Sunday Washington globe., 1901-12-22
THEDENNISM MYSTERY
The Clues and Theories Which
Have Been Exploded.
NO APPARENT PROSPECTS or
The Assassin's Discovery-A Word in
Justice TO the Police Department
The Condition OF the Victim and the
Improbability That She Can Throw
Any Light on the Subject The
Globes " Comments.

The murderous miscreaut who assaulted
Mrs. Ada Gilbert Dennis Is stll at
large, and no other clue to his OF her
identity developed the past week than the
suspicion attached to a suicide named
Presley, who resided next door to the Den
mis- residence, and who, il is alleged, had a
key which fitted the front door Of Mrs
Dennis residence Further developments
along this line are looked for by the police
ihasmuch as it has been discovered that
while Presley lived in Texas town, two
young girls were mysteriously murdered in
their beds and the murderer has never been
discovered Whether the police will ever
succeed in making the dead Presley out a
veriiable Jack the Ripper remains to be
seen. The fact however, remains that Mrs
Dennis was murdered (for there is no hope
of her recovery in her bed and that so far
not a single arrest has been warranted BY
any information in the possession of the
authorities The GLOBE does not want to
unreasonably endow the authorities with
supernatural powers. They are but human
after all like the balance of us, and adverse
criticism on their failure to capture or dis
cover the inhuman monster who assaulted
Mrs Dennis should be drawn with this
weakness in view of our common human
limitations
There are many and numberless cases In
the books Of undiscovered murderers and
unsolved crimes equalling the Dcrnis
mystery, hence there islio call for any par
ticular condemnation of the Washington
authorities. On general principles, how
ever, the criticism applies that certain pre-
liminary precautions or rules were not OBJ
served by the police on the first discovery
Of the murder Aud in this only are they az
fault. Whether the observance OF tue
usual methods in such cases would have re.
suited differently or offered a clue which
would have led to the discovery of the as.
sassin is now Of course, but a matter of
conjecture
The Police Department all must concede
has redeemed itself to certain extent in
the vigor, intelligence and unceasing energy
with which it has applied itself to tile TN
ravellng of the mystery and the discovery
of the assailant of Mrs. Dennis
Every clue has been followed up with
painstaking care and every theory has been
considered, weighed and acted upon. The
police can do no more, and to do less would
properly subject them to criticism But
care must b. taken and the common ameni.
ties observed OF not ndulging IN indiscrimi-
nate abuse, or criticism of the police for the
very good and sufficient reason that men on
a tension and in the exertiou of every
faculty they possess must not be driven to
desperation or decentralization, which in
this instance is the same thing On the
contrary the police should be encouraged
and aided by the law-abding and whether
their efforts result in failure or success
"A
appreciated instead of condemned How
else does the community expect to be
served intelligently, faithfully and cheer
fully by its servants if these servants, who
are on a strain and overworked, are to be
fguratively kicked, cuffed and abused'
So much in justice to the police depart
ment and the officials directing the same
AS to the mystery itself and the victim
thereof there has been but little compara-
tive change or development since the last
issue of the GLOBE Mrs. Dennis cannot
recover, and due principally to her correct
life and splendid vitality she has fought
with death beyond even the predictions or
hopes Of the physicians.
The theory that she had a secret lover is
absurd, as IS the equally untenable one that
this lover is the assailant IL size had a
secret lover he would unquestionably with
his other vices have the one Of avarice.
and he would not have neglected the op-
portuuity to have gratifed this passion in
the appropriation of the money and valu-
ables so easily obtainabic. It is much more
probable that even the Presley theory is
correct, although the GLOBE has but little
faith in this suggestion or solution of the
mystery
Even supposing that Presley was the
eccentric and peculiar character he is now
represented to be; and, that inasmuch as he
had resolved on suicide and actually carried
out his resolution, does any sane person
doubt but that such character would leave
behind him the evidences Of his murderous
assault instead of the verses and the relics
found? He could no more resist the ap-
peal TO his vagrant imagination Of solving in
his last moments this mystery, provided he
was the eccentric and semi-insane indi-
vidual he is represented as being, than he
could conquer the impulse which drove
him TO self-murder
No the GLOBE disputes this theory on
the very grounds advanced for its establish /
ment We still adhere 10 the belief that a
woman committed the assault, and that the
motive which dehumanized her was-RE-
vENGEl Let the authorities persistently
follow out this line of thought which we
understand they believe In, and the mys
terry may be solved in the discovery of the
assailant The fatally injured woman.
although having had periods Of conscious
ness in the hospital has so far failed OF
been unable to throw any light on the
cause Of the assault or name the person
who committed It. Whoever the assassin
may be, ne or she has spent bad week in
the fear Of the disclosures the injured /
woman might have made Ia her moments