The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-07-17
NEW CLUES IN The
BALTIMORE MURDER
Detectives Are Working Very
Carefully to Avoid Any
Mistakes.
CARELESS
Higher Officials Insist 1t Was S.:c.de
and Give Small encouragement %
Subordinates Who Insist 1t
Was Murder.

Baltimore, July a lons
conference at the county courthouse
between Assistant Opunne and De-
.ectivs William Atkinson, Mr..
announced the evidence In the John-
son case would not warrant the arrest
Of the principal suspect on a charge
Of murder.
There are several important clues
which have Just developed" continued
Mr.. O'Dunne, ''and the detectives are
running them down as rapidly as pos
sibfe. There seems to be more doing
today than there has been before, ana
II the clues now being investigated pan
put there will be important develop
ments. We have determined to push
the case to the utmost, n will leave
no stone %unturned to ascertain the
responsibility for the mysterious death
OF Mortimer Johnson"
A large amount Of evidence against
one person has been gathered. but the
ehiefs Of police and detective depart
ments still maintain it is a case OF
suicide, and discourage all efforts to
prove the contrary. The detectives
they make any false steps tn the mat
ter they will do so at their peril.
Chief OF Detective Humphrey grows an
cry when asked for information about
The case. He seems to discount the
value Of all the evidence his men have
obtained.
It was ascertained today that Mrs.
Lady Durette ashed a few days ago
for an interview with Mrs. William
Suter. the great friend of old man
Johnson, father of the murdered man
Mrs. Suter replied that she would talk
only in the presence Of Chief Pun
phrey, and would permit no other de-
t~ectives to be around.
Interest in Coat and Shoe.
+ra-e L.. N1,Na-
greatly renewed since the discovery of
The coat and old shoe found by the de-
t~ectives in a bundle of clothing that
was carried away from the Johnson
house. The detectives say the spots
on this coat and shoe are blood. The
stains are to be submitted to chemical
analysis.
The finding Of this bloody coat and
shoe, regarding which the detectives
refused to talk, was today acknowi-
edged openly by the police, and it vas
heralded as the only new development
Of the day. II
| George Johnson, brother Of Joseph
Johnson, father of the dead man, was
asked today to tell about the bloody
package, but his reply was: My mind
is a flank about the whole thing. All I
do remember is that when I was up
there at the house, Lady Durette was
+ going over some old clothes in a little
All "a OoA oAA kAiS h2A 4Ico1y lISdA
where Morty was killed, and 1 picked
out the Goa and three old pairs Of
shoes. The detectives took the coat
and n of the Shoes
Mrs. Durette today said:
II am hoping and praying that tho
police will find the murderer of my
brother. But they have never searched
the house in which the crime was COM
mitted, n they have left every OPP
portunity open for the perpetrators of
the crime to cover up evidence of their
deed. But for the activity of Detective
Atkinson the whole matter would have
been allowed to drop already. The po-
lice officials jumped to the suicide
theory, and their determination not to
alter their own opinion has prevented
the full investigation of one of the most
brutal crimes Baltimore has ever
committed suicide. There was TOO
much promise in the world for him for
that. He was cruelty murdered, and I
know with almost absolute certainty
who killed him.
THE detectives know, too, and if
they are not hampered they will COM
plete the chain Of evidence which will
convict this Individual"
Reading About Crimes.
Old mar Johnson is still locked up
In his home, at No. 1870 Hoflins street.
reading Dumas Celebrated Crimes"
He has been pouring over these VOL
unes ever since his son was buried.
His man of all work, Sheeler, lounges
around the place. The shutters are
tightly closed, and no one can gain
admission. Abraham Neale. the ne
gro laborer Of the house, left there to-
day. Neale says Sheeler knows a good
deal more about this crime than he
has old
Mrs. Durette and Walter johnson,
sister and brother of the dead man.
who own the house in which their
brother was killed nd where their IA
Their lives now, are arranging to sell
the place. They say they will never
sleep In he old home again, and they
express Indifference as to what viii
become OF their father when his roof
is sold from over his head.
The detectives assigned to this case
are running here and there TO-DAY mvse
teriously. They have not mapifested
20 much activity in many days. It is
hnoWn mat certain important links of
evidence are still missing from the
complete chain. but it is believed hat