Evening star., 1940-05-17
Charred Body Found
In Auto 10 Be Called
Case Of Suicide
Prince Georges Police
Believe Hoffman, Wrote
Letters Hintine Thot PIo,

The mysterious case of the charred
body found chained in . burned
automobile near Beltsville. Nd. early
Monday was closed by Prince
Georges County authorittM today. 5
Dr.. James I. Boyd. depaty medi-
cal examiner, said the death
parently that Of George Hofmann,
38-year-old Branchville (Md.) auto
mobile company service manager
would be classified as . suicide.
Mr.. Holman, missing since early
Sunday night. Is believed by police
TO have written two letters which
were delivered Monday by mail.
One of these letters, police said,
was addressed to q relative and the
other to q friend. The two letters
were deposited In the Riverdale post
ONCE, police explained, and the
handwriting, after comparison with
known writing Of George Hofmann
was believed to have been his. The
names Of those receiving the letters
were not given.
Mrs. Fred Hofmann, sister-in- law
Of the missing man, declared today
however. that "The family has re-
ceived no sub letters so far as
know, and We don't know of any
one else who has. They can call 1t
suicide If they want to, but we have
our own ideas about It,"
Police Issue Statement.
Prince Georges County police,
after four days Of investigation in
the case, today issued q formal state
ment to advise the public as to
the facts . in view of the fact
that the law does not provide for
the holding Of an inquest"
The police statement follows:
"One George Hofmann, Q white
man, age 80 years, approximately
5 feet 4 inches In height and about
40 pounds In weight, residing at
Branchville, Nd, was last seen BY
relatives at his home on the evening
Of May II at approximately $50
pm. At that time Hofmann drove
on in his car in the direction Of
the Baltimore boulevard.
"On the morning Of May IS Hof-
mann's car, . Peerless sedan bearing
tags listed to him, was found almost
completely destroyed by fire on q
road known as the East and West
highway adjacent to the United
States experimental farm, near
BeltsviIle, Md. This road had been
closed for repairs, and the flrst no.
tice Of the car was at 7:3O am,
the morning Of May IL, when the
police were called. /
'The police discovered the
charred remains Of q human In
the front seat Of the car, and the
deputy medical examiner was
called. Dr.. James /. Boyd, deputy
medical examiner. reports the re-
mains are those Of man Of small
stature, as the owner Of the car.
Two Letters Written.
Homicide ofncer Charles N.
Thomson, through investigation, has
found that two letters were de-
posted In the post ONCE box Of
the Riverdale post once addressed
to relative and . friend Of George
Holman, and which were delivered
Monday, May -, By postal employees.
The handwriting On each has been
compared with known writings Of
George Hofn1ann and are believed
to have been written BY George
Hofmann.
The letters do not indicate vio-
lence had been inflicted on oeorre
Holman q was feared By him. One
letter read, In part, as follows:
Thanks for everything. Gone with
the smoke
After careful analysis OF al the
evidence, the position Of the body,
the ownership Of the car, the pod-
ton OF the chains, the information
from relatives and friends and the
expressious contained in The letters
(particularN Ii view 81 the destruc-
ton of the CIR and body by f1re).
the police department, with the ap-
pruval Of the States attorney, has
determiued that no further inyest1-