Evening star., 1939-08-17
Body Of Woman
Found in Trunk
Sent From D. {.
Victim Discovered
In Baggage Room
At Atlanta
BULLETIN.

Lie ITunk winch contained
Woman's body when opened In
Atlanta this morning was taken
to Union Station baggage room
here by two men in truck about
9:45 pm. Tuesday, Inspector Ber-
nard w. Thompson said detec-
tives learned this afternoon.
The partially clad body of a dark
skinned woman was found In At
lanta, Ga, today, jammed in a
cheap trunk which had been checked
on a train in Washington.
The trunk had been put on a
SeabJald Railway train that left
here at 10:45 pm. Tuesday, investi-
cation revealed, by a person who
bought-but apparently did not use
"a day coach ticket to Atlanta.
1t arrived in Atlanta at 3:55 pm.
yesterday and was opened today by
police, after employees in the baggage
room at the Terminal Station there
noticed a peculiar odor The body
was clad in a slip, brassiere and
bloomers and was lying face down
in q pool OF blood
The trunk had been tied with a
piece Of rope. Newspapers were
stuffed around the body. Police said
the victim had been dead several
days.
Murder Declared Obvious.
Atlanta Detective D. L. Taylor,
after viewing the body, said the VIC
time possibly was a ht-skinned'
colored woman about 80 years old.
Washington police advised Allan
ia authorities by telephone the
evaluation slip on the trunk was
signed Joe Smith" 1t placed the
value at S.. Shipment cost 80 cents.
A photograph commonly known
as a penny picture" was found
adhered to the lid of the trunk.
The photograph was that of a WE'LL
dressed young mulatto woman with
bobbed and kinky hair, possibly the
victim.
1t had been cut in half, as If to
cut away the picture of some one
who had posed with her.
Frank Donaldson, an employe In
the baggage roon> told The Star in
a long-distance conversation that
he had discovered the trunk. He
summoned police, who broke it open,
There were numerous bruises on
the body and Mr.. Donaldson said he
estimated. the woman had been dead
for three or four days.
Washington police Immediately
made check of the Missing Per-
sons Bureau here. Detective Sergt.
John Wise of the homicide squad
was sent to Union Station, where he
questioned employees of the baggage
room in an effort to determine
whether any of them remembered
the person who checked the trunk.
Early this afternoon, police here
were ordered to question all owners
OF express trucks who employ coll
ored drivers to ascertain if they de.
llyered trunk to Union Station
about 9:45 pm. Tuesday.
The order went out from Inspector
Bernard w. Thompson, chief of de-
tectives, to all precinct commanders,
who were instructed to tell their
men to telephone detective head
quarters Immediately if they learned
anything about such a delivery.
Two Women Missing Here.
The police public relations squad
here reported that two women in
their 30s had been reported miss
| Ing from their homes recently. One
woman disappeared on August 5. the
other August 7. Police refused to
reveal their names pending investi-
cation.
There was no sort of identihca-
tion apparent" Mr.. Donaldson said.
The trunk was cheap fiber trunk,
not new. 1t is about 3l2 feet long,
perhaps 18 inches deep by 20 inches
wide.
The woman has dark hair and
dark skin and appears to be about
30 years old. We cannot be definite
about this, however.
on the body"
No Name Given.
Whether by accident or design.
the shipper had managed effectively
TO conceal his or her identity. The
train on which the trunk was
checked carries many passengers,
making it difficult for the ticket
sellers or baggagemen to remember
individuals.
1t was learned that the ticket
the number of which police OBJ.
tanned from the baggage check
was not taken up when the con-
ductor went through the train. This
would indicate that the shipper.
who had to pay fare to check the
trunk, did not accompany the body.
Sergt. Wise ordered one of the
employees of the Union Station bag
gage room to come to WASHINGTON
from Baltimore this morning. The
detective questioned this man,
thought to be the employe who
handled the trunk when it was
checked here, for some time but
would not comment.
1Mn Moeeonnor Rov.