The Washington times., 1922-07-21
5 3ARRESTED
in: Staying
OF MOTHER
Baby Found in Dead Woman's
Arms in Nearby vir-
ginia Shack.

With her twelve-months-old baby
clinging to her breast, the body of
Mrs. Mary Copperthite, of Canal
road, was found early today in a
shack on Little River, in Arlington
county. Va. q short distance be-
low the Key Bridge. :
Cuts and bruises On the wom-
ans face and head. and blood spots
on the bed clothing indicated that
she had been beaten to death.
Baby's Head Cut, Too.
A bruise on the fair skin of the
baby's head showed blood clotted In
the tufts OF his soft. silky hair.
A man rushed into the Pennsyl-
vania freight office near the scene
of the crime this morning and said
10 the man on duty:
Somebody Is dead down yonder.
l want to call the sheriff"
Il was awakened at 54S O'Clock"
Sheriff A. c. Clements, Of Airing.
ton county, said later. "a man
called over the telephone and said:
Say, Sheriff. there's woman
dead down here on Little River and
I suspect foul play
That man was l.. J. Vaughn,
and he is now in the Arlington
county Jail, at Fort Meyer Heights.
He will be questioned before being
released"
Two others are also locked up.
They are Tom Brennan, who gave
his occupation as an iron mou!der
and his address as 1926 Potomac
avenue northwest, Washington, and
a woman, who Is docketed AS Hattie
Rowe. She Is also known as
Rhodes.
Another man Ii being sought by
the Washington police, who were
asked by Sheriff Clements to look
for him. He Is John Reynolds, said
to have been a member Of the party
that went to the shack yesterday
afternoon and INDUCED in a drink.
ing party and free-for-a fight.
Members of the Jones family,
colored, living 100 yards from the
scene of the killing, told Sheriff
Clements that they Witnessed yes.
terday's fight.
Inquest This Afternoon.
At the inquest to be held this aft.
ton county courthouse. Coroner B. III
Swain will seek to develop whether
the woman was choked or beaten
to death; who was implicated, anc
whether she was slain and tho g,
placed on the rudely constructed
bed where the body was found today.
Sheriff Clements believes that the
woman had been dead several hours
before he reached the scene. He
does not understand how the baby
came to be with the mother II the
killing took place after the woman
went to bed. The body was nude.
but for shoes and stockings.
Mary left home Wednesday after.
noon after telling me she was going
down town to do some shopping. -
Vim T"nr"rthte. husband OF the
dead woman said.
Copperthite has operated a fishing
tackle business and boathouse on the
river half a mile above the Kew
bridge for ten years. He recently
purchased a small grocery store near
there.
MY wife had been working hard
and helping me with my business
and had promised her a vacation
so she could visit her relatives at
her old home In Burlington, N. j. :
the husband said.
Because she carried my baby Joe
Y call him 'Rnauty'-with her.
did not dream Of her staying away"
Was Twice Married.
Mrs. Copperthite had been twice
married. Her first husbands name
was Byrd. He died ten years ago
and she married Copperthite. They
had only one child.
Mrs, Lily Sherer. who lives on Lit
tie river, not far from the scene OF
the tragedy was In charge Of tn,
baby when the sheriff arrived early
today.
Miss Rowe woke me up thii
Continued on Page ., Column 81