Evening star., 1936-12-29
Watch and $100 Bill Are
Hunted in Probe
by Police.
BODY FOUND IN WOODS
BY PARTY OF HUNTERS
steamftter Missing Is Days Is
Thought to Have Been Killed
in Capital.

QeCeCClVeS ulVcSClS6GlIlS CIle HluTUcT Ol
Eugene Hancock, 66-year-old steam
fitter, whose body was found yesterday
afternoon in the woods near Piscata-
way, Md, IL miles from the District
line.
The watch and the money, carried
by Hancock when he disappeared De-
cember 13, were missing when the
body was discovered by four quail
hunters.
Hancock. who lived at sos Third
street northeast, had been beaten on
the head and shot through the heart,
the bullet wound causing his death
An autopsy this morning disclosed he
had been dead from two days to two
weeks.
The surgeons performing the post
mortem, Drs. James I. Boyd and E
w. Schwartz. found a small-calibf Z
pistol slug in Hancock,s heart. The
bullet was turned over to Lieut.. John
Fowler, ballistics expert of the Wash
ington Police Department.
Policeman Elon Turner Of Prince
Georges County left Upper Marlboro
this morning to confer with homicide
squad detectives here. Investigators
were working on the theory that Han
cock was slain in Washington.
Bowie Plans Conference.
It was reported States Attorney
Allan Bowie also would confer with
Washington police. but officials here
said they had not been informed OF
this.
Hancock was identified last night
by his brother. James L. Hancock.
The brother, a Pennsylvania Railroad
engineer. who lives at 1886 C street
southeast. substantiated partial
identification made from a notebook
found on the victim by police.
The only clue as to when the
body was left in the woods came
from a colored farmer living near
by. He said he heard an automo-
bile park on a road at the edge
of the, woods about am. Thursday.
Although he could hear several men
talking, the witness was unable to
distinguish what they said, he de-
clared. After an hours stay, the car
departed
Hancock's body was found in a
slight depression at the crest of a
tree-dotted hill half a mile from the
center Of Piscataway. According to
Acting Coroner. F. H. Billingsley of
Brandywine the position of the body
and the lack of signs of violence in
the area indicated that the man was
either unconscious or dead when left
there. Lying on his back, with his
head slightly lower than his feet,
q. Hancock had obviously been exposed
to the elements for several days."
5illingsley declared.
Detectives View Body.
At the request of States Attorney
Bowie, Inspector Bernard w. Thomp-
son. chief of Washington detectives,
sent two homicide squad officers to
Upper Marlboro last night. The de-
tectives. Acting Lieut.. George E.
Darnall and Sergt. Aubrey Tolson,
viewed the body and prepared to con.
tact friends of the slain man in an
attempt to trace his movements from
I the time of his disappearance until
the crime was committed.
According to missing person reports
OF District police, Hancock's disap-
pearance was reported by his wife,
Mrs. Cora Hancock. who said he left
home on December l3.
Hancock worked as q steamfitter
With ChaAes Knorleine, 31I Bryant
street. Police were told by Mrs. Ham
cock that he was last seen in a beer
parlor at Fourth street and Rhode
Island avenue about $50 pm. Nom
day. December IA.
I am confident my husband had
the 500 bill when he disappeared +"
Mrs. Hancock said. He had received
1t in payment for some work a short
time before. and I am sure he had not
broken 1t. He also had his watch,
which was old and handsomelycarved." !"
Left to See About Job.
On the day of his disappearance,
she said, he left home after work to
see Knorleine about another Job. It
was also learned, she said, that he
went to the office of radiator concern
at 1880 pm. that day to inquire about
collecting some money. At $50 pm.
he stopped in a beer parlor near his
home and drank q glass of beer with q
friend, leaving alone. presumably to 60
home, Mrs. Hancock declared. That
was the last time he was seen by his
friends.
Relatives said he was inclined to
Show large sums of money in the
presence Of strangers, and that he
had been warned that was q dan
gerous practice.
In her anxiety after her husbands
disappearance, Mrs. Hancock said,
che went to clairvoyant whom she
did not know, and was told:
q You'll get . message Monday Cthe
day his body was found. see him
near . body Of water"
Another fortune teller. she said,
told her he had been beaten On the
head and was being held captive.
washington police said they be-
Neved Hancock had been killed near
the spot where the body was found.
However. they are investigating the
{ possibility that he may have been
slain here.
81 Apparently Dragged.
Turner, called to the scene after
discovery Of the body. pointed out that
the victim apparently had been drag.
ged from . roadway adjacent to the
woods. Surrounding bushes, he said,
were pressed down and several small
trees had been broken over the route
taken in transferring Hancock from
the automobile TO the final location.
The body was discovered by . set
tss dog belonging to George Rannoes,
one Of four Piscataway farmers on .
quail-hunting expedition. Others in
TIE group were Charles Baden. Claude