Evening star., 1927-03-23
Long Missing Wife of Capital
Psychiatrist Identified by
Cards in PoCketbook Still
Fastened to Her Arm.
DISCOVERED FLOATING
NEAR ANACOSTIA BRIDGE
Authorities in La Crosse In
structed to Apprehend Physician
There-Wife Vanished Last De-
cember After Violent Quarrel
With st. Elizabeth's Doctor.

Mrs. Gladys Walter Houck's body
has been found.
The long search for the wife OF DR..
Knutt Houck, former ST. Elizabeth's S
Hospital psychiatrist, who disap-
peared from her Congress Heights
home last December following vio-
lent quarrel with her husband, ended
shortly before noon today in the
waters of the Eastern Branch OF the
Potomac River, almost directly be-
low the Anacostia Bridge.
Policeman L. c. Thorne, who every
day since the mystery came to light
has watched the river as he crossed
the bridge going to and from the
eleventh precinct station, saw an OBJ
ject floating on the water today.
Less than half an hour later, as
sisted by four seamen from the Navy
Yard, he had recovered the body Of
the long sought Mrs. Houck
Body Is Identified
Identification was first established
by some cards found in the woman's
pocketbook, which some strange work
ing of fate had preserved from de-
struction by its long submersion, and
remained tightly clutched in her
grasp. 1t was later made definite by
the inscription within her wedding
ring, engraved there the day she
married DIR. Houck-'K. II. III. TO
Gladys.
Immediately after these facts were
established. Capt. Walter E. Emmer
son, acting chief of detectives, wired
ri To iz xrtp
DR.. Houck had returned, asking them
to hold the young psychiatrist for the
United States district attorney here.
DR.. Houck disappeared the day after
his wife. and was found two days
later wandering around the streets of
Hornell, y. Y. clothed only in his
underwear and babbiing incoherencies
to Allah.
Identification was confirmed at the
morgue this afternoon by DIR. Marjorie
Stewart OF Gallinger Hospital, for
mcrly connected with st. Eiizabeth's,
and Drs. p. S. Craven and John NJ.
G. Damgaard of the st. Elizabeth's
staff, all of whom We're well acquainted
with DIR. and Mrs. Houck.
DIR. Houck is at the home of "A
cousin, DIR. Dean Crowell, at Albany,
Greg, having arrived there three
days ago, DIR. Crowell told the Asso-
ciated Press today.
DIR Houck came West with his
mother on a vacation trip, recuperat-
ing following nervous breakdown"
said DR. CroweN.
"The family has been convinced all
along that his wife ended her own life.
The circumstances of the finding of
the body. as reported In dispatches to-
day, would seem to bear out this
theory
Disappeared After Quarrel.
Mrs. Houck disappeared from her
home at 1927 Nichols avenue south
east following a violent quarrel with
her husband. DIR. Houck, too, left
the apartment, deserting their 2-year-
old son, after attempting to destroy
some of his wife's torn clothing.
Since that day the search for the
missing young wife has become nation
wide, but without avail until Police
man l.. e. Thorne Of the eleventh
precinct chanced 20 notice the body
floating in the water of the Eastern
Branch this morning. He was cross
ing the Eleventh street bridge from
Anacostia when he glanced down at
the river and saw the body almost
within the shadows of the bridge.
Ordering the car stopped at the
nearest point to the Navy Yard. he
called for assistance, and four seamen
were dispatched in boat to bring the
body ashore. &. Il. Lee, T. w. Dill
bingham. W. r. Margelot and NJ. w.
Staniield manned the boat. Because
Of the current, they towed the body
ashore on the Anacostia side. AL
though in a bad condition, from long
submersion, The body was recogniZ-
able almost Immediately as that OF
Mrs. Houck.
1t was clothed in dark brown coat.
This was the only garment Of Mrs.
Houck's that could not be located in
the apartment after her disappear
ance, aside from the clothing she was
known TO have worn the night before
she disappeared. Through the long
search police and volunteers had kept
81 lookout for "a woman wearing a
brown coat" This was the single
mark of identification held most likely
to be recognizable.
Through some strange purpose of
fate the brown pocketbook Mrs.
iouck always carried had not been
destroyed by the erosion OF the water.
Bills Roll Out.
Through the long Winter months,
1T remained fastened tight TO the dead
womans arm, and when the police
opened IL on the spot IL yielded the
certainty of the identification. The
first thing 10 roll out was S6.10 in bills
and coins. Then three cards were
brought forth.
They were the appointment cards
issued by q doctor. One of them bore
this inscription: Mrs. Houck has
an appointment with DIR. Alexander
Chase, 17l0 Rhode Island avenue
northwest, Tuesday 23rd, 800" An
other was dated: "Wednesday, 18th
400" The third was illegible, al.
though the single word ''Zalla" was
deciphered. Additional writing was
discernible on all, but it could not
be deciphered.
In the meantime the harbor precinct
had been notified and their boat ar
rived. Satisfied that the long search
FOR Mrs. Houck was over at last,