Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-09

plea of guilty has ever been accepted in
a murder case in the District. and 1t is not
likely that Chief Justice Bingham or Judge
all probability, be tried. will depart from,
the invariabe practice of the District
courts. If Ford should plead guilty when
arraigned on the Indictment. the court
would then direct plea of not guilty to
be entered and would then assign the man
counsel.
While there is no doubt, of course. of
the conviction of the man. it seems that
he cannot be executed much before next
November That is should his counsel
take advantage of the rules governing APP
peals to the Court of Appeals By doing
so. they could. it Is said. delay the matter
so that the Court of Appeals could not
hear the appeal until next October. the
court adjourning in June until the first
Monday in October.
The Knife and Trousers.
Detectives Horne and Weldon went to the
home of Ford in Montgomery county hear
Burnt Mills. this morning TO get the knife
and trousers of the murderer. If possible.
Ford had told in his confession yesterday
that he had given the knife. an ordinary
penknife, to his brother. whose actions
about home had excited suspicion, ard.
sure enough. they found the knife in his
possession.
When the detectives reached the RUPERT
farm today they enlisted the services of
Messrs. George McCeney and Morgan J..
Boteler who had already been of valuable
assistance to them. and the four men went
to the house together.
There they found Richard Ford. the muir
derer's father. well the murderer's
wife and child. and the brother to whom
he said he had given the knife.
While the relatives of the doomed man
trsiC -inCy hn OH nr,I Ii,yn I
what would be the result they showed
that they had been greatly relieved from
the terrible strain under which they had
labored during the two days and nights
that the house was visited and guarded by
so many armed men.
Lizzie Ford had actually refraincd from
cooking anything to eat for two days for
fear she would be suspected of preparing
the food to take to her husband. who had
been in hiding in the woods. His capture
had removed this restriction from her. and
once more she was endeavoring to make
her father-in-law and child as well as
herself. comfortable.
The officers and their assistants were re-
ceived in a friendly manner by the mem
bers of the Ford household. and were made
to feel at home. They, however had not
forgotten their several pursuits through the
woods when they searched in vain for
the culprit. who was then a fugitive. but
notwithstanding the fact that he had
eluded them and made his way from the
woods. they treated the family with due
consideration.
The brother of the doomed man was first
questioned. He was told of what his
brother had said in his confession concern
ing the knife, and, taking the weapon from
his pocket. he handed it over to Lizzie who
in turn handed it to the officers.
Then the officers made inquiries concern
Ing the prisoners trousers. The members
of the family disclaimed knowing anything
of them, but the officers and the country
people were so positive that they were on
the premises that they proceeded to make
q search. Their efforts in this direction
were not in vain. for in the garnet, between
the ceilirg and rafters, the blood-stained
garment was found The knife is an ordi-
nary cheap black-handle affair, with two
blades. and although it had evidently been
washed several times. the use of a micro
scope revealed two blood spots on the small
blade.
These articles were brought here. and
Will be exhibited to the coroner's jury later
in the day.
Mrs. Ford denied to the officers the truth
of the statement of Lille Mayo to the eff
feet that before leaving, her husband had
told her that he had outraged and killed a
told her he had done something wrong and
had to leave, and never expected to see her
again
Other Traces.
The officers also found Ford's old white
hat, the one he wore when he committed
the crime, and this, too, was stained with
blood.
From resident of that section of the
county they recovered a nickel watch and
brass CLAIM. These Ford had traded for
an old rifle.
When the watch was recovered and the
officers learned that the trade was made
orly short time ago they thought the
watch might possibly have been taken
from John Wesley Hail. the hunchback
shoemaker, who was so brutally murdered
in mis- shop only few weeks ago, and
whose murderer left no trace behind by
W ich he could be overtaken.
The brutality displayed on the occasion
of the Hail murder resembles somewhat
the horrible hacking with knife done in
the killing OF Elsie Kreglo. and the officers
think that Ford may have committed both
crimes.
1t is conceded by the police that the
murderer of Hall concealed his crime we'll,
and that FORD would have done the same
thing had he not carelessly dropped the
tell-tale revolver and by 1t been tracked to
his country home.
This result shows the good effect of the
law which requires dealers in weapons to
record their sales and make returns to the
Police Had this not been required. even
the pistol may not have assisted the police
in the search.
Concerning the watch and chain which
Ford had traded for the rifle. the officers
are making an effort to find its owner.
1t is not known now whether Hall had a
watch on the night of the murder and was
robbed of it. but the police of the eighth
precinct have been called into the investi-
CATION and 1t is likely that they will soon
learn whether this particular watch be-
longed to Hall or not.
A Benefit.
The Linthicum Students, at an informal
meeting last evening, decided to give a
benefit performance for the parents of Elsie
kreglo. The entertainment will he held
about May %, at Lnthicum Hall. The peo-
pie of Georgetown will literally patronize
the entertainment for such a worthy hene-
fit. The Studenta will be assisted hx good