Evening star., 1923-06-29
MAN IN POTOMAC
BELIEVED SLAIN
First Reported Drowned.
Body to Be Exhumed.
Witnesses Held.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special Dispatch to The star.
ROCKVILLE, Md, June 29.-The
Montgomery county authorities are
investigating the circumstances sur
rounding the death of Eppa c. Reed,
thirty-five years old, of Great Falls,
Va, who was reported to have been
accidentally drowned in the Potomac
river this county, a short distance
above Great Falls. about o'clock
the evening of June Is. They are
working on the theory that the mans
death was not an accident, but that
he was a victim of foul play and
that his body was afterward thrown
into the river.
The body has been ordered ex-
humed and will be taken to Rock
VILE.
So far the developments have not
been such as to Justify any arrests,
but both States Attorney Thomas l..
Dawson and Deputy Sheriff J. Stanley
Gingel. who are conducting the in
vestigation. feel that some of the
persons with whom they have talked
concerning the case have not told all
they know and are withholding in
formation that would confirm their
suspicious as to how Reed met his
death
Go on Search for Liquor.
Reed. who is understood to have
been carpenter and unmarried,
started out some hours before his
death. so 1t is said. TO find some
bootleg liquor. To several persons
from whom he made unsuccessful eff
forts to borrow money he is reported
to have declared that he intended to
have liquor in spite of hell and
highwater" He finally persuaded
James Rollins. employed at Tram
mers landing, on the Virginia side
of the river at Great Falls, to row
him over to small island about a
mile above the falls. stating that he
would be able to procure liquor there
from a man who operated still
nearby and who made the island a
point to meet his customers.
According to Rollins. the whisky
was obtained. and some time later he
and Reed started back to Trammels
landing. Rollins insists that just be-
fore the Virginia shore was reache
Reed deliberately walked overheard
into water fifteen feet deep.
FouI Play Indicated.
Reeds body was Erappled for and
was recovered in short while. The
following day an inquest was held by
the Fairfax county authorities. The
mans forehead and nose were found
to be badly mashed. and DIR. Robey
of Virginia, who examined the body.
testified at the inquest that he be-
1ieved Reed had met with foul play
Notwithstanding this. the jury decid
ed that death was due to accidental
drowning. 4 day or two later the
body was buried at Forrestville. Va.
The matter was not called to the
attention of the authorities in this
county until two or three days ago.
Depuy Sheriff Gingell was detailed to
make an investigation. States Attor-
the time on business. but upon his
return on Tuesday he plunged into
the case and ever since he. Deputy
Gingell and several other officers have
been hard a work on it.
Held as Witnesses.
Rollins is being held in Jail here as
material witness. and yesterday
Harry Houchens. young farmer of
the Great Falls, Va. neigh borhood
was detained here the greater part of
the day and was closely questioned
by the officers. He also is being held
in Jail. Houchens was at Trammels
landing as the Rollins bat approa ch =
He has told the authorities that when
the boat was about fifteen feet off the
Virginia shore he noticed what ap-
peared to be a man slide from one
end of the boat into the river.
The officials do not believe that
Houchens was implicated in any way,
but they seem to think that he saw
more than he has told and is with
holding information of Importance
through fear of certain people of the
Great Falls neighborhood.
States Attorney Dawson. Deputy
Gingell, Officer Clagett and one or two
others were at the Falls until a late
hour last night working on the case
and early this morning resumed ac-
tivities. They have, it is understood
made little or no headway, but are
said to continue. confident that there
soon will be developments of an inn
Dortant character.