Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-31
CoroneF'S Jury to View Body
Before Its Removal to Ten
neSSee for Burial.
NAVY BOARD TO HEAR
CRASH EVIDENCE TODAY
District Police to Tell Inquiry of
Supposed Connection With Injury
of Fourth Safety Zone.

Lieut. Bruce Settle, naval aide at
the White House, found dead in his
Office at the navy yard Monday, died
Of poison, it was disclosed today when
a certificate for transportation Of the
body was issued.
William s. Shelby, Chief of the De-
tective Bureau, Immediately communi-
Gated with Acting Coroner Joseph D.
Rogers, when he received this informa-
ton and DR.. Rogers ordered coroner's
jury impaneled to view the body at
Tabler's Undertaking establishment, 928
M street, and set the inquest for 2
O'Clock Saturday afternoon.
While results Of autopsy performed at
the Naval Hospital were not made pub
lie. it was necessary to give the cause
of death before a certificate could be
issued to transport the body to Double
Springs, Tenn, where burial will take
place. DR.. Rogers said that he had
agreed to release the body for shipment
this afternoon after the jurors had
viewed it.
Figured in Accident.
Meanwhile, the police disclosed that
Lieut.. Settles automobile had figured
in collision early Sunday morning.
Their investigation showed that the
machine did not sustain the damage in
this collision which was discovered yes
terday when the police seized it after
information had reached them that
Lieut.. Settle might have been the driver
who knocked down and seriously in
jured four persons in safety zone at
Connecticut avenue and Tilden streets
Sunday night.
At the same time the naval board of
inquest, with Capt. P w. Foote, U. S. N,
as its senior member, arranged to sit
this afternoon to hear testimony from
police officials with reference to the
hit-and-run case.
While Capt. William A. Angwin, COM
manding officer of the Naval Hospital,
conceded that an autopsy has been per-
formed, he declined to reveal its find
ings or to affirm or deny that the neck
was broken or confirm reports that the
stomach contents exhibited signs of
poison.
Said to Have Fallen.
Lieut.. Settle is described as having
fallen from the mezzanine floor at the
Electrical Interior Communications
School at the Navy Yard ON Monday
about noon, and rumors at the Navy
Yard said that bottle of poison had
been found near his desk
Rear Admiral Claude C. Bloch, COM
mandant of the Washington Navy Yard,
said that he expects the Board of In
quest will complete its inquiry late to-
day or Friday, as tomorrow will be a
holiday. The commandment said that ne
does not anticipate the necessity of ap-
pointing a court of inquiry or a board
OF investigation, which are summoned
In cases where foul play is suspected.
The board Of inquest held short
meeting this morning, and plans to
hear the testimony of police officials
at an afternoon session.
Police Hold Auto.
The District police have taken possess
sion of the automobile of Lieut.. Settle,
which was found outside the Broad
moor apartments, 1901 Connecticut
avenue, where Lieut.. Settle lived. The
automobile, which is a small coupe, was
found by police with broken head
light, denied hood and damaged radi-
ator front and they asserted that its
description tailed with that given con-
corning the car which injured the four
persons at Connecticut avenue and
Tilden street.
Lieut.. James N: McTwiggan, who was
on duty at the fire control school at
the Washington Navy Yard and who
found Lieut. Settles body, declined to-
day to affirm or deny the story about
the poison bottle, pleading that official
regulations require that any informa-
ton on the case come from the board
of inquest.
The third precinct police records show
that Lieut.. Settle was involved in an
accident at Seventeenth and I streets
at AS o'clock Sunday morning. Settle
was driving his coupe north on Con-
necticut avenue, while William B.
Kennedy, % years old. of 2127 Third
street, was driving east on street in
q sedan. The report showed that no
arrest was made, because Policeman
r. e. Talbert, investigating, ascertained
that both parties were willing to adjust
the damages out of court.
Police later re-examined Settles car
and found that the rear end of the
machine had been struck and they
estimated the damages at SIS.