The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1945-01-19
Mystery Surrounds Death
Of Woman Found Beside
Railroad Tracks Tuesday
Unconscious After Push or Fall From
New Orleons-Bound Trdin. Bride Lies
In Mud Overnight: FBI Enters Case.

Circumstances surrounding the
death Of a young woman, who
was found unconscious IN the
marsh mud beside the l. and N
railroad tracks between Pasea-
goula and Gsutier early Tuesday
morning, remained sbrouded in
mystery late Thursday as local
police and FBI agents pushed an
intensive investigation
The overnight bag. which the
young woman had with her on
the train, was reported found in
New Orleans late Thursday after
noon where il had been turned in
as unclaimed baggage but which
for some reason had not been
identified as belonging to Mrs
Reader. An intensive search for
il had been conducted by police.
Her identity unknown for sew
eral hours after her discovery,
the young woman was later found
to be Mrs. Dorothy Jean Wells
Reader, bride of seven months OF
1t. w. c. Reader who is station
ed with the Signal Corps, Bird
Army Headquarters in Tampa,
Fla. She was u native of Nixon
Texas, and was returning home
from a visit after having been
with her husband since thair
marriage. She was 22 years old.
The young woman's name was
discovered from a purse found
lying near the tracks and was
later verified by her husband
who flew to Pascagoula .Wednes-
day after being Informed of the
tragedy.
The woman was discovered
early Tuesday morning by rail
foau crew on tfINifA way TO work.
She was brought to Pascagolla,
q distance OF about half a mile.
on hand car. but she died en-
route without regaining con
sciousness. Tickets later found in
her purse showed that she was
travelling from Tampa 10 San
Antonio, Texas, and had pullman
reservations to New Orleans in
ear B-8, occupying upper 3, on
train No. | which passes through
Pascaeoula about 4;30 pm Ap
parently she had either Jumped,
fallen OF been pushed from the
train Because of the tact that
the train had Just cleared the
Pascagoula river bridge where
tracks showed that she lioundef-
miles, it was estimated that the
train could not have been moving
more than about IL miles an
hour.
Fiounders In Mud
Although no official eNamina-
ton was made of the body. su-
perficial examination revealed
that she suffered a possible brok
en- neck, a broken right ankle
decorations and brush burns Of
the right leg and bruise on the
left forehead
Despite the broken ankle, foot
prints in the mud beside the
when she boarded the train, Mel
ed about, up and down the rail
way bed bank, for $50 feel in the
direction of Pascagoula before be
coming unconscious She had
been threshing about and lying
in the mud for Approximately Is
hours
A coroner's inquest was held
Wednesday morning, conducted
by Coroner H. A. Fails The Jury
of six men returned a verdict OF
death from causes unknown
Members of the body were Nj
D. Johnson, Charles Ferrer. X. b.
McCool. Leo Byrd. N. " Gofi
and Easton King
Details of the finding Of the
woman were given in the test
imony by c. w. Crysell, section
foreman who found the purse
prior to the discovery Of the wo-
man: L. r. Watts, l. and N agent
and W. K. Callo%dy. member OF
the bridge crew who discovered
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