| THE WEATHER
j RAIN TO-NIGHT
AND TO-MORROW
DttllM Rtftrl. Put •
VOL. 77—NO. 61
BODY OF
BONES
Strong Suspicion
Causes Distric
Stroup to Order Full Investi
gation by Coroner
SolveSouthFourteenthStreet
Mystery— Wisp
Shred of Clothing Mag Help
to Identify Victim—Author
ities Seek Names of All Who
Have Occupied the House
in Recent Yea
A wisp of chestnut brown hair and
ft bit of calico with a stripe running
through it are clues on which may
liinge the identification of the body of
the girl whose bones were dug lip in
the collar of 133 South Fourteenth
Street, yesterday morning by plumbers
■who were digging to lay a sewer. There
Is strong evidence to support the theorv
fhat the girl was murdered. While
Ihe authorities have not publicly com
mitted themselves to the murder theory,
they are known to bo investigating on
the belief that murder was done.
District Attorney Stroup said Wtday
lie has ordered Coroner Bcltinger ,tx.
make the fullest possible investigation
to include the names of all the persons
■who have occupied the house in recent
j ears. He will later take up the case
liimself.
The police looked through the records
and said at noon to-day that no report
rf a missing girl sent to poliee depart
ment could be connected wibh the find
ing of the bones in the cellar.
Body Burned Before Burial
There is no doubt in the minds of
the men who uncovered the bones that
the girl was murdered. Dr. R. L.
Perkins, Coroner s physician, who was
asked to make a report on the bones,
eaid that he could not positively state
that murder had been done but he has
found from investigation this morning
that the body had first been burned in
8 fire before it was interred in the
basement.
C. R. Cashman, a plumber, 206 South
Thirteenth street, whose men uncovered
the bones, is of the opinion that the
girl was murdered. He had the bones
removed to his shop and called in Dr.
Oeorge H. idder, who said they were
those of a girl between the ages of 16
and 18 years. The doctor anvised
Cashmin to notify Coroner Eckinger.
The latter started his investigation at
1 o c.ock yesterday afternoon and last
night turned the bones over to Dr.
Perkins.
Perkins, after having worked ou
the ease all morning, gave out the fol
lowing:
"I believe the body was burned t>y
tire before it was buried, for I have
burned other bones and the same marks
of discoloration have resulted.
"What was first believed to be a
particle of flesh turned out to be a bit
of cloth, a kind of calico with a faint
stripe running through it.
"Some of the bones are missing,]
among which are the back and the !
left side of the skull and the smaller
bones of the ringers arid toes. The flesh
will disappear from buried'bones and
I believe that body had been buried
from ten to fifteen years, judging from
the condition it is in."
Discovered by Plumbers
The plumbers, yesterday morning, in
seeking a place to dig, found a spot un
der the cellar steps leading down from
the outside yard at the rear of the
building that seemed at first an "old
ditch," and there they dug. At the
depth of two feet they found the skull
of the interred body.
Charles Thomas 126 South Thir
teenth street, who made the gruesome
discovery, immediately told Cashman,
who ordered the hole to be opened up.
The "old ditch" was opened. The
body was found to have been crowded
into a space two feet by three feet. It
die Star- Mi Jitkucttktti
was two feet below the surface.
Cashman is certain that he has dis
covered the original dimensions of the
grave, for the earth surrounding it is
firm and does not have the appearance
of ever having been disturbed. An old
opening can be detected readily ten or
fifteen years after it is made, according
to Cashman.
"Just as the plumbers had to remove
the cellar steps to dig, so the murderer,
if murder it was, had to remove the
steps to dispose of the evidence of his
crime," said Cashman.
Cashman has been ordered by Cor
oner Kckiuger to keep the hope open for
further investigation and has stopped
work there.
