Evening star., 1908-01-25
MURDER BY STABB|NC
Henry w. Reid, Local Saloon.
keeper, Slashed to Death.
BLOODSTAINS ON THE SNOW
Union Station Locality the Scene Of
Two Crimes.
FRANCIS W. SELF HELD UP
Assault and Then Homicide at In
terval of an Hour Almost
on Same Spot.
BLOODSTAINS ON THE SNOW
FRANCIS W. SELF HELD UP

| on Same Spot.
| Following the two suicides one sudden
death and an accidental asphyxia ton
/ yesterday, the police were called on
early this morning to investigate a hold
UP. which was followed by murder and
robbery. Henry W. Reid. proprietor or
a saloon al 600 North Capitol street. lost
| his life. while Francis w Self. a veteran
of 23 + street was robbed shortly before
midnight. while III front of his home.
Reid was murdered and robbed, whs
| in front of the adjoining house. Il +
street. about 1915 o'clock. lie was
| slashed and cut with an oyster knifc.
the police say. such an instrument hav-
ing been found on the ground near nhers
! the body was discovered by Mrs. octavi.
| Bell one of several occupants of the
| house in front of which The tragedy was
enacted. While the oyster knife was un-
auestionably used on Reid there a,e
! some cuts about his head and wrist Whien
| appear TO have been caused by a much
sharper instrument. 1t is because Of the
/ two classes of wounds that the police be-
| lieve more than one man was implicated
| in the crime. Reds gold watch and fob
are missing, but nothing accurate is
known by persons other than the mur-
/
from him.
Robbed of Change.
| Self was robbed of 50. so the change ha
received from a $40 bill when he paid
for two drinks in the saloon of Timothy
j. DAILY. corner of New Jersey avenue
and F street. only short distance from
| his home. 1t is the belief of some of the
policemen that both crimes were COM
mitted by the same persons. Others. how
| ever think that Self was robbed by col
ored men who saw him get his change in
the saloon and who followed him to the
front of his home. where he was held up
and robbed Reid, they think. was fol-
lowed from his place of business by col
ared men who were in there short While
before midnight.
1t was suggested this morning that rob-
berry was possibly not the only motive IN
the case of the murder of Reid, although
the invSRtigaton has not disclosed any
other purpose.
''The man men who did the slash
ing, policeman who saw the body re-
marked. certainly did all they could Ia
disfigUre him. even If they did not sue
ceed in taking his life There were fully
fifteen twenty stabs and cuts about
his head and two across his wrist Tha
latter we're probably inflicted when Reid
raised his hand to ward off the blows.
Murder Follows Hold-Up.
In the case of the Self robbery, the po-
lice were told the victim saw only one
colored man, and was able TO give a de-
scription of him. The first that was
known of the Self hold-up was when
colored woman saw him standing in
front of his house and heard him repeat:
1--WE been robbed She told police
man of the incident and Self was ques-
toned about his experience. After tell
ing of what had happened to him and
giving a description OF the robber Sell
Ia had hoe loss
| an hour when Reid approached, was at
| tackled. murdered and robbed. The Sec
ond crime attracted the attention of prac-
! ticalIy the entire police department. Lieut..
/ Peck, the commanding officer at polics
headquarters at night spent the entirs
night on the investigation, having De
tectives Nermillion. Evans and Precinct
/ Detective Armstrong with him. Capt.
Byrncs. Lieut.. Hodges and number of
/ sixth precinct policemen were also en-
i gagged in the investigation.
i j. w. Miller was In Red's saloon. which
is owned by the Plaza Hotel Company.
about 11:45 O'Clock. There were four
colored men III the place at the time.
he told the police today. and he is cer-.
tain he can identify three of them. He
/ furnished fairly good descriptions Of the
| men to Capt. Byrnes and the other Off
GERS. and said he will do all he can 10
/ assist in the Investigation. coiorcd
man named Benson who is employed as
| head waiter in the cafe at the Union
|
| He left with Conductor Miller and a
| friend of the latter. going back TO the
station. Several persons we're seen on
| The street near the scene of the tragedy
| shortly after midnight. but SO far as the
| police were able TO ascertain today only
| one man was seen there about the time
Reid was murdered and robbed.
Noise of Struggle.
Unless the guilty persons arc arrested
;c ODD fln
realize they will never be able to ascer-
tain the exact circumstances under which
Reid was killed. Mrs Octavia Bell. wife
of William Bell. was the first to sec tho
body, and so far as they have escertained
| she was the only one who saw the alleged
| murderer.
II heard some kind of noise out in
| front of the house." Mrs. Bell explained
| to Star reporter. Il had not been in
bed long and was not asleep. At first |
| thought the noise made by an intoxi-
Gated man falling down the embankmcnt.
You know. It's common occurrence for
drunken men TO Stagger along the street
and faIl down the embankment. but last
night | was worried over the noise and
called to my husband. He told me 10
/ look out the window and see what was
/ the matter l did so and SAW the man
living on the snow in front of my window.
! There was a man walking west on T.
! street. but I could only see his back ana
lit was not possible for me 10 tell MS
| color.
| Call for Police.
| Mrs. Bell added that she called her nus
| band to the front window and he sus-
gested that they call policeman. Police
men Manahy and Scriven were standing
| at the corner below. but Bell and his wife
could not see them. A cab approached
about that time, Mrs. Bell stated. and
she called to the driver to send police
man there.
~ told the cabman that the man was
drunk or hurt" the woman stated, .and
he had gone only a few seconds before ths
policemen came. think he met the po-
licemen before he reached the corner or
New Jersey avenue and F. street. for they
rea ched the house, thought. before the
cabman reached where they had been
standing"
Frank White and his wife and Mrs.
Emma Jasper other occupants OF II
street. knew nothing of what lTad hap
pened until after Mr. and Mrs. Bell had
awakened them.
Money in Cash Register.
Reid whose saloon was nearest the
Union station. closed his bar promptly at