McCormick & Howard Poisoned

Article taken from The Mansfield News, April 1, 1933

Portsmouth, April 1.-(U.P.) -An empty vial, a spoon and a glass in which a brown liquid had dried today were the only tangible clues in hands of authorities here as they sought the cause of death of two young women.

The victims, Mrs. Dorothy W. McCormick, 19, and Muriel Howard, 18, were found dead in the bed of an apartment they rented Thursday.

"Apparently poison caused their deaths," said Coroner R. M. Gault of Scioto county as he continued efforts to analyze the brown fluid.

The coroner said the bodies were not marked by any struggle. Death occured about 12 hours before two young men. Walter George and Hiram Schmeller, went to the apartment to keep an engagement with the girls and discovered the tragedy.

Police dissented from the suicide theory advanced by county authorities.