The Washington times., 1910-09-23
Continued from First Page.)

Policeman Roberts pulled in from this
box at I O'Clock the morning Of August
IS He had been in the immediate vlcin-
Itv during the entire evening and he
entghaticaIIy declares that he did not
hear pistol shot and not once as he
passed along I street did he see any
sign Of q body OF a man.
Police Knew Roberts Story.
AID, as The Times has already an
nouEced, this knowledge Of Roberts was
in the possession of the police since the
u0UEfuz Of tie discovery Of the body,
the policeman having told his story TO
the lieutenant IN charge Of the station
The contention of the police from the
very beginning of the Harris mystery
has ECen that NOTVal T. Harris, de
SDOnCeLt because Of his affairs with
women had walked into I street, select
td q secluded spot carefully placed him
self or the ground. reached around to
ire back Of his head. placed his gun
against his head and then shot himself
The absence Of the pistol that fred
the death dealing bullet has been ex-
planned by the police presenting a re-
FoiEeT that was recovered from a sec
Ono-hand store where it had been sold
two hours after the discovery of the
body
The police secured a number Of ..-,sf-
tive identihCatiOns Of this pistol as the
pistol that was owned by N6rvaI Harris
and then gave out the explanation that
The gun was missing from the SID, of
the dead man because II had beer nick
ed up by a cOf0red man who skunk a Ma y
into the night waited until the second
hand store opened IN the morning. and
IN sore need Of money sold Il for ST.
Police Story CoIIapses-
This was the entire case Of the. police
built up in their attempt TO prove their
theory Of suicide. and today that case
IS completely wrecked by the two start
ing dlScOEerleS-that the young man
did not shoot himself al 1880 or IT-40i
O'Clock OF the night of August y and
that the gun that the police recovered
from the pawn shop cannot, according
10 the facts gathered by the police de-
tectlves themselves be the gun that
Harris owned
Today all that the police Of Wash
inSton are positive Of Is that the body
OF NOTVal T Harris was found on [
street early sunday morning. August IS,
and that the gun with which he was
killed is missing
To prove TO the satisfaction Of the
people Of the District that Harris killed
himself they must begin all over. and
probable that the detectives may now
be willing to join in the general de-
mauQ cor an inquest that should bring
out important facts and may positively
establish the cause Of Harris death.
Missed Their Opportunity.
With a blindness that is hardly com
plimeutary to the detective department
Of Washington Detectives weldon and
BuriiuCaTCe entirely missed the CppOT-
IUnity 10 keep out Of their report the ad-
mission that they could, but did not, dis
cover that the suicide revolver was
not the gun owned by Harris
The IlmeS reporters used the clue
COund in ,he police report and a rapid
canvass Of the witnesses involved soon
confirmed the suspicion that the gun
had become worthless as a piece Of
evidence
II brief. the police report bearing on
the gun declares that William Wagner
sold the gun IL question TO H JSandaIlS
on July g. 1919 and the statements 10
The Times Of almost every witness who
was called upon by the police 10 identity
this gun. show that Harris owned his
gun months before Dealer Wagner sold .
The gun nov in possession OF the police !
TO III RaDdsllS-"
Police Report On Revolver.
The portion of the police report on
these points reads as follows
In an effort to positively Identity
the ownership Of the revolver taken
from the secondhand dealer ROSeu-
burg. 81 Half street southwest, by
the police Of the Fourth precinct,
we ind the following report made
by William Wagner, 2g71z Pennsyl-
Eania avenue southeast
July ., 1910 Sold TO H Ran
daIis. 1S1f y street northwest,
Tuayer, Robertson. and Carey .sS-
cal, hammerIess revolver. No $50
There Is no makers name upon
the revolver IN question, but all parts
are numbered 1850 H RandalS Is
unknown at 2SI4 = street northwest
Mr. Wagner has no recollection Of
this transaction other than the
record of the sale
In the report OF their investigation
made by Weldon and Burliugame, the
following witnesses we're questioned as
TO their ability 70 identity the gum
c O. Rockwell
Robert P Bailey
Mildred Anderson
Rose Summers
Ms. Clarence Coivin, aunt Of dead
man
Clarence ColvfH. uncle Of dead man.
Robert Z Harris, uncle OF dead man.
Yesterday The TimeS. reporters began