Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-05
BUNDLE OF PAPERS
POINTS TO MURDER
Police Find Possible Clue to
Mysterious Shooting OF
John C. Squires.
PAWN TICKETS FOUND
PAWN TICKETS FOUND
NEAR SCENE OF DEATH
May Have Been Taken From Body
by Pension Clerks Slayer.
NEGRO HAD MADE THREATS
Declared He Would "Fix' Dead
Man for Having Struck His Dog
With Buggy Whip.

HEADQUARTERS detectives and ninth pre-
cinct policemen have obtained What 'hes
think Is a significant clue. pointlns "
murder. i'm the case of Joseph =. oouilee'
veteran of the civil war and pension
office clerk who was shot through the
heart and shoulder while passing from
his home, 17O1 Adams street, TO the
Wine View Club, where he Kept MS
horse and buggy. The clue they OBTAINED
three DAYS ago has been carefully guard
ed by Inspector Boardman. chlef OF oe-
tectiyes 1t consists in the finding OF
bundle of papers which belonged to the
victim of the shooting.
The papers were found beneath a small
bridge near the right of way of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company De
tween 10Th and 22d streets by Charles
A. Kane, an employe of the sewer de-
partment, while he was making some IN
vestigations In the line of his work.
Included in the papers are number of
pawn tickets for valuable pieces OF jew
elry. the interest on the loans having been
paid in advance, a number of notes that
had been taken up by the man who was
slain. and other documents. How the
papers reached the culvert is matter
the police are trying to determine, as
that question means much to them IN
their investigation OF the mysterious
shooting.
Shot Near Target.
Uncle joe Squires. as the dead man
was familiarly known to his more IN
innate friends. was killed about noon
Sunday. November H. He was near the
edge of n strip cf woods between ms
home and the place where he Kept MS
Horse and buggy. 1t was the opinion OF
some members Of the police force that
tie shooting was the result of an ac-
cideat and not done deliberately.
big chestnut tree near where Squlres
fell has been used as place Tor at
taching targets, although the bullets ana
holes found in the tree yesterday Indicate
that no shots had been fired there recent
ly 1t is q fact, however. that much
shooting has been done in that section OF
the country lately. and some or the resi-
dents tell of narrow escapes from a 1ate
similar to that which befel Squires.
Souires occupied a room in the house OF
r. F. Edwards. 1701 Adams street, and
kept his horse in a stable at the Wine
View Club, several squares distant He
had also been in the habit of taking some
of his meals at the latter place. The day
he was killed he left the house of Mr..
Edwards, carrying his whip and smoking
a cigar, and when his body was found
near the chestnut tree the whip was
clenched in one hand. while the partly
smoked cigar was on the ground near his
body.
Saw Men Running Away.
William Sartain, fifteen years old, of
13.6 Franklin street was the first person
TO reach the body of the dead man. He
declared he saw two young men run from
the direction of the place where he after
ward saw the body. Others said they had
seen suspicious actions on the part of
strangers in that section. An inquest
was held and the jury returned a verdict
without fixing the crime as one of murder
or as being the result of an accident.
1t has since come to the attention of the
police that a small boy witnessed the
shooting. He declared the man who fired
the two shots had smooth face, and that
he was in the woods to the west of where
the victim fell The boy will probably be
more closely questioned today or tomor-
row by the detectives.
Policeman j. F. Bradley OF the tenth
precinct may also prove to be an i'm
portant witness in the case. He saw i
man some distance from where the
shooting occurred. and the man ran
away in the direction stated by some
other witnesses.
In searching for motive the police
learned that the Squires had been
threatened by colored man whose dog
he is said to have struck with his car
riage whip The colored man. the po-
lice were told was on his way from the
direction of Ivy City to South Brook
land at the time the affair happened
but he has not been located. He is said
to have threatened to fix Squires.
Examining the Package.
Strenuous efforts are being made by
the police to ascertain something def
mite about the package of papers they
have In their possession, and they are es
pecially anxious to learn how the papers
got where they were found 1t is sug-
gested that Squires had the package on
his person when he was shot, and that
II was taken by the person who shot
him. the latter probably thinking 1t con-
tanned money.
The appearance of the package indicat.
ed that some person had made an effort
to ascertain something about its con-
tents and finding there was no money
In 1t, had thrown IL into the opening be.
meath the bed of the railroad. It is said
that the tickets for the jewelry in pawn
represent several hundred dollars worth
OF property, and that some of the other
papers are valuable
Some of the papers were wet anJ
muddy. having been out in the rain and
snow of last week while the inner one.
were dry. They were turned over t.
Sergt Mccormick of the ninth precinct
and that officer has been conducting q
quiet investigation of them under the di.
rection of Inspector Boardman. 1t i.
probable that they will be turned over Il
the property clerk at police headquarter.
tomorrow or Tuesday. and the detectives
may take charge Of them.
Friends of the dead man, whose bod,
was inferred at Arlington. are willing Il
lend the police what assistance they car
and are earnestly hoping the slayer o.
ths veteran will be brought to justice.