The Washington times., 1922-12-26
*'MYSTERY SEEN
|NDEATH0F
/ COUPLE
Found Lying on Bed In Room
at Baltimore With Gas Jets
Turned On.

BALTIMORE. Dec. 2s.-The dead
bodies Of q man and a woman were
found last night in an apartment
over q garage at 1924 sloatfield ave.
nue.. They were identified as Charles
H. Muller, 1112 Sergeant street. and
Mrs. Wilbur Baynard. Of the Sloat-
field avenue address.
Both bodies were scantily clad. On
the woman's head was q bruise. The
mans head was swollen to twice its
normal size. The police are mysti-
fled.
Husband Missing.
The woman's husband, Wilbur
Baynard. is said to have left his home
= for Queenstown. Nd. with his two
small children last Saturday. 1t is
said he told neighbors he was going
business. That he had dealings with
persons there was verified last night
by the discovery of legal papers in
the apartment.
Muller left his home Saturday.
wv SooPohS LII SCdlo Ai a NeAhuS-
Vile theater for the matinee that
day led the police to believe that he
and Mrs. Baynard attended the show.
Lying on Bed.
It was $50 p. m. when two women
called at the apartment. They made
repeated efforts to gain access. They
descended the ladder-like exterior
stairs leading from the apartment
4N bA Rv-tx s..-<y - ~A
Frederick Sloatfield, owner of the
property, and then summoned Will
lam Sloatfield. Frederick Sloatfield's
Sson. By use of a long ladder he
opened the bedroom window and
found Mrs. Baynard lying beside
Muller on the bed.
On her head was a large bruise.
blood stained the sheets. Muller
was lying half ON the bed and half
on the floor, his head down.
William Sloatfield notified the po.
hce. Motorcycle Patrolman Fred
Block called Lieutenant Barry, Of
the Southwestern district, and De.
tectives Barranger and Busky were
dispatched from headquarters.
Gas Jets Open.
IN the room two gas Jets were
burning. Gas was escaping from
two other Jets. The window was
open about three inches from the
top
Detectives say that If the gas had
been escaping for any considerable
time there would have been an ex-
ploeion. The open window also dis
counted any asphyxiation theory.
On the table Of the combined
kitchen and dining room were some
chocolates, the remains Of food
served recently and several papers
Clothes Of the couple were scatter
ed In the bedroom.
DR.. George c. Blades, coroner, or
dered the police not to touch the
Z bodies. He was unable to say how
the couple met death. After inves.
tigating the premises, examining
the bodies and questioning both
William and Frederick Sloatfield.
DR.. Blades ordered the bodies sent
to the morgue.
Mother Is iii.
At the Muller home last night a
woman who said she was Muller's
sister, said the last seen of Muller
was Saturday. His mother, she
said. was critically ill. She. re-
fused to give the whereabouts of
1Ni .. ruuiicT. one ulu not KNOW or
her brothers death until told by
q reporter.
William Sloatfield said the Bay
nards rented the apartment from
him two months ago and paid the
rent in advance. He said he had
heard Mrs. Baynard had been
trained nurse, giving up that pro-
fession to marry Baynard. They
lived happily, he asserted.
DIR. Blades declared the man and
woman had been dead at least
twenty-four hours.
Detectives are seeking two young
women who are seported to have
r had an appointment with Mrs.