Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-23
AN OLD MANS THROAT CUT.
Three Men Arrested Charged with His
Murder.

Three Men Arrested Charged with His
Murder.
MYSTERIOUS CASE NOT UNLIKE TIE yurSR-
MANN TRAoEDY-cURIoUs THEORY OF TIE
foLIcE-THE OLD MANS AocrsATIoN-u MUIR
DERKp WHAT COULD HAVE BREN THE MOTIVE?
The corpse Of Mortimer Riley lay on a bed at
his late home in Queens court this morning
when STAR reporter called TO learn what he
could of the old mans mysterious death.
Queens court is between Sd and AZ and L and
NJ streets southwest Riley was a colored man
nearly eighty years old His body was covered
with snow-white sheet, and on it were two
saucers. One was there to receive money
dropped into it by visitors. while in the other
was some white powder. His death reveals
tragedy somewhat similar TO that Of which the
late George Juenemann was the victim, except
tina. there is no railroad track in the neighbor-
hood on which the police can base a theory of
killed by train. In this case, in the Juene-
mann tragedy, the police, or at least some of
them. do not believe that the old man was
murdered.
| INGENIOUS THEORY OF THE POLICE.
They think that he fell on a dump near the
James creek canal and cut his throat on
| piece Of tin. There is one thing certain about
| the case, and that is that the old man is dead
The police, while not of the opinion that he
was murdered are following every indication
OF a clue as TO his taking off. and have arrested
| three men. While they have theory, they
| also propose to get at the facts if possible.
Riley has been sick all the winter and was
! very feeble. He walked about the neighbor-
| hood with the assistance of a cane. and il is
only since the weather has been good that he
has been permitted to go away from the house
| alone.
| HE HAD NO MONEY
except what was given him by persons who
called to him, so that il is not likely that
robbery was the motive of his alleged murder
ers, although it is claimed that 80 cents and his
cane were taken from him when he was as
! saulted- The assault, If there was one, &C.
Cured some time IN the early part of Sunday
night. The old man lett his home early in the
| evening to attend the Baptist church, of which
| he was member. As il was too soon for
! church, he walked along to the M-street bridge
| and paid visit TO one of his friends. he re-
! manned there until after 9 o'clock and then he
started for home instead of going 10 church.
| 1t was ii 80 o'clock when he entered the door
| of his house and fell to the floor, completely
exhausted. His clothes were soaking wet.
! His wife and children gathered about his pros
| trate form and thought for a while that he was
| dead; but in minute or two he showed signs
OF life, and physician was sent for.
SUSPICIOUS CONDUCT OF DAVID VESSELS
While Mrs. Riley was taking the wet clothing
off her husband, colored man named David
Vessels came into the house and inquired for
! the old man, saying he had heard that his
! throat had been cut. Vessels was under the
/ influence of liquor at the time. and his conduct
| excited the suspicious OF those IN the room.
| he volunteered his services, and said that he
could fix up the wound without sending for a
doctor aan tha old mo h.. Etnp ir..1
whether he knew who cut him or not. The old
man at first hesitated, but when pressed TO tell,
| said:
Il don't like to get anybody into trouble"
THE DYING MAN ACCUSES VESSELS.
| Vessels insisted on the old mans telling him,
and then be said that he suspected Vessels him
self to have been one of his ASSISTANTS. Vessels
| then became indignant and acted in so disor-
DERBY manner that he was requested to leave
! the house.
! 1t was about 1890 o'clock when DIR. Branson
! came to the house. He found cut across the
| old mans throat. about three inches long,
! which he thought had been done with a dull
! knife razor. The doctor sewed I'D the
/ wound and prescribed for the patient BY that
, time the old man had sufficiently recovered to
! tell OF his movements during Sunday night.
THE VICTIMS STORY OF THE ASSAULT.
! He said that when he left his home in the
evening he started to go the Baptist church.
but feeling tired he changed his mind and in
tended to 90 to the Methodist church, which
was nearer to his home. While passing not far
! from the canal he saw three colored men fol-
! lowing him. He had then crossed the M-street
| bridge going towards East Washington He
was suspicious of the actions of the men. and
! thinking they intended TO injure him he
| changed his course and went to the house of a
| friend, where he intended to wait until thew
| had disappeared. He enjoyed his visit and
| remained longer than he had intended. It was
! then after nine o'clock and was too late to go
| to church. He then started for his home He
| recrossed the bridge and had passed the corner
of LIST street He was walking slowly, as he was
| 100 weak to go fast. When nearing I'd street
he was suddenly startled by the approach of
the three men whom he had seen earlier in the
evening. Then one of them pulled his coat
over his head and another one of them dealt
him blow in the face. He did not know that
they had cut him. When they grabbed him he
! asked: What do you want to hurt me for?"
He heard one OF them reply: ''Oh, we are
night Doctors" Then he said they dragged
him some distance and
LEFT HIM IN THE WATER.
How long he remained there he could not
tell, but it was two hours or more before he
got home. He managed to get home without
the assistance of his cane.
When the old man told that he suspected
Vessels, his family remembered that Vessels
had stopped at the front door earlier in the
evening. Another colored man named George
b. Henry was in the house at the time. YES
sells, they state, made the remark, "Tu see
you again this evening"" and then he left.
Henry left soon after him.
The police were notified. and the old man
told them the same story that he had told his
family and the doctor.
THE ARRESTS.
Policemen Eser and Sanford then arrested
Vessels, Henry and another colOred man named
cambridge Travers. The prisoners denied that
they had assaulted the old man. All day YES
terday the old man continued to talk about
might doctors" He died about 7:30 o'clock
last night.
DR.. Branson told STAR reporter that the
cut across the old mans throat looked like it
had been inflicted with a dull knife. The
wound, he said was not serious one, and
death. he thought, was the result of exposure
and shock. The cut, he said. could have been
made with sharp piece OF tin.
VESSELS DAUGHTER AS RoMANCER
Henry and Travers were arrested on the
startling statement made by the seventeen
year-old daughter of the prisoner Vessels; that
she had visited her father in the station yes
terday morning and he told her that he did not
take part in the assault; that one of the other
men pulled the coat over the old mans head
while the other cut him. and that he (vessels)