Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-22
SLAIN MANS BODY
FOUND IN POTOMAC
Card Indicates WaShingto-
nian-SkuII Injuries Bring
Murder Verdict.

The body of a man of middle-age, in
such condition from submersion in the
Potomac River that identification may
be impossible, lay in morgue at ely
mont, Nd, today while the Washing
ton police, cooperating with authorities
at Indian Head, Md, sought to solve the
mystery surrounding his death.
Arthur johnson, a fisherman at In
dian Head, noticed the body late yes
terday afternoon near the river bank at
Glymont wharf, few hundred feet up
stream from the Government reserva-
ton at Indian Head, 26 miles from
coroner's Jury viewed the body and re-
turned a verdict of murder.
Find Evidences Of Violence.
A bullet wound in the head and a
crushed skull were the evidences Of
violence. The jury expressed the opinion
that the body had been in the water
about two months and one Of three
possible marks of Identification, q card
with Washington address, led Justice
Of the Peace De Therey to seek assist
ance here.
The body was that of a man about
40 years old, feet inches in height
and $50 pounds weight; with black hair,
a high forehead and partly bald. The
body was attired in blue-serge trousers,
white striped shirt, brown sweater, and
black patent leather slippers. A gray
leather belt, bore q buckle with the
initial r. The outline of q woman'S
figure was tattooed on the RICH FORE
arm.
A business card Of the Charles M.
Stieff Co., 1910 G street, Washington,
found in q pocket, suggested that the
man had lived there. r. r. Galliett OF
the High View Apartments, formerly a
salesman for the company, whose name
was on the card, was reported as say
ing, however. that he did not recall
giving one Of his cards to a man OF
the description given. When he was
with the company he did not do bust
ness father away than Alexandria, Va.
Could Not Identify Body.
Ofdcers of the Charles NJ. Stieff Co.
called Galliett after midnight last night
and met with him at the company Of
fees, where they checked over the list
of prospective customers with whom the
salesman had come In contact. Gal
lett, now employed by another concern,
letter T, and said that while he prob
ably passed out the card found on the
body he could not remember the Cir
cumstances and would not be able to
identify the body.
The suggestion Of murder was
buttressed apparently by the evidence
of two bullet wounds in the mans head,
indicating that he could not have fred
the shots. In response to appeals from
Sheriff Early of Charles County, Mo,
the Washington police detailed four
men to 90 to Indian Head today to in
veStigate. They were Detectives Jonn
Fowler and Thomas F. Sweeney OF the
homicide squad, Sergt. Fred Sanopurg
of the Identification Bureau and Vlggo
Larsen. bureau photographer:
Justice of the Peace De Therey SAID
today that In his opinion tdentif1cation
would be impossible except by means
Of the mans clothing and the Gattoo
mark. He said that after the WASH.
inqton offlcers vi wed the body he would
order it turned over to Cnarles OoullCy
authorities for burial TO-DAY;
The position of the bullet wounds
and the crushed skull led the coroner's
Jury to construct the explanation tnat
the man had been murdered aboard a
boat in the river, his head crushed with
a club or spike, and the body thrown
overheard. Small fishing vessels otten
are in the vicinity Of Indian Head.
The description Of the body did not
tally with descriptions OF missing men
on file at o. Was IN ene particular nea t6e
initial of the surname. The letter T
an the belt buckle suggested the I'M
exnlained disappearance of Julius Toll
Lesson. retired boatswain's mate, who
1eff note in his state room on the
washington Norfolk boat the night of
Ianmary IL, and the disappearance of
George Talbot, a painter, who has been
was "a years old, however, 20 years
older than the man whose body was
SoInd Is believed to have been. At the
address given for Talbot when he was
renorted missing 1t was said today that
nobody on the premises knew anything
about him.