The New York herald., 1921-12-04
MYSTERY IN Death
OFWOMANPHYS|CIAN
DR.. Elizabeth RadOm's Body
Found at Roadside Near
Bridgeport, Conn.
NO MARKS OF VIOLENCE
Medical Examiner Calls 1t Sui
eide, but Coroner Begins
Investigation.
NO MARKS OF VIOLENCE

Speciol Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
BRIDGEPORT. Dec. 3.-The body of DIR.
Elizabeth Lillian Radon, physician
Of this city, was found at o'clock this
morning lying at the side of road
near Fairfield. Tonight the police of
both Fairfield and Bridgeport are CO.
operating in an investigation into the
cause o: her death. AS it was first
made public, DR.. Radon died from nat
ural causes, and the sudden turn the
case has taken has awakened consider
able interest.
DR.. Radon, according to information
obtained by the police of Bridgeport
left her home at 645 Bostwick avenue
at 5 o'clock Friday afternoon. She
was to visit patient and then go to
the home of DR.. Manuel S. Brodsky,
whose wife was related to her. 1t was
learned tonight that Dr. Radon never
reached DIR. Brodsky's house and that
for at least twelve hours her move
ments are unaccounted for
Found Near a Tree.
The body was seen first by two duck
hunters who were out early in the morn
ing. They were walking by the estate
of Miss Anna B. Jennings, sister of
Oliver G. Jennings. director In the
Lackawanna Steel Company and many
other corporations. when they noticed
foot projecting from behind a big tree
near a gate. They went closer, saw
the body and then shouted for Michael
Grace, a watchman. 1t was Grace who
notified the Bridgeport police.
The body was fully clothed. \
search Of the small handbag the physi-
clan carried revealed. the police sald a
few of her professional cards small
hypodtrmic syringe and a phial Of drug
-strophanthin, deadly poison. There
was also a small flashlight of the pocket
type and a test OF its battery showed 1t
was burned out.
Constable III. r. Elwood, who accom-
panied DR.. w. II. Donaldson, Medical
Examiner of Fairfield, to the spot, made
a careful examination of the ground
where the body lay. He decided that
the condition of the clothing precluded
the possibility that the woman had lain
there throughout the night. Her gray
spats were unmarked by mud, which
must have got on them had she walked
through the soft roads. Her skirt and
Jacket were hardly damp and her fur
ncckpiece showed no evidence of having
been in the rain. II was o'clock last
night when a mist began, and by II the
fall was heavy. Between II and mid
night there was heavy rainstorm.
Evidence Of Poisoning.
Upon examining the body, Dr. Dom
aldson said there was nothing to indi-
cate DR.. Radon had not died from nat
ural causes. He said the features were
composed and that there was sign OF
muscular spasm such as might follow
the commoner forms OF poisoning. But
at nooL to-day DIR. Donaldson decided
that DR.. Radon died from poison
taken with suicidal intent. He did not
explain why he had changed his deci-
sion. Following his announcement he
said there was no reason why the fu.
neral should not be arranged and the
body was turned over to Bridgeport
undertaken for preparation.
Tonight, when the undertaken had
finished embalming the body. Constable
Elwood appealed to the Coroner, John
j. Phelan, for assistance in q more
thorough investigation Of the case. and
asked that the body be kept at the
undertaking establishment until he had
time TO make inquiries out of town.
Coroner Phelan issued the necessary
orders.
To explain his statements about an
additional investigation, Elwood called
attention to the fact that the body was
found in O. spot that was prots sted by
the shadow OF the trees. One foot
either way, he said, would have thrown
Il into the circle of light cast by the
w;-...5Es OF = ..3JJo across the road He
said that Grace. the jennings estate
watchman, told him he passed the tree
every fifty minutes during the night and
that the body was not there less than
an hour before it was found Another
point which he said bolstered his belief
that the woman's death required the
most careful investigation was the fact
that tho clothing was almost dry after
a night OF rain.
DIR. Radon was n daughter Of DR..
Fanny Radon, of Hartford. She was
graduated from the Pennsylvania
women's Medical College and when she
was in the freshman class there. her
mother was n senior. DIR. Radom's
father is in business in Hartford with
his son. They own a drug store In the
centre or the business section and with
the mother. are well c~Aown.