Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-13
Evidence Connecting Peter Hunter
"a With a Bold Burglary.
JUDGE MILLER DEEPLY INTERESTED
May Be Implicated in the Famous
SIasher Cases.
H E L D FOL T r A L

refer the negro VINO was recent
ly arrested on charges Of having entered
the house Of Col. Sprague and Lawyer Hol-
land, in Mount Pleasant as heretofore
published in The Star. and who was at
first thought to be Jack the Slasher." be-
cause he cut some Of Lawyer Hollands
clothing. was taken to the Police Court
today for a preliminary examination on
charge Of HOUSEKEEPING.
Peter is about twenty-five years old and.
although he has been arrested number
Of times. he has always succeeded in prov
ing an alibi and escaping states prison.
He, however, has served time in Jail for
several cases Of theft.
Peters arrest was due to statement
made by Lawyer Peyton. who had defend
ed him before, and today when the case
was called Lawyer Peyton again represent
ed him. He entered a plea of not guilty.
Lawyer Holland testified that last Thurs
day morning about 4:4o O'CLOCK his wife
was aroused by hearing one OF the chill
dren moving, and she asked the latter,
May, what's the matter?"
An instant later Mrs. Holland cried,
There's a man in the ROOM
Witness then jumped out of bad and grab
bed at the negro. The latter, in turn,
dealt witness blow and knocked him
against a chair. He described the exciting
scene that followed. and said he couu have
shot the man on the stairway had his pis-
tol not have been misplaced.
Witness told of the articles of clothing
and jewelry that had been gathered to-
gether by the burglar, who escaped after
the struggle.
Lawyer Holland when questioned by the
court said that when he first saw the man
he was in a crouched position and had wit
ness clothes in a bundle.
Witness told of his experience In investi-
eating the case Being satisfied that there
was no burglar left in the house. ne went
out and found papers scattered about the
roo duo
reservoir, and there he saw what he thought
was man. 1t was not quite daylight, and
In approaching the dark object he said Get
up" He was surprised to lind that there
was not a man there, but he did lnl fis
(witnessD clothing, which had been slashed.
Witness described how the entrance to his
house was made, and then told of The tracks
in the yard. He was satisfied that there
were three persons in the party. One track
was large and the others small One of
them was evidently made by No. or 3
shoe with a small heel. and the other was
evidently made by rubber or tennis shoes.
After daybreak witness sent FOR Detec-
tive Rhodes and had him bring one Of the
prisoners shoes to his house. The shoe. he
said, fitted one of the tracks.
What about the prisoner the court
asked
I'm satisfied that Hunter was the man
who was in my house."
Witness said there was a lamp burning
on the landing at the time, and he got a
The Judge Interested.
Judge Miller, who is a victim of the
| mysterious Jack" took great interest in
| the case and questioned Mr. Holland at
length concerning the manner in which
the entrance was effected, the way in
which the clothing was slashed, and the
foot prints
Are the prints there YETI" the Judge
a ma nd ffyey h IL.
| to see them
THE Judge" remarked Lawyer Pey.on
IN an undertone. lis going to play detec-
Il could recognize them IL I were to see
| them, the judge remarked. They tally
exactly with those at my house"
| Counsel for the prisoner then took a
| hand in the examination. He said he did
not discover any beard on the mans face
Inc description l gave of the man." the
witness said, italics exactly with that Of
Peter Hunter. His color. age and clothing
tally with those l gave of the burglar"
The Identification.
Witness was questioned concerning his
identification Of the prisoner. He said that
| when Mrs. Holland failed to identify the
| prisoner he seemed very much elated, but
witness said he was not so sure. and when
he assumed STOPPING position she said:
He low looks more like the man
This caused the prisoner to become
nervous.
Witness thought that the burglar in his
house was a courageous man.
He could have gone through nv dauph
ter's ROOM" he said. ''and then gone
through the hall, but instead of doing that
he evidently thought it was necessary for
from getting shot,
Fitting the Shoes.
Policeman Foley gave evidence concern
ing the arrest. Hunter. he said refused to
go with him at first. but afterward he
said: ''Ill go because they can't do any
| thing with me-"
Witness said he had known Peter Hun
ter for some time and had not known him
to work for about three months.
Detective Rhodes gave evidence concern
ing the investigation. He said he took the
prisoners right shoe to Mr.. Hollands
and fitted it in the track.
The earth there. he said is potters' clay,
and the imprint is as good as II could be
made In putty. The imprints at the house
of Col. Sprague, he said, are the same as
those at Mr.. Hollands.
Witness went to the prisoners house in
Pomeroy street and learned that he &C.
cupied the front room of the house. He
said he did not leave the house Wednesday
night and persons in the house said the
same thing, but witness said that Hunter
could have left the house without other
persons in the house knowing of his move
ments.
thompson, a COi0re0 ldmpliEhter,
was next called. He testified that about
eight minutes before 6 O'Clock THURSDAY
morning he saw colored man come out of
Howard University gate and walk down
9th street. Witness was eXtingulshing the
lights at the time. The man whom he saw
turned off 9th street and went in the d.
rection Of where Hunter lives
Had Wagon.
The defendant was sworn In his own be-
half and he denied the charge. He said re
had horse and wagon until about two or
three months ago. when he sold the team
He then earned his living hauling ashes.
I Judge Miller questioned him concerning
his movements when he hauled ashes and
his knowledge of the county in the vicinity
Of Brightwood and Takoma. He said he
had worked at Takoma, and said he had
seen the hotel there. That, lie sail, was
four or five years ago, but he remembered
seeing big white hotel.
When questioned closely by the Judge the
prisoner said he was not sure ne saw the
hotel, but he thought he had. He was never
out there after dark and he was certain
that he had not been there for four or five
years.
Defendant said he worked at hauling
wood at Takoma, but he could not tell for
whom he worked.
He said he did not know where the Judge
lives.
Judge Miller said that the hotel was
commenced only about two years ago and
the wood was riled near IL since that time