Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-24
Robert E. Marcy Returns
Home to Hear of His Sup
posed Burial.
FAMILY OF VETERAN
CLAIMED "HIS" BODY
Fingerprints to Be Used to Deter
mine if Dead Man Was
Soldier.

The War Department prepared to-
day to exhume and If possible identify
body buried with military honors Fri
day in Arlington Cemetery under the
mistaken impression it was that of Rob-
ert E. Marcy, World War veteran Of
Lyonhurst, Va.
The man buried was killed 10 dayR
ago in an automobile accident at Upper
Falls. Md. Marceys sister, Mrs. o. G.
Walker of Lyonhurst, and five of his
brothers identified the dead man as
Marcy and several hundred of the lat
ter's family and friends attended the
funeral.
Letter Was Received.
Yesterday Marcey's mother. Mrs. FL
win j. Marcy, received a letter from
her son from Baltimore bearing a recent
date mark. Mrs. Walker went to Balti-
more and was almost overcome with
surprise when her brother confronted
her, smiling and in the best of health,
Cemetery authorities planned to ex-
hume the body either late today or to-
morrow morning to get fingerprintS.
These will be compared with the classi-
ned Identification marks of ex-service
men in the War Departments files here,
Every agency Of the War Department
and Of the Veterans Bureau which as
sisted with the funeral ARRANGEMENTS
will be employed in an effort to learn
who the dead man is. Should the IN
vestigation develop that the stranger
was former service man, his body
probably will be permanently consigned
70 the grave where 1T now rests.
Mother Doubted Death.
Only Marcey's mother had any doubt
OF the Identification. She persisted In
believing her son was still alive, despite ,
the fact that her children were unani-
nous in the opinion the dead man was
their brother
Marcy had left home several weeks
ago to seek work as a plaSterer In
nearby Maryland. He did not know
that his family believed him dead, and
his surprise was only excelled by that
OF his sister when the two met yester-
day.
Mrs. Walker looked at Marcy. drew
her fingers over his face and sank into
q chair at his rooming house, unable
to speak for five minutes.
Tell me-" demanded Marcey. els
something the matters mother
dead?"
mo" Mrs. Walker said when abe
you'll"
Features Very Similar.
Authorities in the Maryland com.
munity had tentatively identified the
oeao man as Joseph H. Thomas of
Winston Salem, N. C., and members
OF the latter's family were planning to
come to Upper Falls when they were
notified the body had been claimed.
marcy, who is 80 years old. is about
the same age as the dead man. They
nave striking similarity of features
ana hair, Marcey's family said
Inc body had been mutilated in the
accident a circumstance which con-
Irlnuted to the mistake. The unin-
uentlned man was picked up by a
motorlSt who knew him only as "Bob."
on the highway near Washington
Inc machine in which the stranger
was passenger overturned on the
highway just outside Baltimore. killing
MIN almost instantly.
Clothes Were Unfamiliar.
AT the time he was dressed in a
brown pin-strtpe suit, low black shoes
and a gray hat. He had a nunober ~
papers on his person, one of which
MIS-. walker said, was pawn ticket
Tor q suitcase left in Washington
=, Whlle Mrs. Walker could not identifv
tne clothes as her brothers, she SUD-
posed he had acquired another outf3t
trip.
Marcy and his family were anxiouslv
awaiting word today of the identity Of
the dead man. The entire family. whiIe
happy In the unexpected reunion. were
deeply ,grieved over the mistake and ex-
pressed desire to learn the identity
OF accident victim, If possible.
war Department officials said thew
anGlclpateo no difficulty in establishing
the mans identity through his finoers
prints If he had been in the service at
any time.