Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-20
MYSTERY CLOAKS
FINDING OF BODY
At RIVERS EDGE
Schooner Near Spot and Air
plane Over 1t Are
Reported.
NO SURE IDENTIFICATION,
NOR is MURDER CERTAIN
Officials Inclined to Let Inquiry
Drop Unless New Developments
Require Action.

Reports of strange schooner which
anchored Sunday near the Virginis
shore of the Potomac at Sycamore
Point and an unidentified airplane
sighted dipping down over the spot a
day after the schooner departed today
added to the mystery surrounding the
finding of the body of a well dressed
man in the river there yesterday, ap-
parently murdered.
When the body was found yesterday
by coast and field geodetic survey
party, 1t was reported that the man had
been shot several times Owing to the
condition of the body, however, 1t could
not be determined positively whether
wounds in the neck and back were bull
let holes. There was large cut in
the mans scalp. but 1t is not known
whether this was caused before or after
death
Killing Is Doubted.
Officials we're inclined to doubt that
the man had been killed, but because
OF the condition of the body an au-
topSy was not feasible, and cofoner's
jury this afternoon rendered an open
verdict-that death resulted from 'un-
determined causes
Unless something definite developed
later, 1t was said the Fairfax County
authorities would take no further action.
The body was TO be buried late this aft
ernoon at Penny Hill, the potter's field
OF Fairfax County, the few attempts
made at identification having proved
| futile.
An attempt was made to identify the
| body as that of Joseph NJ Vallin, for
mer World War veteran and proprietor
OF Vallin's Toggery, 1859 U street, who
! disappeared May 8. Irwin H. Hollander,
l474 Columbia road, cousin by mar
rtage OF Vallin, viewed the body today
but was unable to make positive iderti-
4 fication, although he said the body
strongly resembled that of his cousin.
The only mark Of Identification ON
the body was belt buckle on which
vas inscribed the initial M The pockets
i were empty except Tor taruislled 25-
cent piece.
| Investigate Boat Quarrel.
| Fairfax County authorities are in
! vestigating a report that boat un-
known to Alexandria rivermen, with
| three men aboard, was seen not far
| from the spot where the body was found
Thursday or Friday of last week. The
occupants of the boat were engaged
IN heated quarrel. according to Gard
ner Johnson, who owns farm on the
river front below Alexandria
The men were having trouble with
the motor of their boat" johnson stated.
land stopped In front Of my place One
NF ~ = r..
drink OF water. Then the man went
aboard and they quarreled over who
, was TO start the motor. They were
| still quarreling when I left.
"One of the three men answers the
description OF the body recovered yes
| terday, The others were well built
| young men. They apparently had been
| In the boat some time, as there was
pallet on the deck on which they had
been sleeping"
Discovery of the body was made by
the mereSt chance. A surveying party
from the Coast and Geodetic Survey
boat Pilgrim. under command of
Lieut., Charles Pierce, had gone ashore
| high bluff overlooking the beach. One
OF the party, giancing down through an
| opening In the pine scrub and brush,
saw the body sprawled out at the wa
| ter's edge Lieut.. Pierce examined the
| body. but did not move II.
| The Pilgrim returned to Indian Head.
| where Lieut. Pierce submitted q written
report OF the finding of the body to A.
G., Wilroy, chief clerk OF the naval sta
ton, In his report Lieut.. Pierce stated
that there were several bullet holes in
| the neck and back of the body" He
said the body was we'll dressed.
Spot Is Lonely.
The beach is on what is known as
| Sycamore Point and Is across the river
and about mile upstream from the
Indian Head wharf. The beach at this
point Is narrow and a steep clay bank
rises abruptly to height Of from so TO
/ so feet. Dense undergrowth covers the
shore and the top of the bank
An old farmhouse stands back from
the bluff only few hundred yards from
where the mans body was found. In
this house We're found large number
of empty bottles and q number OF bot
ties of mineral water.
The abandoned property on which
the farmhouse stands Is known to the
natives as Hull's Farm. II extends S
miles along the water front. II was last
occupied by a man named Shelton. IL
was said.
Members of the crew of the U. S. S.
jrampus. at Indian Head. declared that
the lumber laden schooner lay at anchor
all day Sunday OF the shore where the
body was found, The schooner left for
Washington late Sunday night, they
said
Tuesday ar airplane hovered over
the deserted beach, circling back ard
forth over the river and the shore as
II searching for some object, they said.
ats. A.
several times and finally disappeared up
the river. The plane was several miles
away from the Maryland shore and was
not positively identified II did not at
tract much attention. because the Po-
tonlac River Is used as an aerial hich-