The times., 1901-04-29
LITTLE FAITH IN THE CLUE.
Captain Titus Does Not Believe Gyp-
sizes stole Willie Mccormick.

| - C'hiiIai' VI tAit NciENt al OiliCts WIN -
in Washington trying to trace the miss
ing Willie Mccormick there through the
sheet of paper left by the two gypsy
girls with a local photographer tele-
phoned to Captain Titus tonight that he
and Detectives Weldon and PaTham, 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
Cormicks 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 Nc
Cormicks say is that of WIlie'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'Counell sent
the pen and holder to Captain Titus by
special delivery, and they arrived at the
detective bureau today. Captain Titus
took them up to High Bridge and showed
tiltAti ~ AIiE htCOIIulth ldlilltys Dut tIfy
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
city and New York. Detectives O'Con-
nell, of New York, and Parham and
Weldon, of the local force spent most of
yesterday 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
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-
udN dlItTDODn. 10 make SURE lIldI w ltiiS
Mccormick was not with the band, De-
tectives O'Connell, 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
released Saturday afternoon last, had
again been taken into custody. 1t is
known that Detective O'Connell. and even
Captain Titus, of New York have given
out statements which conflict with those
proclaimed by the local police, so far as
the custody of the Michel girls is con-
cerued
Last night Detective O'ConneIl 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 vet 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. a reporter saw Major Sylvester
last night and asked him whether the
Michel girls We're in custody of his de-
partment.
"Emphatically no." said Major Sylves-
ter The girls Were turned loose Satur-
day, after being held twenty-fOur 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-
tectiye O OConnell. to the contrary notWlth-
standing, was Ubtainable.
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 ii left the pocket Of Willie Nc
moment il was found. as 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 maidens ten
days ago when the famous piece Of paper
was found by Hannah Michel.