Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-27
A COMPLICATED CASE
Little Light Thrown on the Crime
at Gaithersburg.
DIFFERENCES OF OPINION EXISTING
Strong Efforts to Fasten the Guilt
on NeaIe and Randolph.
NO DIRECT EVID ENCE

The four members of the Buxton family,
father and mother and two daughters, who
were SO mysteriously assaulted early Mon
day morning in their home at Gaithersburg,
were removed to the Garfield Hospital, in
this city, yesterday afternoon, as stated in
The Star, and today 1t was reported that
they were resting comfortably. The skull
Of Sadie, the youngest victim. has been
trephined. Her condition is critical. but it
is now practically certain that the other
three are out Of danger.
The complexities In the case seem to in
crease as time wears on. The people around
Gaithersburg still hold the opinion that Sid
ney Randolph, who with George Neale.
was arrested on suspicion of having COM
mitted the crime is guilty, but SO far, to the
calm and dispassionate observer, there ap-
pears to be no credible evidence that tends
to connect him with the attempted murder.
Collier Certain Randolph IL Guilty.
Sheriff Collier returned to Rockville yes
terday evening. after taking Neale and Ran
doiph to Baltimore and placing them in
Jail. The sheriff said he had talked with
Randolph going over to Baltimore, and was
pretty nearly convinced he was guilty.
Sheriff Collier brought back the undershirt
with the small blood spots on 1t, which Ran
dolph wore at the time Of his arrest, and
Deputy Sheriff Horton Thompson, who went
to Baltimore TO get Randolph's shoes. re-
turned on an earlier train, and declared
last night that the shoes were worn, with
out any doubt, by the person who made the
tracks leading from Neale's house through
Il cornfield 1t was also declared that an
examination of Randolph's feet and legs,
made after he was taken to the Baltimore
jail, discovered that they were badly cut
and scratched, as if by briers, thus uphold
ing the theory eagerly propounded by the
Gaithersburg people, that Randolph had
taken off his shoes a the Neale house, and
had then gone over to the Buxton residence,
where he attempted to brain the family,
and thence returned to the Neale house and
put on his shoes again.
the cuts and scratches were supposed to
have been gotten by walking over the
briers and blackberry vines that thickly
carpet portion Of the ground between the
Buxton and Neale houses.
Sure the Suspects Did 1t.
The entire aim of the Gaithersburg peo-
pie ever since the crime committed and
the two suspected men arrested seems to
have been directed toward fastening the
responsibility for 1t on Neale and Ran
dolph. and there has been an absolute
cessation of all effort to follow the case
further in any other direction. They seem
to have taken for granted that Randolph
at least is certainly guilty and are proceed
lnR on tnlS theory 10 the exclusion OF
everything else.
Sheriff Collier stated last night that the
suspected men would be brought to Cal
thersburg tomorrow for preliminary trial
before a justice of the peace. and he de-
clared that If they were held for the grand
jury they would be confined in the Rock
vile Jail and he would protect them to the
extent of his ability and in strict compli-
ance with his sworn duty as an officer.
Many Prominent DOubters.
The Gaithersburg crime Is far from being
solved 10 the satisfaction OF the authorities
here, and States Attorney Alexander Kill
gour Of Montgomery county is by no means
satisfied that the criminals are in custody
I'VE have strong evidence against them"
he said. land some very suspicious cir
cumstances. But Mr.. Buxton says that
Neale is not the man who assaulted him.
and he has known him since he was a
boy
That Randolph's shoes fitted the tracks
made across the fields near the Buxton
house amounts to little in the opinion of
the police, for there so many shoes
which will make substantially the same
print.
Notwithstanding the conflicting opinions
regarding the gull. of the prisoners the
people In Montgomery county who believe
them guilty are as anxious as ever to
States Attorney I<ilgour, who managed to
prevent a lynching, are being condemned
for their action In favor of law and order
An ex-Justice Makes Threats.
Ex-Justice Stonestreet said he expressed
the sentiment of the people this morning
when he remarked that the sheriff and
states attorney would have at least been
tarred and feathered had they remained
in Rockville after the prisoners mad been
removed.
why, SIR" he said, ut was an outrage
m hp nf tha fho.
should have been taken from there, but
the sheriff has promised that he will re-
turn them not later than Thursday Light"
This information the ex-justice volun-
teered when he called at police headquar-
tiers here this morning; and" he added,
they will never get another vote in the
county"
In conversation with a Star reporter, he
said, while he was not positive that the
men in custody are the criminals, circum-
stances are mighty suspicious. So far as
Neale Is concerned, the eX-justice thought
he should have been executed when he was
arrested ten years ago for rape.
kilgour Wants More investigation.
Later In the morning States Attorney
Kilgour called at police headquarters to
have a talk with the authorities. He is by
no means satisfied that the guilty men are
in custody, and favors a further investiga-
ton of the case. AS already stated he
thinks he has good case of suspicion, and
says he can present what he has to jury
but at the same time he thinks the county
should offer reward for the apprehension
of the criminals. This would renew the in
vestigation, and might result in the cap
turc of the guilty ones. The county COM
missioners, he said, have been in session
for three days. and he has urged upon
them the necessity of offering a reward.
"a heinous crime has been committed"
he said. land the guilty parties certainly
should be apprehended and punished. We
have two men in Jail, and they will keep
Let the investigation go on. and If 1t is
shown that others, and not these men.
committed the crime, then they should be
brought to Justice"
Buxton Clears NeaIe.
He said that Buxton has said that Neale
did not assault him, for he has known
him all his life. Buxton has not seen Ran
dolph, but the latter will probably be
brought here from the Baltimore Jail and
taken to the hospital this evening. In con-
nection with the shoe prints and Ran
dolph's shoes fitting them. Mr.Kilgour said
he had been told that when Randolph's
shoes were removed it was found that his
feet were filled with briers. This, how
ever, he said was only hearsay.
Warrington Detectives Handicapped
When the states attorney called upon