'"lt looks to me like foul pit.y,"
Cashman said. "The 'hole is eo small
that the body was eithor doubled up
and crowded into it, or it was cut to
pieces before burial. The bones looked
to me as though they wore burned by
acid. It looks as though the murderer
threw acid over the body to hasten
decomposition to cover up the crime,
for the men complained that the water
burned their hands while they were
washing the bones.
Skull Appears to Have Been Cleft
"The bones are discolored, being
mostly black with red and white spots.
The skull looks to me as if a blow
j from a sharp instrument, like a hatchet,
had cleft it on the left side near the
! nose. That part of the skull is miss
ing. The back of it is missing also,
but small flat pieces of bones wore
found. These may be a part of the
skull.
"The tuft of hair was matted but
when washed was a beautiful shade of
chestnut brown. What I at first thought
was a piece o>f th# size of tihe palm
of a man's hand, was found. To tihis
was attached a piece of cloth. I am
not sure now that it was flesh. The
cloth is double thickness—a part of a
hem something like the end of an apron
string. It seemed to me as though it
was white muslin."
The house is noiw occupied by Elmer
E. Stoner, who moved in on February
14, 1914, according to W. E. Jones,
real estate agent, who has charge of the
property for Miiss Minnie Burtner, 212
tiouth Fifteenth street, bhe owner.
Jones took charge of the property in
1913 and first rented it to Jefferson 'B.
Regar, who occupied it for three months
but left in February, 1914. It was va
cant for a few days until Stoner moved
in. .
At the home of Miss Burtner it was
said that the house was occupied pre
vious to February, 1914, by a family
by the name of Hoopes, who resided
there six or seven years. The property
was purchased by Miss Burtner from a
man by the name of M, H. Wagner,
who now resides in Lebanon. Miss Burt
ner has never had much to do with the
house, she said, for she has always had
a real estate dealer care for it, "except
for a time while the Hoopes occupied
it when she collected the rent herself.
Noticed Odor in the Cellar
The Regars still reside in Harrisburg
Continued on Tnrlflk Pace.
CALLS IN FIRE MARSHAL
Chief Kindler Investigates Blaze in
Tailor Shop
Fire was discovered in the tailor shop
of Lewis Bergfeld, 621 North Second
street, this morning at 6 o'clock by
neighbors. The Hope Comipanv was
called and chemical streams extinguish
ed the blaze. Fire Chief Kindler in
vestigated the fire anil has turned it
over to bhe State Fire 'Marshal for fur
ther investigation.
A slight fire in one of t'he guest
rooms at the Pennsylvania hotel, 313
Verbeke street, this morning, destroyed
the basket and burned a small portion
of woodwork before extinguished by
'hotel attaches. No firemen were called.
HARRISBURG, PA., SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 13, 1915- 12 PAGES.
CIRL BURNED BEFORE
WERE BURIED
MIS HELPING
IIIH GGINS
Heagy Makes Confes
sion Implicating Gibb
and 2 Other Men in
SBOO Holdup
TELLS STORY
OF ATTACK
Former Sheriff of Potter County Was
Left Unconscious on Trolley Tracks
—Police Hope to Recovery Jewelry
In Pittsburgh
Albert Heagy ami John K. Gibbs,
Jr., Steelton men, who last Wednesday
were arrested in Youn'gstown, Ohio, to
which city, it is charged, they fled after
attacking and robbing J. F. Higgins, of
Austin, Pa., were brought to Harris
burg by Constable James Haines at 6
o'clock last evening and lodged in the
l>auj»hin county jail. Higgins, a friend
of former State Senator Baldwin, of
Potter county, was beaten and robbed
near Highspire on .January 19, last,
after he had come to this city to attend
the inauguration of Governor Brum
baugh.
This morning Gibb was admitted to
Kail after Judge McCarrell had fixed
the amount of the bond at $1,50 U.
Tom -Jfeliej. proprietor of the Half Way
house, Steelton, became his bondsman.
Heagy, who is a machinist and has a
wife and son, was unajle to get bail.
