The Washington times., 1921-10-12

QUASHES
CHARGES
Mrs. Dryers Skull Not Frac-
tured Before Hanging,
Surgeons Find.

While Elmer F. Dwyer and his
eighteen-year-old bride of a month
were fighting in Juvenile Court this
morning for custody of Dwyer's
three small children, surgeons at the
District Morgue conducted an au-
topsy which showed that Dwyer's
first wife was in normal conditiou
when she hanged herself in the cellar
Of their some on September 8.
Gordon Orders Examination.
The body OF the first Mrs. Dwyer
was exhumed in Mt. Olivet Cemetery
this morning by order OF District At
torney Gordon and removed to the
morgue. where the autopsy was per.
formed under direction of DR.. Will
lam Browne Carr. formerly assistant
cornorer of the District,
ELIMINATION of the body was or
dered after relatives of the dead
woman had asserted her skull was
fractured by Dwyer some days prior
to her death. They declared that
condition might have caused her to
become mentally unbalanced and to
have driven her to end her life.
The examination today revealed that
the skull was not fractured and thar
to all appearances the body was In
a normal condition when the woman
hanged herself in the Dwyer home,
2s16 N street northwest.
Organs to Be Analyzed.
Some of the vital organs were re-
moved and turned over to the District
chemist for analysis. Should there be
eviS-nces of poison. Coroner ]. Ram.
say hewitt will order an inquest;
his original certificate that
the woman came to death by strangu-
lation and by the sheet tied about her
neck will stand.
No inquest was held over the body
at the time of death. the coroner hold
ing that there was no evidence to show
other than a case Of suicide. The in
quiry today showed the neck was not
broken.
When relatives of the dead woman
sought to have the body exhumed.
Dwyer objected, declaring he did not
wants his dead wife's body dissected
He offered no objection, however,
when the District Attorney signed the
order yesterday.
At the inquiry today were DR.. Carr,
Lucien III. Van Dorm, assistant Dis
trict attorney; DIR. Joseph ID. Rogers,
DIR. A. Magruder Mcdonald, and DIR.
Louis Ecker, representing the Board
of Children's Guardians.
Body Reinterred.
The body was reinterred this after.
noon In Mt. oliver Cemetery, without
its being seen by Dwyer or the chill.
dren.
Dwyer saw his three small children
today in Juvenile Court for the first
time since they were taken from his
home three weeks ago by the Board
of Children's Guardians, and removed
10 the House of Detention. The board
In seeking to show Dwyer and his
rhild.bride are not fit to raise the
properly.
\ Child-Bride to Testify.
The young bride was in court this
and will be a witness. Dwyer
md his seventeen-year-old son Harry
will also testify.
Policeman Taylor, OF the Seventh
precinct, testified at toda,'s hearing,
he had been called TO the
Dwyer home on more than one oc-
,asion. He testified to having seen
the first Mrs. Dwyer suffering from
4 black eye and bruised face, in.
flicted, he asserted. by the husband.
Taylor also testified he had seen
0wyer, prior to his first wife's death,
n the company Of Julia Coyle, now
drs. Dwyer, nt 1880 o'clock on several
mornings. The girl was employed at
he time In a local restaurant and
owyer viii testify that his first wife
,ffered no objections to his calling for
,er and taking her home after her
lights work was finished.
Seventeen days after the first Mrs.
)wyer's death the husband married
diss coyle and took her TO his home.