The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-29
LITTLE FAITH IN THE CLUE.
Captain Titus Does Not Believe Gyp-
sizes Stole Willie Mccormick.

| in Washington trying TO trace the miss
| ing Willie Mccormick there through the
! sheet of paper left by the two gypsy
| girls with n local photographer tele-
| phoned to Captain Titus tonight that he
| and Detectives Weldon and Parham. of
/ Washington, had searched through the
gypsy camp at Alexandria without find
ing any trace Of the boy They will con-
! tinue the search tomorrow in another
gypsy camp northeast of Washington
and will also investigate the report that
| two women who live on Maryland Avenue
have seen a boy answering Willie Nc
Cormick's description in a house on Nir-
ginia Avenue.
In addition to the slip of paper with
Willie's name and the word Gertrude
in schoolgirl handwriting, which the Me
Cormicks say is that of Willie's sister.
Gertrude. on it, the gypsy girls, when
they were arrested. gave to Detective
| OConnell a peuholder of common make
which they said they had found with the
slip of paper at the horse baZaar
in Washington Detective O'Connell sert
the pen and holder to Captain Titus by
special delivefy, and they arrived at the
detective bureau today. Captain Titus
took them up to High Bridge and showed
them TO the Mccormick family, but they
all agreed that they had never seen the
penholder before.
Captain Titus puts little faith in the
gypsy clue, but he has detectives search
ing around Ambrose Park, trying to dis
cover if there were gypsies in that neigh
borhood when the boy disappeared
The search for Willie Mccormick, the
kidnapped boy, is still on, both in this
ri al Nov Nnrlr Dat tSzrae
| nell, of New York, and Parham and
Weedon, of the local force spent most of
vest erday in an effort to follow the
slender clue offered by the slip of paper
taken from Hannah and Lizzie Michel
gypsy maidens, who were released from
custody after a searching examination
1 by the detectives.
The second search of the gypsy camp.
which was made yesterday after the
camp had been removed from jackson
| City to a point near st. Asaph, in Alex
! andria County, was the result of report
received by the detectives from a citizen
! of Alexandria A man whose name is
! closely guarded notified the local police
/ that he had seen a boy answering the
| description of young Mccormick stroll
ing about the gypsy camp last Wednes-
! day afternoon. To make sure that Willie
| Mccormick was not with the band, De-
tectives OConnell, Parham, and Weldon
| went to the camp again yesterday. The
detectives had talk with the gypsies,
| but returned TO the city after searching
the camp without any additional infor-
nation regarding the mystery.
A report was current last night that
the gypsy girls, Hannah and Lizzie
! Michel, who were arrested Friday and
lp-t nH
! again been taken into custody. 1t is
known that Detective OConnell. and even
| Captain Titus, of New York. have given
| out statements which conflict with those
proclaimed by the local police, so far as
| th,. custody of the Michel girls is con-
| cerned.
| Last night Detective O'ConneTl reiter-
ated a story told by him earlier in the
day, that the gypsy girls were still under
arrest in this city. Detective O'COnnell
| explained by saying that the girls were
removed from the House of Detention
! Saturday and taken to their camp for a
special purpose. What this purpose was
| the detective would not divulge. but he
| persists in stating that the gypsy girls
are yet under surveillance. 1t would
| seem that Captain Titus. of New York,
| gives weight to this story, for yesterday
| morning he is reported as saying that
the girls were under arrest in washing
| ton.
That doubt on this score might be re-
| moved reporter saw Major Sylvester
| last night and asked him whether the
| Michel girls were in custody of his de-
partment
"Emphatically no. said Major Sytves-
| ter. "The girls were turned loose Satur-
/ day after being held twentyfOur hours.
| because there appeared no evidence on
which to hold them longer. Had we not
| released them IL is very probable MEM
| bers of their tribe would have taken the
| matter into the courts on writ of ha-
| beas corpus.
| InspectOr Boardman, of the Detective
| Bureau. likewise assured the reporter that
| the girls were released from the House OF
| Detention Saturday. and not rearrested in
| this city. No explanation OF the state
| ments credited to Captain Titus and De
| tective O'Connell, to the contrary notwith-
| standing was Obtainable.
| 1t is the intention of the detectives to
| begin this morning at the horse bazaar,
! Louisiana Avenue near Tenth Street
| northwest. and try to trace the slip of
| paper backward through the weeks, from
| the time 1t left the pocket of Willie Nc
| Cormick at High Bridge, y. y, to the
| moment it was found. claimed by the
| gypsy girls, at the bazaar. Hannah and
| Lizzie Michel with others of their tribe.
| will probably be required to go to the
| bazaar this morning, accompanied by the
| detectives, when an effort VIII be made
! to find some one who saw the matdens ten
! DAYS ago, when the famous piece of paper
| was found by Hannah Michel