Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-15
FAMILY OF SIMMS
UNSATISFIED WITH
FINDING OF SUICIDE
Foul Play Suspected in Death
of Salesman in Potomac
River.
WIFE SAYS HUSBAND HAD
MONEY BEFORE TRAGEDY
Purse and Pockets Found Empty
When Body Was Recovered;
May Reopen Case.

Although Coroner j. Ramsay hewitt
yesterday issued a certificate of suicide
in the death Of Frank Lee Simms, %,
bakery salesman, of 1921 Duke street.
Alexandria, whose body was found
floating in the Potomac River, near
Highway Bridge, Simm's widow and his
two brothers are not satisfied that he
1eaped to his death of his own accord.
number of factors in the case, they
say, tend to indicate that Simns might
have met with foul play, even though
no marks of violence were found on
his body at the Morgue or at the under
taking establishment in Alexandria.
where a further examination of it was
made last night at the request OF the
family.
Raymond w Simms. brother of the
dead man, said last night that no one
connected with the Washington police
force had visited Alexandria to ques-
ton the family.
No Money Was Found.
Coroner hewitt said that a jury,
sworn in over the body, would be SUBJ
ject to recall If new evidence was. I'M
covered.
Mrs. Ruth Simms, wife of the dead
man, declared that her husband had
some money in his possession when he
left home and might have collected an
additional $40 the previous evening be-
fore he started for work No money
was found in his pocketbook, which was
lying on the ledge in the rear of his
automobile when 1t Was found parked
on Highway Bridge, and no money was
found in his pockets when his body
was examined. Her husband had no
jewelry other than a ring, she said.
The ring was found on his finger.
Mrs. SimmS further stated that her
husband was in the best of spirits when
he left home. He Is said to have been
devoted to his wife and baby son, who
will be / year old Friday.
Oficials OF the bakery company, where
Eimms had been employed for more
than year past, stated that ne was an
excellent employe, had always turned
in his collections promptly, and they
could assign no reason which might
cause him TO commit suicide.
Funeral Tomorrow.
Funeral services for Simms will be
held tomorrow afternoon at o'clock
from the Baptist Temple on King street
in Alexandria and viii be in charge Of
Rev. Ryland T. Dodge Of the temple
and Rev. John S. Sewers of the Del
Ray Baptist Church. Besides his wife
and SON Simms Is survived by his
father, Norman w. Simms, and two
borthers, Raymond and Howard A.
Etnms.
The autopsy on the body was per-
formed at the District Morgue yester-
day by DR.. A. Magrlder Mcdonald,
deputy coroner, who reported that the
body did not even bear any bruises,
while water found in the lungs showed
clearly that death had been due to
drowning, 1t was said.
Simms left home at 4:45 O'Clock yes
terday morning to go to work as usual.
A few minutes after 5 O'Clock his
brother, Raymond, street car motor
man, saw his automobile parked on the
right side Of Highway Bridge, headed
into Washington. but supposing that
the car had run out Of gas, attached no
significance to II.
About z O'Clock a fellow employe,
crossing the bridge to Virginia to make
deliveries, recognized the car. Seeing
n1ohting Of Sinms, he notified e. L. Hoff-
man, business agent Of the Charles
Schneider Baking Co. of Alb street,
where Simms was employed, and Hoff-
IMAM in turn called police.
Found in Shallow Water.
simms empty pocketbook and his eye
RlaSSeS, without which 1t mas been
stated he could not even see TO drive
an automobile. we're in the car on a
ledge behind the seat. Keys TO the au-
&omobile were IN the ignition switch
and the car was in operating condition.
The harbor precinct boat, Mai. Syl-
Vester, was called into service, as was the
rescue squad. Meanwhile trio of en-
ployes Of the rritt-Chapman-Scott
Construction Co, engaged in work at
the south end Of the bridge, volunteered
their aid and, obtaining a small boat,
Towed TO a point opposite the parked
automobile, where Stmnls' body was
found floating about midway between
the Highway and railroad bridges, in
about feet Of water.
The body was transferred to the pa
troll boat and brought to the Virginia
shore, where members of the rescue
squad endeavored unsuccessfully to re-
store life, pending the arrival of doc
tor from Emergency Hospital, who pro-
nounced SimmS dead.