The evening times., 1896-05-27

nature of the crime was related to Mas.
Moore. he, without delay, tendred their
services as volunteers to the Montgomery
county authorities, and the proffer was
accepted by States Attorney KHgour.
Since then the Washington men have
lone good work. II was through the ef-
forts of Detectives Horne and Weldon
principally that Neale and Randolph, the
negro suspects, Were not taken from the
Rockville Jail Monday night and swung
from the limb OF a tree 10y lynchers. The
villagers were inflamed by passion at the
ruthless and bloody crime that had been
committed, and would no doubt have
ireated the prisoners in a summary man
ner without investigation. hearing, or trial.
Horne and weldon mingled with the
excited man and learned of their purpose.
The detectives had grave doubts of the
guilt of the men under arrest, and have yet.
They called upon Sttae's Attorney KileoUr
aud frankly told him of the feeling of the
citizens of Gaithersburg. This feeling was
Iot confined to young men alone, as has
been stated. Men of mature years and gray
heads were in favor of stringing up the
suspects
With Mr.. KilgOur's permission, De-
.ective Weldon called upon the county
Judge and secured from him an order for
she transfer of Neale and Randolph to the
Baltimore Jail for safe keeping Then,
while Kilgour and Sheriff Collier ar
ranged for the transfer of the prisoners
to n railway train near Rockville the
Washington men returned to Gathers
burg and pacified the excited citizens as
best they could.
BY this prompt work Detectives Horne
and Weldon believe they saved the lives OF
two men perhaps innocent, or at least
who have not yet been proven guilty of the
heinous assault upon the Buxtons.
The detectives had work to perform in
this city and could not devote all their time
to the Gaithersburg matter. Hence this
important investigation which should have
been in the hands of skilled men from Balti-
more, has largely been left in the hands Of
the villagers, who are inexperienced In
strengthening out the tangled network of
crime.
Rev. Mr.. Lloyd Of the Methodist church,
finding that no assIsta nee had been ten
dered the town by the State authorities,
set 10 work manfully gathere Gle ws and
followed them as best he could
The failure of the Maryland government
to assign trained detectives to the case is
now painfully appaeent Three days have
elapsed since the. commission of the crime.
The air is fullsofs theories. Important
clews have not been followed. and the case
is surrounded bYsmsstery and conflict of
opinions. tsS
1t is the opinion Of the people of Mont
gomery county that the State authorities
have made serious mistak eof omission,
which should be rectified as speedily as
possible.
AS stated in The Evening Times yester-
day, the citizens of Gaithersburg are con-
vinced that Neale and Randolph are the
guilty ones, and it would require strong
and direct evidence to shake this belief.
The citizen investigators have certainly
secured some damaging circmstantial
evidence against the men under arrest. but
1t is a question whether the testimony is
sufficient to convict them before an i'm
partial jury.
Detectives Weldon and Horne believe
that all effectual work in running down
the criminal will have to branch from the
statements which are yet to be made by
Mr.. and Mrs Buxton and their two badly
injured daughters. These statements bunch
ed will furnish important clues. AS soon
as the Buxtons are able to make intelli
gent statements concerning their early
morning experiences on Monday 1t is the