Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-10
Detfoifef,s
.Disnnennbered
Body Found

Inc hdcked DOdy OF d WOItldns
found burned to embefs on rub
bish heap near Manchester, Mich.
was identified today as that OF
Miss Hazel Briggs. 38, of Detroit.
The-bedy- of Miss Briggs was
discovered by Wayne Trolz, 10, and
his brother. Duane. 5, on the farm
of their father. Raymond F. Trolz.
two miles or Invest of Man
chester.
The boys found the charred re-
mains when their pet dog. shifting
about. refused to leave the rubbish
heap which is about 500 yards
from the Trolz home.
MISSING SINCE APRIL 10
Miss Briggs had been missing
lsince April 10 when she disap-
peared from the. farm home of her
mother, Mrs. Stella Briggs, near
Manchester.
A few hours after discovery Of
the body, no I h e r Manchester
| farmer, Benjamin Ebilsizer, re-
ported to Washtenaw Sheriff John
Osborne that last April IL, the day
after Miss Briggs disappeared. he
saw two men and a boy around q
huge bonfire on the spot where her
body was found.
Steel hoops encircled the body.
Indicating that it had been burned
lin barrel. Both legs-were severed
at the thighs and her sku1l was
fractured. One leg was found
nearby.
Near her body was the frame
Of woman's pocketbook which
contained a metal compact, eye
brow tweeZers, lipstick container,
a pencil and two rosaries.
VANISHED FROM HOUSE
Miss Beatrice Buresh, AZ, with
whom Miss Briggs lived at SIG
West Grand boulevard, said the
possessions CORE sponded with
articles carried by her friend and
inSeparable companion. The two
were on a vacation at Mrs. Briggs
home when Hazel. without ex-
PLANTATION, walked out of the house,
April 10, and was never seen again.
A sister of Miss Briggs, Mrs.
Myrtle Blakeslee of 1850 Camp
bell avenue. left for Ann Arbor
this morning with dentists de-
scription of Miss Briggs teeth. for
comparison with gold filings in
those of the dead woman, to es-
tablish legal identification.
Although Washtenaw authori-
ties are sure the body is that Of
Miss Briggs. Mrs. Blakeslee said
she was hoping and praying it Is
not my sister"
81 can't believe any ono
would have killed her. She was
not one to have enemies. She
was always helping other
people,"
An iron bar lay near the body
but Sheriff Osborne would not say
whether he believed this had been
the lethal weapon. He said, how
ever, that it was unquestionably a
case of murder
, On the rubbish heap was an
. empty oil can which may have
| SOildlIleu lilc illldIIhildDie poured
over the body before it was
] ignited. Plaster casts were made
of tire prints in the lane which
/ led to within 10 yards of where
/ the body was found.
! A second possible clue was re-
ported in Detroit by Miss Buresh.
Before she returned to Detroit.
April y. after Miss Briggs dis
Y appearance. a Mrs. Edwards of
D Manchester told her she had seen
5 woman answering Miss Briggs
description on the highway walk
ing toward Detroit.
APPEARED DAZED
The woman appeared dazed,
: Mrs. Edwards said, and she
] stopped and offered to drive her
5 back to Manchester. Instead the
I woman got into another car with
h three women and man driver,
j. Mrs. Edwards related.
Ezilizer told Sheriff Osborne he
was driving home between 7 and
. 8 p. m. when he saw the flames
on the Troll farm. He stopped
long enough TO see through the
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