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Show INDICATION IS A. E, ASHBY WAS IRDJPCTIM Officers Are Probing Case of Man Whose Body Was Found in Pond at Ogden. CHEMIST HARMS IS ANALYZING STOMACH Only Theory Aside From Foul Play Is That Ashby Was Suffering From Dementia Special to The Tribune. OO DEN Dec 18 Word from Los Angeles to the effect that A. E. Athby who was found dead near here yesterday yester-day had left Lot Angelee about ten davt ago strengthened the theory that Athby bad been robbed and murdered While something mora than $20 was found on the body when discovered, it is pointed out that Ashby probably ear ried a much larger sum in a wallet which was not found with tho body Asbby bad been in the employ of the American Potash company of Long Beaeh Before leaving Los Angelee he drew his salary from the potash com pasy lie also disposed of several pieces of property and some other seeun ties and then drew all of his money from the bank. He left for Chicago via San Francisco on November 29 lie had sot said anything about stopping in Ogden. While in Los Angeles Ashby lived at 807 South Hill .street. Reached Ogden December 2 The ticket which was found on the body ef Ashby has been checked by tbe railroad officer. The punch marks of the different conductors showed that he bad reached Ogden on December 2. Indications were that Ashby had come to his death some time between Decern ber and December 10 ' The stomach of Ashby is now being examined by State Chemist Herman Harms to ascertain whether or not poi son had been administered Mr Harms said the exam nation might occupy two weeks time. One theory is that Ashby was drugged and taken out to the lonely place where his body was found and the body thrown into the pond There was no mud on tbe shoes as would likely have been the case had Ashby walked into the pond. It is absolutely certain that be was not drowned There was no water in the lungs and it is declared to be an1 absolute rule that wherever death is due to drowning tbs lungs are found to be filed with water Only Other Theory The only alternative to tbe murder theory is that Ashby became demented and wandered out to the place where h s body was found According to th s theory he must have died from ex posure on the ice that coered tbe pond at the time of bis death The sugges t on is made that the ce probably melted later and let the body drop through into the water Officers are of the op nion that Ashby d ed, or was murdered soon after ar riving in the city Investigat on on the part of local officers has fa led to d s close anyone who remembers see ng Ashby in or about Ogden Waiting for Analysis While officers are st 11 trying to pene trate the mystery that surro nds the case they are of the belief that little more w 11 be d scovered unt 1 the con clus on of tbe exam nat on of the stomach of tbe lead man by the state chemist If Ashby was murdered and many indicat ons po nt strongly to th s conclus on he was more than 1 kely po soned There are po n arks of violence on the body The analys s of tbe state chem st w 11 probably show whether or not the man was po soned and f so what po son was used The pol ce are trying to find a brother of the dead man supposed to be 1 ving in San Franc sco but as yet have been unable to get in touch w th h m |