Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-29
The Facts Seem to Be Focusing On
Randolph.
fHE BUXTON TRAGEDY STILL DISCUSSED
Gaithersburg Citizens indignant at
Newspaper Statements.
ARCH FOR CLUES


answered. so far as those connected with the
investigation here are concerned They all
| say that Sidney Randolph is the man. and
| that he was Inspired. if not assisted. In
the crime by George Neale. 1t is claimed
here now that some important testimony.
| which will not be made public until the
-prisopers are given a hearing. has been
found, and the only link in the chain OF
evidence now missing is the disposition OF
the clothing worn by Randolph at the time
he committed the crime. Late yesterday
afternoon a citizen Of Rockville brought
here the startling information that Ran
dolph had been located in Charles county
near the scene of the Cooking murder, and
that ne had worked on a vegetable farm
there. The same man said it was conf
IDENTIFY believed that he killed Mrs. Cooking
and her sister-in-law, and the similarity of
the crimes, with the exception of the gen.
eral result, leads the people to believe that
there may be some truth in the report.
But just how 1t was learned that Randolph
had been down in Charles county could not
be ascertained. While the statement
seemed plausible to some of the citizens
here. they. for the most part, look upon
what was told with suspicion, and call for
proof. 1t is believed in some quarters that
the story was started in the interest of
Joseph Cooking, the husband, under indict-
ment for the crime, and others are of the
opinion that because of the mans conduct
and, the account he gives of his move
ments, he Is deep-dyed criminal and may
as horrible as those recently committed by
more noted criminals. An effort will be
made to ascertain whether or not he was
in the vicinity of Hill Top near the Cock
ing home about the time Of the murder,
and II. OF course. he can be connected with
that tragedy, he will be delivered to that
county. But this is thought highly i'm
probable, for it is certain that if he is the
man he will make no confession. and no
colored man was reported missing about
1t is certain. however. that the chain of
evidence against Randolph in the Buxton
case is Tightening as the investigation pro-
crosses. and the citizens here have I'M
Ioubtedly found enough evidence to hold
him on a preliminary examination. The
crime was committed. as heretofore told in
these dispatches, at an early hour Monday
morning. and the alarm was given almost
Immediately. Not many minutes were lost
by the citizens In getting out on the case,
and following several trails. among them
the one which resulted in the arrest OF
Randolph and Neale. Ever since their ar
rest an effort has been made to ascertain,
II possible, whether the prisoners had
known each other before the crime was
committed.
The Motive of Revenge.
At first it was suggested that perhaps
they had met in the penitentary while
Neale was serving a sentence there for an
attempted felonious assault on a white
SHl, Dul late developments proved tnat he
had not been in the penitentary. and that
II acquainted they must have met at some
other point. No one. of course, disputes
the fact that Mr.. Buxton was instrumental
in getting Neale sent to the penitentiary
years ago. and for his participation in that
case Neale had probably concluded to get
even, whether the penalty should be death
or something less severe.
AT any rate, this furnished motive to
the minds of the citizens, the only motive
that they could imagine, and with the sus-
pcious footprints about the Neaie house
and the subsequent capture of Randolph, it
was thought best that Neale should be
locked up. The question now arises
whether or not the men had been together
before the commission of the crime, and
While those who are in a position to know
viii say nothing. one man was found last
evening who expressed the belief that
there was at least one witness who knew
that they had been together. Neale's con-
duct. however, has been consistent with in
nocence since his arrest. Ever since he
reached the Baltimore Jail he has con-
yersed with reporters and others. and the
people who have talked are inclined to be-
lieve he is innocent, and that if guilty he
is good hand at Concealing his crime. But
he was just as good at concealing his as
sault on the girl ten years ago. when, al
though fully identified as her assailant he
was the coolest man in the court room
At that time 1T was said he had also at
tempted to wreck a railroad train near
mere, but this case was not pressed against
him for the reason that he was given ten
years for the assault
There seems to be in some quarters a
misrepresentation of the circumstances at
tending the arrest of Randolph and Of the
suspicious circumstances connected with
him. as well as his contradictory state
ments concerning material points in the
case.
mitted, as heretofore published was taken
from the woodpile at the home of Mr. b.
Watkins, whose residence is at one end of
the town. while where the crime was COM
mitted was at the extreme other end, so
that the weapon had to be carried all this
distance; and this alone, the investigators
reason, shows that the affair was premed-
itated and was undoubtedly committed by
a person who had a grievance against some
member of the family, presumably Mr..
Buxton.
The part played in the case by the Rev.
LII Lloyd, pastor of the Methodist Church,
when the trial is held. will the prisoner
Randolph's wounds and his statement con-
corning his having slept in Mr.. Wards
barn Sunday night. and that he had not
and brought here. The Methodist pastor,
who had already endeared himself to the
people Of the county and had become one
Of its best citizens, had figured in cases Of
at Roanoke, Va. where at one time he pre-
vented a wholesale Jail delivery by his
nerve and ability to handle a crowd of pris-
oners, while on another occasion he pre-
vented a possible homicide.
A Clerical Sleuth.
When he heard the outcry here Monday
morning and was told of suspicious look
ing man having passed near Wards store
and gone in the direction Of Hunting Mill.
he went In search of the man instead of
going to the house, where he feared he
could do no good, and 1t was not for sew
eral hours that he returned and told Of the
trail he had followed. He had not then
seen the prisoner Randolph, nor did he
know that the latter had been shot; but the
boot prints. he said, had indicated to his
mind that the man was lame in the right
leg, for this foot showed that when put on
the ground 1t had the appearance of hay-
ing been dragged a little. Sure enough, his
right leg had been wounded with a bullet.
and this wound has important bearing
on the case.
When Mr.. Ward, Mr.. Garrett and a third
man went in pursuit of Randolph they had
been told that he had been seen crossing a
field. and they overlook him in a field on
Mr.. Owens farm. They did not draw their
weapons and begin shooting. nor did they
ride over him, as many suppose; but stop
ped and asked for an account of himself
This account was so unsatisfactory that
one Of the trio of horsemen remarked;
'Well, I guess we want you; you will have
to come with u.s.
At this the negro made an effort tn lao ~.