The Missing Penknife and the Body in Lake Washington

Coroner Horton decided last evening that Michael D. Warren, whose body was pulled out of Lake Washington at Madrona Park last Sunday night, committed suicide by drowning. A careful examination of the wounds on his neck and abdomen was made, resulting in the official declaration that one or all were not sufficient to have caused death. Detectives have been at work on the case since Sunday, and have failed to find any circumstances that point to foul play. Coroner Horton held a post-mortem examination to ascertain if there were any traces of poison in Warren's body, but found none. He also discovered that the cut in the abdomen entered the cavity, but did not touch the intestines. The wound was made with a narrow, sharp instrument, in all probability Warren's penknife, which is still missing.

The statement made in the Post-Intelligencer that Warren was at his rope's end financially was not refuted yesterday by the discovery of any bank deposit to his credit. It was learned furthermore from Frank Lennox, who knew Warren for over three years, that he was rather short of money of late. Another thing which showed his straitened circumstances is that during all the time that the Davises knew him, until five months ago, he purchased a Post-Intelligencer every morning; in fact, like many other people, he was lost if the morning paper was not in his hands after breakfast, but of late he stopped purchasing the paper himself and waited until he could borrow one from a fellow lodger.

The lodges to which he belonged each give a $45 funeral benefit, so that his remains are assured decent burial. Court Enterprise Lodge, No. 7,962, Ancient Order of Foresters of America, and the West Seattle lodge of Knights of Pythias have taken the funeral services in charge, and decided last night to hold them at Bonney & Stewart's chapel this afternoon at 2 o'clock. The members of Court Enterprise will attend in a body, the funeral being the first not only of that lodge but of the order in this city. The dead man had no relatives in this country, and was a native of County Cavan, Ireland. Whether he has relatives in Ireland is not known, as he never told his most intimate friends anything that would throw light on the matter.

The following will act as pallbearers: Court Enterprise—U. K. Jacobson, J. W. Spriggs, and K. A. Carstens; West Seattle Lodge, Knights of Pythias—James Gill, J. McFarland, and Reuben Farwell.