The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-06-08
Think HATFIELD
WAS MURDERED
FOR HIS MONEY
COUSIN OF SLAIN MATEWAN Pc
LICE CHEF TAKEN FROM
OHIO RIVER.
Body Heavily Weighted-letter u
Pocket Reveals Its Identity to
Coroner.

continue their Investigation into the
mysterious death OF ]. F. Hatfield,
whose body was found In the Ohio
river yesterday morning weighted
with $50 pounds OF iron.
That the man was murdered admits
Of little doubt. Four ''fish-plates," the
pieces Of iron used TO join railway
rails, were chained to his body. two to
his legs and two to his neck. Despite
the fact that each Of these plates
weighed thirty pounds, the body was
floating when found by Dick Barlow
above Mfller's landing. this side or
the Whitaker mine In Cresap's Bot
tom. The action OF the water, causing
the body to bloat, caused 1t to float
despite the heavy weights.
The body had to be buried by I'm
dertaker e. F. Grisell yesterday after
noon, owing to its state OF decomposi'
ton.
It has not been definitely deter
mined that the body was that OF j. F.
Hatfield, though officials believe THIS
It Is. They based their Identification
on q letter found In the mans pocket
which was addressed to the Bellaire
fsrryman, relative to certain ship
msnt. and which was signed by ]. +.
Hatfield
The letter was dated June 2. and
had Il not been for this fact, Coroner
J. 4. McConbs would have concluded
EhaS the body had been IN the river
for seYera1 weeks, as It's condition
corresponded to those which have
been IN the water that length Of time
The BODY bore no marks OF violence,
and She supposition has arisen In the
mind of<he coroner that Hatfield may
haye gtfr been alive when cast In the
river However, he might have been
ehoke6 or otherwise treated 80 that
no talltale marks would have re-
mstnsd. The murderers evidently be-
heved mat when they attached the
IRON pfstss to the body, 1t would be
snchnsod down for some time to come,
Ths plates were 80 securely fastened
that msrv was little danger OF their
BENZ accidentally detached.
yhe theory upon which the officials
sre wording N that Hatfield was muir
aerea fn1 hss money. It is believed
that hs engaged In conducting a
speakeasg, and gentry OF his kind are
usually sbie to accumulate consider
able money. An Ohio oricer some
time ago had attempted to arrest
man BY name Of Hatfield who was
living In q houseboat and conducting
a speakeasy, but who escaped.
A gang Of robbers has been operat:
Jng down the river on the Ohio side
within the last few months, and It Is
,nresumed that Hatfield fell a victim
to them. Several months ago a
houseboat was burned near Woodland
and an Italians charred body was
found In the ruins. Other roooer1es
have occurred In which the victims
were beaten.
II Is reported that the men who are
believed implicated in these AFFAIRS
have been working at the mines TO
cover their real occupations. ONO
officials yesterday were down the
river investigating robbertes, and 1t IS
said they made arrests.
Lived on . House Boat.
Hatfield lived on houseooat ana
nleaded guilty In federal court at
Wheeling at the last term of max
Ing moonshine. officials believe that
the robbers pounced upon him In the
belief ne had money and fight FOL
lowed. Apparently they figured his
body would never rise to the surface
with 80 much weight attached TO II.
The victim was known In Wheeling.
Vs was there at the last session OF fed
eral court on a charge OF violating the
llquor laws and pleaded guilty. Judge
Baker imposed fine OF $3.50 and gave
the day he left for his home he called
at The News office and explained ehat
he was not guilty Of violating the law
but pleaded guilty as a means OF get
ting out OF tail since he had been con-
fined In jail for six months without
He charged then that powerful In
fluences were working against MIN pc
cause OF some trouble he had had In the
neI1hborhood OF S.stersville. alleging
that ne had been sentenced TO jail Tor
carrying a gun. In county other tnan
the one In which he was accused OF
carrying the weapon.
and Of powerful physique. He and the
late sid Hatfield had been chums In their
younger days and the former carried the
watch Of the Natewan hero while IN
Wheeling.
send Up Balloons
The balloons which local people have
three times daily by the meteorological
division OF the local radio station. These
balloons are sent up 10 ascertain the
velocity and direction of the air currents
at different attitudes.
After travelling some fifteen or twen-
~ miles the balloons burst. The In
struments at the local station keep the
balloons in sight for fifteen miles, how
ever. and take observations every min
ute.
One balloon ts sent M Mt n. m. one
at 10 a. m and another at noon. Three
colors are used. white. red or black. the
condition OF the atmosphere determin-
ing what color 70 be sent up-the one
that would he visible the longest.
The balloons are flled with hydrogen
and ascend At the rate OF two hundred
Yards a minute. They are observed BY
,he transit until out OF sight. Angeles
are read every minute and the distance
* plotted and worked out by means Of
q tangent.
Three men are In charge OF this work:
First class Private Solver. FIRST Class
l4fvatc Mckindsey and Private Gorrell.
Erecting Hangar
Progress is being made on The erCc-
t!op ~ the hangar ~ the local avi-
alton Rcld Captain Simon!n. who IS
n charge OF the lor;rl Held. Is kept busy
& the regular schedule II nyinE is just
hcinS established and the radio and
ructcorolocIc stations are just getting
down 10 systematic operations.
The ship schedule is now in effect.
49,