The evening Republican., 1902-05-03
WORKING ON
The MYSTERY.

Laurel, Del, May 2.-Geaeral
surprise was manifested on all side
his moraing whea it became noised
about that State Detective Theodore
! w. Francis and Frank Demalo.
assistant superintendent OF the
,pinierton agency. had combined
;heir forces in an effort to ferret out
. he murderer Of Mrs. Collins. E7l-
4ently efforts were tmadc ito keep
i this compact secretlve and pre-
( .autious were taken by the detec-
lives to shun the gaze OF residents
of Laurel.
When the two arrived at the
Collins farm shortly after daylight
with the negro suspect William
Waite. with them, it did uot take
D., ong for this astonishing bit OF
inform ation to spread.
In fact. it became known through
out Laurel in about the short space
of time that elapsed while the grue-
some murder of Mrs. Collins three
, weeks ago was passed from lip to
lip.
Detective Demalo came down the
, state two days ago, but did not visit
: Laurel. It is said hereabouts that
re has been comforting with Attor-
ney-General Ward regarding the
investigation pursued by the Pink
ertons, who were engaged by friends
of Elmer Collins. At any rate, De-
; ,ective Francis with his little hand
satchel, arrived in Georgetown last
=. night, and early this morning he
md Detective Demaio went to the
tlil.
, With Deputy Sheriff Wilson, they
= 5ook the negro Waite and started to
: drive to the Collins farm. 1t was 4
| o'clock when the journey began, and
! in order not to encounter the eager
| folks of Laurel a circuitous route to
| Portsville was taken.
Elmer Collins was astir when the
the detectives arrived with Waite.
! For awhile Collins himself was
! casually questioned by the sleuths
! and the negro was taken into the
house. He was gazed at curiously
by Collins.
Waite latter was taken into the
| stable when the body of Mrs. Collins
was discovered face downward in a
bed of fodder and stable filth, and
! later he was conducted across the
! field at the rear of the stable into
| the thicket or Branch about three
hundred yard;, away.
| The detectives took Waite along
, the path made by the supposed
strange footsteps discovered there
| shortly after the murder became
known. They also endeavorcd to
| get Waite to point out where he bur
led the thirty dollars, the bloody
| shirt aud the bloody knife, which
were mentioned in the 'confession" "
extorled from the negro BY the Pink
ertonson Sunday last.
! So far as could be learned. Waite
; persisted in the denial in his inditfer-
; cnt way, that he had ever been at the
J. Collins farm and that he had COM
| mitted the murder The detectives
! acted mysterously while searching
through the Branch, aud it was gen.
orally accepted that their quest was
! truitless. They declined to discuss
! their Investigations, and have adopt.
ed a policy of reticence.
, When Collins emerged from his
. house he was not very communica-
tive frame of mind, saying he did not
care to discuss the case with strang-
& ers.
When the loss Of $40 by Detective
;atedgc was mentioned, Collins
seemed to derive some amusement
about it, and referred to it in jocu-
lar way. The negro Waite was re-
! turned to Georgetown Jail late in the
afternoon.
Union A. NJ. t. Church, French street above
18th, Rev. n X Ed,uunjs pastor. Preaching
I03U u. m. by pastor ana 20 y IN BY bishop
&c Wilmore Sunday School 80 Ill Chris
Ainr E,,,t.I n ~