Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-01
CROPPING IN THE DARK
Detectives Unable to Discover
Murderer of Lazier Gozman.
THE CLUES PURSUED
ACTIVE SEARCH FOR A WOUNDED
CoLoRED MAN.
Suspect Traced Through City to Corner
of LIST and r Streets Northwest,
Where He Disappeared.

There was a tired-looking crowd of detec-
tives at the morning roll call at headquar-
i ters today. Captain Boardman talked to
the men about the two murders. heard
what they had to say, and then told them
| what he wanted them to do in the matter
| of making further effort to apprehend
the criminals Detectives Muller and Corn
! well were absent from roll call, as they
| we're out of the city pursuing supposed
| clues in the Hlllsdale tragedy The former,
went to Culpeper yesterday afternoon, and
/ the latter is In Charles and st. Marys
| counties, Maryland This morning Captain
/ Boa riuian said he had received no word
i from either
| Detectives Tyser and Trumbo were also
absent from roll call. They had made. an.
early morning start on the clue In the Coz.
| man murder regarding the wounded colored
man who called at Boomers drus store al
North Capitol and l. streets TuesdaY night
| and asked the. druggist to dress some IN
juries to his face Late yesterday AFTER
noon man answering his description was
seen in the vicinity of the Soldiers Home.
His face was bandaged. and according to
the report the police received he had been
about the woods near the home the greater
part Of the day. M -. ~ -
general alarm was sent out and detec-
ives went IN search VI Lie ACJ
found he had been seen by number Of
persons, and they succeeded in following
him from point to point until he reached the
corner of LIST and R streets northwest.
where, about shutdown, he disappeared.
Nothing more was heard of him, and the
pursuit was abandoned for the night, 1t
was on this supposed clue that Detectives
Tyser and Trumbo made an early morning
start. Captain Boardman was so much I'M
pressed by the developments that he had
description of the man sent to the several
stations asking that he be arrested as
suspect in the Lazier Gozman case.
But Little Information Gained.
All day yesterday there was crowd
about the store of the murdered man on
Gordon avenue and the residents of the
thoroughfare were more or less excited over
the affair. Detectives visited every house
on the avenue and interviewed the occu-
pants. Very little was learned from them
that would throw any light on the case.
The officers were told about two coiored
men who were seen about the vicinity Of
the store Tuesday afternoon, but the de-
teetives do not believe these men killed
GoZman. From several sources the officers
learned of the colored man who was seen
in Gozman's place of business during the
day and who was asked why he did not go
to work. as stated in yesterdays Star. The
general description of this man ia lies With
that of the man who called at Boomers
to identify the man who was in Gozman's
store and sleeping room that afternoon.
"A more careful investigation of the prem
Uses made yesterday afternoon convinced
the detectives that only one man was con-
cerned in the murder and robbery. 1t seems
certain that the grocer was acquainted with
the man who dealt him the terrible blows,
for there does not seem to have been tine
struggle that the police at first Thought had
occurred 1t Is believed that GoZmaR was
either lying on the bed at the time he was
attacked or that he was Knocked upon 1t
by the force of the blow. In the wall ne ar
the foot of the little bed are three cuts,
which the police believe We're made with
the hatchet. GoZman evidently fell across
the foot of the bed If he was not already
there, for large pool of blood was on the
mattress.
According to the reasoning Of the seuths,
GoZman recovered from the first shock
while the culprit was In the store searching
for money. and managed to get as far as
the table. which was between the bed and
the door leading to the store. A chair was
to the west of the table and not more than
four feet from the door. Behind this chair.
on the wall. was blood stain. the outline
Of which made 1T appear to have been
caused by mans head. The grocer, 1t Is
believed, sat on this chair and either fell or
was knocked, to the floor, where his dead
body was found
Mere Speculation.
AS stated yesterday, the Ratchet. which
was used for wood chopping purposes, was
left on the table In the back room; and the
cleaver, which was kept on the meat block
in the store, was found on a vinegar barrel
not far from the body. The belief is ex-
pressed that when Gozman reached the
door between the two rooms he was at
tackled with the cleayer, and the murderer
then finished his work. The meat block Is
directly in front of the door between the
rooms, and the stains between that and the
front door, the detectives say. were made
by blood from the murderer. There are sew
eral stains on the wall and barrel cover,
which were evidently made by the MUIR
derer's blood-stained clothing brushing
against them as he made his way to the
front door to fasten 1t.
While 1t is believed the murderer entered
the place by way Of the front door. and
| was probably in there some time before the
deed was committed. 1t Is regarded as pos
sible that he entered by means OF the rear
gate. SO far as. the police have been able
to ascertain there was nobody about the
neighborhood who saw him enter the back
gate. 1t Is also true that no man was seen
to leave by that way after the crime was
committed.
Regarding the Inquest.
The police have become convinced that
the slayer OF Gozman was wounded. The
blood in the front part of. the store. they
believe. came from wounds the murderer
received. DR.. Baker. the acting deputy
coroner. made a careful examination Of
the body. of the victim yesterday afternoon
and found that eighteen cuts had been in
fiicted. Seventeen of them had cracked the
victims skull. Most Of the cuts measured
two inches in length. Coroner hewitt has
not yet determined when he will hold an
inquest. 1t is likely that jury will be
en;paneled tomorrow. and that the testi-
| mony will be heard next week.
S,,ev,ao% Arrn.&.5
James Henson, coiored, twenty EIGHT
years old, was arrested as suspect in the
Gozman case today. Detectives Tyser and
Trumbo and Policeman Berman made the
arrest. The police had received informa-
ton that Henson had been seen on Gordon
avenue about noon Tuesday. The prisoner
was taken to police headquarters. where he
was interviewed by Capt. Boardman. He
accounted for his movements all day Tues
| day, but the officers held him. They viii
| make a further investigation concerning
his movements before perufffiup hin, ~ - :.