The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-01-14
MEDICAL QUIZ
IS ORDERED IN
RUTH DEATH
Stomach Contents to Be
Examined to Check Foul
Play Charges.
LOVER STILL MISSING
No Trace of Dentist in
Whose Home Babes
Wife Was Found.

WATERFOWL. Mass, Jan. A.
Robert T. Bushnell, district attor-
ney, today ordered a careful exam
ination Of the contents of the stom-
ach of Mrs. Babe Ruth, whose death
in a fire here Friday night had been
listed as accidental"
This action followed a telephone
conversation between the district
attorney and George l.. West, med
ical examiner.
Neither the district attorney nor
the medical examiner would discuss
the circumstances which led to the
order reopening the case. but Bush
.len made it clear that burial plans
would be delayed until his Office was
satisfied there had been no foul
play.
The fire in which Mrs. Ruth lost
her life caused only slight damage
to the home of DR.. Edward Kinder,
dentist, with whom the ball players
wife had been living as Mrs. Mary
Kinder
Lover Still Missing
DR.. Kinder wanted for questioning
in connection with the case, still
was missing today and although
John Milmore, police chief, had ex-
pressed a desire to interview him,
no steps toward locating him had
been taken so far as was known.
Whether the district attorneys
action in reopening the inquiry re-
suited from information furnished
by Mrs. Ruth's brother. Thomas
Woodford, former policeman, could
not be learned.
Earlier in the day, Woodford had
told newspaper men that he had
reason to believe that his sister was
victim of four play.
The West Newton medical ex-
aminer, after an autopsy, declared
suffocatien in a fire caused the
death and there was no foul play
To this. the police added that unless
additional evidence is developed they
will list as accidental the shocking
ending of the baseball hero's wife.
It was not until Sunday that the
identification of the body through
Babe Ruth and two sisters was def
mite.
With these identifica5ions there
came to light what appeared to be
a secret romance in Mrs. Ruth'S life.
She and the baseball star had been
separated some years.
II have reason to believe Mrs.
Ruth was the victim of foul play
and that the police have not all
the facts behind the death of my
sister," Woodford said.
Not Legally Separated
what is there to prove that the
house wasn't fired? What is there to
. prove that she wasn't murdered?
I'm not at all satisfied with the
police explanation of the circum-
stances attending the death of my
sister and 1 don't intend to as
sumo for minute that the police
explanation is the only one"
sWoodford added that my sister
and Babe Ruth were not legally
separated. nor we're they divorced
or even contemplating any divorce
or legal separation"
This conf1icted with the statement
of William F. Kinder, father of the
dentist. that his son and Mrs. Ruth
had been married in Montreal about
year ago. He did not know the
exact date. he said.
Origin of Fire Mystery
"I have not lived with my wife
for three years" Babe Ruth said.
In that period I have only seen
her a few times. I have done ev-
erything to comply with her wishes.
Her death is a great shock to me.
That is all 1 wish to say"
The fire in the Kinder home is
a mystery. When firemen arrived
they found a blaze in the living
room had swept through the cell
ing to Mrs. Ruth's room above. She
had retired early, while Kinder had
gone to a boxing bout at the Boston
garden. Beside her bed, uncon-
scious but still alive, was Mrs.
wiz NeAS btAhCAA " ~ A4CtSd-
bor's home, where she died soon.
Ruth married pretty Helen Wood
ford. from Meredith, N. H.. in 1915
yhen he first came to Boston as a
youngster of the Baltimore team.
She waited on the Bambino in his
favorite restaurant. and their ro-
nance budded. There was a double
wedding. n which Myrtle Durant. a
companion of Helen. was married to
Parker Hatch.
Mrs. Ruth and her baseball hero
husband appeared devoted, but they
drifted apart with time, finally
separating after Miss Dolores Dixon
filed a suit in New York against
Babe, charging an attack. This case
subsequently was dropped, but the
RuthS no longer we're seen together.