Following Gibb's release Heagv made
a statement to District Attorney
Stroup. The prosecutor said that Heagv,
besides confessing to the highway rob
bery charge and implicating Gibb'as an
accomplice, implicated also.two strang
ers, whose names he does not know, but
who. he said, planned the robbery plot
against Hi'ggins.
Victim a Former Sheriff
Higgins formerly was Sheriff of Pot
ter county. He is a middle-aged man
and, according to lleagy's storv, was
in a Market street hotel just before the
trip, during which he was attacked and
robbed. Heagy and Gibb will be given
a preliminary hearing before Alderman
C. E. Murray on Tuesday afternoon at
2 o clock.
The District Attorney asserts Heagv
said that the party induced Higgins to
accompany them to the White House
lane, below Hi'jh spire, on the represen
ts 10 ", V l '! 1 ' lO wou 'd he taken to an
rJks club house, this being a part of the
plan, he said, that was advanced by the
strangers who were supposed to earrv
t^\J ob >; r . v and give Heagv and
C»il*b half of the spoils.
T l ie strangers were on hand when
the trio left the trolley car at the lane
and Heagy said, he and Gibb-walked
out the lane, on the east side of the
Continued on Twelfth I'nice.
POST 58. G. A. R.. HONORS
THE (HEMORY OF LINCOLN
Captain John H. Campbell and Chap
lain Staley, of the House of Repre
sentatives, the Principal Speakers
at Patriotic Gathering Last Night
Post 58, Grand Army of the Repub
lic, with members of visiting posts, Sons
of Veterans and members of the For
eign War Service and ladies of the G.
A. R., last night held a Lincoln me
morial service in the post room at
Third and Strawberry streets and
heard Captain Jmm H. Campbell, of
the Internal Affairs Department, make
a most eloquent address on the life of
martyred President.
Captain Campbell made particular
reference to three of Lincoln's most
speeches—that at Cooper Un
'on > *^* ew Vork; tho famous "lost
speech ' at Springfield, Illinois, and the
Gettysburg speech, quoting from all of
them, and read hhe letter Lincoln sent
the mother who had lost five sons in
battle. He also recited a number of
stories and told of Lincoln's love of
humor. In closing the speaker jmid a
beautiful tribute to Lincoln, the man.
Chaplain Staley, of the House of
Representatives, a former Middletown
clergyman and member of Post BS, now
residing in Philadelphia, told of Lin
coln 's visit to the Union hospital after
the Seven Days' fight in front of Rich
mond, where Mr. Staley, then a mere
boy, lay ill from fever, and of Lin
coln's clasping his hand and wishing
him well. He said tihat visit of Lin
coln had an influence on his after life
that was potent for good.
Thomas M. Jones spoke briefly on
boy life in Harrisburg during the Civil
war. The speakers were given a ris
ing vote of thanks by the old and
young veterans.
TURKISH CAVALRY ON WA Y TO THE FIRING LINE
1 lie cavalry divisiou uf the Turkish aruiy Is an Important unit of the Sultan's fortes The photograph abo'
is u recent one and shows a body of these splendid fighters answering a call to the front.
ASSISTANT CHIEF
I IS HIT FIGHTING
ASIOHAIE
j Halbert Falls Fifteen
Feet From Roof and
1
Is Rushed to Hos
pital in Auto
HAY MARES A
DENSE SMOKE
Firemen Have Hard Battle With Flames
Which Wreck the Plant of the Har
risburg Stone Works—Valuable Ma
chinery Is Damaged
-
HL i, flflßg
an. k.
EDWARD HALBERT
Assistant Fire Chief Who Was Injured
While Fighting Blaze To-day
Fire starting shortly before noon to
day near the electric motor in the cut
ting shop at the Harrisburg Stone
Works, Seventeenth and Mulberry
streets, owned by John Black, gutted
that large one-and-a-half story frame
buijding, which also contained the
draughting room and a loft which was
well filled with hay. The loss will
amount to $7,000 and is partly covered
by insurance.
No men were working in the build
ing at the time the fire was discovered.
