Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-26
TWO ARRESTS MADE.
The Police Follow Up a Clue to the
Benning's Mystery,
AN OLD MAN WHO HELPED TO WASH OUT WAGON
he TELLS A SINGULAR STORY AND IDENTIFIES
THE MAN WHO DROVE THE wAaoS-rHE pRIs-
oNERs IN THIS CITY


Detective Raft and Officer Slack went
to Benning's bridge to-day, and found
the old colored man who assisted the
strange colored man to wash out his wagon.
His name is Albert Cook, but he is known
about that part Of the country as Captain"
Cook. He lives in an old shanty
this side of the bridge adjoining the marshes,
and attends to the work of digging
and screening sand for Mr.. Benson. He
was placed under arrest He was
positive that it was shortly be-
assisted in washing the wagon. He told the
officers that the colored man. who was a
stranger to him, came by and knocked at his
door. He opened the door and the man asked
him if he would
LEND HIM BUCKET
to use in washing his wagon when he returned
that way and Cook says he consented to lend the
bucket He says he looked in the wagon and saw
what he thought was a persons body covered
with canvas. The man then drove
across the bridge and returned in
about an hour. Cooks story is that he then
lent him the bucket and helped him to wash
out the wagon. In one end Of the wagon he
said was some blood. while in the other end of
the wagon were some ashes.
PICKED Up ON THE ROAD.
The officers started to return to the city with
Cook when they met colored man who Cook
said was the man who stopped at his shanty
with the wagon. The officer then arrested
the second man, who proved to be James d.
Dlggs, who drives an express for hire, and who
usually stands on 9Th street, opposite the Balti-
more and Potomac depot Diggs. pro-
tested his innocence. He denied that
he stopped at the old mans shanty
last Saturday morning, but admitted that be
stopped there for that purpose two
or three weeks ago. Digs lives
two miles of the spot where the body was found.
He Is from Frederick, Nd, and has lived in
Burrville about two or three years.
AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
Both men were brought to police headquar-
tiers in this city, and later this afternoon Detec-
tive Raft and Officer Slack started for Benning g
to find some sandmen, who, it is thought, will
be able to coroborate the story Of the old man.
The officers first learned of this clue from
the driver of one of the vehicles which runs
from the toll-gate to Benning. He heard a
colored man say to another:
THE first thing you know the old man will
get in trouble" They learned that Captain
Cook was the old man referred to and that is
why they arrested him.
Dlggs says that he has purchased the property
on which he lives in Burrwille, and that he
came 10 the CITY To-Day 10 make payment 10
Mr.. McEuen, the real esate agent.
WHAT DIGes SAYS.
While being detained in police head
quarters this afternoon Diggs be-
came apparently very indignant
and accused the old man of being paid to be
against him, but the old man denied the accu-
sation and said he had told the truth and pro-
posed to stick to it.
The old man said that he had never seen
Diggs before last Saturday Diggs said that he
passed the old mans shanty about o'clock last
Saturday morning on his way to the city
but denied that he stopped to was
his wagon. He said that when he stopped
there on one occasion some days ago he prom
ised the old man cents, which he has not yet
given him.