light yester-
day and coupling with the theory
the remains might be those of
young Kidwell were:
DIR. Bates Etchison, dentist, of
Gaithersburg. Nd. and another
dentist, from Baltimore, who stud
led the dental work in the skull.
declared the remains to be those
of a man between the ages OF Il
and 2s.
Parents See No Motive.
The dentists. as we'll as physi-
clans, expressed the belief the body
had not been in the ravine for more
than four months.
No motive for the murder or sui
eide of Kidwell, IL the remains are
his. could be given by his parents.
Kidwerl was last seen about three
days before Christmas in the sta
tion of the W.. b. e. A. at Four
teenth street and New York avenue
northwest about IL o'clock in the
morning. He was an employe of
the railway.
Mr.. and Mrs. Kidweh went to
Rockville Yesterday afternoon to
view the remains in the w. r.
Pumphrey & Sons undertaking es-
tablishment. They made the trip
without notice to police authorities
and returied without positively
identifying the skeleton.
Believe Remains Their Ssn's.
KidweiI told Montgomery County
authorities he was led to view the
body because of the mention OF
the dental work in the skull, the
description of which coincided with
the work done on the teeth of his
son. At the parlors kidwell ex-
pressed the belief the remains were
probably those of his son. Both de-
clared the features of the skull re-
sembled in many ways those OF
their son.
Records in the office of a Ninth
street dentist. where the missing
man received dental treatment.
show he had had considerable
bridgework done. The teeth in the
al - xrfr hrtd0n1 m
both sides of the upper jaw and
one side of the lower jaw. DIR.
Dowd Rozzelle, who worked on Kid
wells teeth, is out of the city and
positive Identification by this means
is held up temporarily. Kidwell
was treated for dental work first
on March 20, 1919, and he received
five later treatments at this once
before April 10, 1919. Upon the de-
scription of the dental work ad-
ministered Kidwell may depend pos
itive Identification or elimination.
Description Taiiies.
In other respects the remains
tally somewhat with description of
Kidvell as given yesterday by his
parents The missing man is
thought to have been wearing a
dark green suit at the time of his
disappearance. Authorities describ-
ed the cloth found on the remains
as black worsted. but said yester-
day 1t might be either green or
blue.
IT 10 thought, however, should the
remains be those of Kidwell. IL is
not likely he was clothed In his reg
ular apparel, especially in light Of
the murder theory upon which the
! police are working.
It ID thought the body was
dressed in other clothes before be-
| ing hidden in the ravine. The trade
mark on the shoes had been cut,
while the marks on the coat and hat
are barely legible and indicate only
they were purchased in New York
The cuff links engraved with the
letter "F' are thought to have been
placed to sidetrack investigation.
Police have cast aside the theory
the body is that of Lieut. Franklin
in view Of information given by
his stepson following an finvesti-
cation here last October, shortly
after Franklin's DISAPPEARANCE. II
is thought Franklin left Washing.
ton for Virginia. His trail from
there has not been followed. At.
tempts to Identify Franklip through
description of his teeth sent tc
Philadelphia have not borne fruit
Lock for Auts.
Kidwel1 was about five feet eight
inches tall and weighed 100 pounds
He was of light complexion. All
Of this tallies with the description
of the skeleton. Several patches OF
red hair were found In portion
Of the skull.
Meanwhile, States Attorney Daw.
son. Of Montgomery County, is at.
tempting to Identify a machine seen
near the ravine several months age
and again recently. Description OF
the machine was given Dawson yes.
terday by a Montgomery County
resident, whose name has not beef,
divulged by authorities. This clue
gives hope of tracing the possible
murderers who carried the body "a
the ravine.