A caretaker, who was on the outside,
noticed flames in the cutting shop. He
caused the alarm to be turned in from
box No. 17, Seventeenth and Market
streets. In responding to this box most
of the fire companies went several
blocks out of their way to the blaze
and consequently were late in getting
streams on the building. Later an
alarm was turned in from a box nearer
the scene of the fire.
Assistant Fire Chief Edward Hal
bert, who was among the first to arrive,
was assisting in laying a line of hose
from a small shed at the side of the
CaiUned an Twelfth Page.
EARIMIFH
BRITAIN EXPECTED
British Government's
Answer to American
Note Will Probably Be
Forthcoming Soon
USING NEUTRAL
FLAG CONTENTION
London Newspapers Unite in Express
ing Opinion That U. 3. Colors Will
Be Displayed Only on British War
ships Under Certain Conditions
Kit Associated Press.
London, Feb. 13, 12.15 P. M.—That
the British government will have no
difficulty in giving an early reply to
the American note on the use of the
American flag by British merchantmen
is the contention of the afternoon pa
pers of London, which \irtually unito
in expressing tho opinion that a neutral
flag will be used by British vessels only
as an intimation to German warships
that there are neutral passengers and
goods aboard.
Tho "Pall Mall Gazette" attaches
"immense significance" to the phrase
in the American note to Germany—
"or cause the death of American citi
zens" —as meaning Mi at Americans
aboard British ships will be equally
protected by tho home government aa
those on board American ships.
The "Evening Standard," basing its
judgment on the tenor of the American
notes, says: "It is plain in which di
rection America looks for the possibil
ity of trouble. If Germany does not
now understand the meaning of the
note and realize the false position into
which she has been led by the arro
gance of the official minds in Berlin she
must abide by the issue."
Lusltania Flies British Flag
B]/ Associated Press.
Liverpool, via London, Feb. 13, 4.14
P. M. —The Cunard line steamer Lusi
tania, the vessel which flew tiie Ameri
can flag across the Irish sea on her last
trip in, as a measure of protection
against German submarines, sailed from
Liverpool for New York at her usual
hour to-day under the British flag.
ZfIPmIIMPERILsTAPITAL
His Forces Destroy the Water Works
in Mexico City and Situation
Becomes Critical
By Associated Press.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 13.—Zapata
forces have destroyed the water works
in Mexico City, the food famine has
become more critical and indications
are that Carranza forces may soon
evacuate, official advices to the Ameri
can government say to-day.
Mil CAVES
INASBLRCKWELL
WIS I SPEECH
| Back Wall Crashes as
Negro Orator Begins
Thundering Praises
of Abraham Lincoln
AUDIENCE GO
| OUT OF WINDOWS
One Hundred Colored Voters in Wild
Panic in Second Floor of Hall in
Steelton—Some Leap to Ground,
Others Come Down Telegraph Poles
i
Peter 8. Blackwell, the spectacular
leader of the colored Republican forces
in Steelton, noted as the political orator
who gave Republican County Chairman
William H. Horner the title of "Coron
ious Leader,'" was about to start an
oration on "Lincoln, the Great Emanci
pator," in a Steelton hall last night,
when part of the building fell down
and there was a wild panic among his
audience of 100 negro voters.
About 9.30 o'clock, when the audi
ence was assembled in Blackwell's hall,
Adams street, to attend a memorial
meeting in memory of Abraham Lincoln,
the bulky form of Blackwell was dis
cerned ascending the steps leading to
tihe second story, where the auditorium
is located. His entrance was greeted
with loud and prolonged applause
from his admirers, and this made the
building shake.
Blackwell, who was on the program
to deliver tho principal "oration,"
was introduced by John W. Bailor in
a short speech, wthich made out Black
well to be hardly less of a statesman
than President Lincoln himself. Wihen
Blackwell stepped to the front of tho
platform to begin his remarks the ap
plause was vehemently repeated and
again the building
At this juncture Blackwell, with fire
in his eyes and with a sweep of his
arm half way across the platform,
opened his mouth and was about to
Continued on Twelfth Pane.
Hurled to Death in Stone Crußher
(Special to the Star-Independent.)
Rheems, Pa., FVb. 13.—When his
clothing was caught by a rapidly mov
ing belt, George Shields, Jr., 21 years
old, was thrown bodily into one of the
big stone crusihers at the Laudis Broth
ers' stone quarry here yesterday after
noon aaid so badly injured that he died
shortly afterward. His parents survive
him.
Gardner Out for County Commissioner
Another candidate for the nomina
tion for County Commissioner on the
Democratic ticket has come to the front
in the person of Gardner, of
the Ninth ward. Mr. Gardner served in
Solect Council from his ward and is
widely known among tho Democratic
voters.
POSTSCRIPT
PRICE, ONE CENT.
BIG BATTLE
IS AGAIN ON
IN ARGONNE
The Western Front
Scene of Struggle Be
tween Germans and
the Allies
ACTIVITY SHOWN
IN EAST PRUSSIA
Reported Victory of the Kaiser's Forces
in the Czar's Domain Causes Sub
jects of Emperor William to Renew
Faith in Ultimato Success
Paris, Fob. 13.—Heavy fighting is in
progress once more in tlio Arg-onno and
the Vosges which have now become the
most bitterly contested sections of tlio
western battlefront. Otherwise the op
jjosing armies in that war theatre are
at a standstill. The activity of German
submarines is believed to have been
responsible for the sinking or injuring
of threo more merchantman. Great
Britain s spectacular aeroplane raid,
her reply to this menace, was directed
at the German submarine bases.
The event of immediate importaneo
in the east is the German victory in
East Prussia, which according to Ber
lin reports, was an imposing one. It is
assumed in Germany that danger of
Russian invasion in that region is end
ed, but it is not yet clear to what ex
tent tho conduct of the campaign will
be affected.
In the Carpathians the battles for
possession of the passes are still unde
cided. A Geneva dispatch states that
the Austrians have suffered heavily
from Russian bayonet attacks in Dnkla
Pass.
BRITISH STEAMER ORIOLE
TORPEOOEHY GERMANS
Havre, Via Paris, Fob. 13, 1.55 A.
M.—Shipping circles here now consid
er it practically certain that the British
steamer Oriole was torpedoed and sunk
by a German submarine. The last time
the vessel i« known to have been seen
was at 2 p. ni. January 30 near Dunge
ness iu company with the London
(ftearner London Trader, which is also
massing.
There is oquail certainty that tho
London Trader Shared the fate of the
Oriole. A telegram from Rouen says
Jajines Cullen, a survivor of the Trader,
was landed there by the steamer Po-
Lanll, the captain, of which stated an
other ship w'bxe name he could not
give, had saved three other sailors from
the trader.
The Oriole left London for Havre
on January 2S. Her crew numbered
21 men. The British Admiralty ex
pressed the opinion on February 9 that
sho had been sunk by a German tor
ipedo. The London Trader is a vessel
of 654 tons built in 1913 and owndd
by the London steamship Com
pany of 1/ondon.
LATE WARIeS SUMMARY
The persistent German attack in the
Argonne has gained further ground, the
Berlin War Office announced to-day.
More than half a mile of French po
sitions is said to have been won. There
has been f.'.tther fighting in the Vosges,
and the Berlin .official report states
that all attacks of the allies were re
pulsed. The French communication
gives few details of yesterday's fight
ing, laying particular stress upon
heavy artillery contests.
The German War Office states that
on the western front was found artil
lery ammunition "which doubtless
originated' in American factories."
Berlin Is already celebrating the
'striking victory said to have been won
over the Russians In East Prussia and
further successes are noted In to-day's
official report. It is stated that in
Northern Poland as well as East Prns
sla the Russian attacks have failed and
that the Germans have been uniformly
successful.