Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-05
letting SMITH OUT
Opinion Gradually Acquitting
Him Of MickIe Murder.
ANOTHER WITNESS FOUND
Mrs. Lizzie Shaw Saw Man With
Mickle on Night Latter
Was Murdered.

| Gradually the belief that James Smith
had nothing to do with the Mickle murder
| is growing stronger. and the people who
| live near the little cigar store which acts
as the homely setting for the city's great
est present mystery are firm in their
theory that Ralph Pines, the lad next
| door to the store, holds the key to the
problem. Ralph Pines saw the murderer
in the store. and he cannot identify James
Smith as the murderer by any means
One more witness was found today.
She is Mrs. Lizzie Shaw. who lives next
| door to the cigar store, to the south. She
says she saw a man trying to get Will
| liam Mickle to open the cigar store just
before dark the evening Of November IL.
| Mickle refused to open it at that mo-
, ment. She will probably be given a
chance to add her name to the long list
| Of those who have gone over to the Jail
to identify" James Smith.
Denies BE Is Kapustke.
| Nervously pacing the floor Of his cell in
the District Jail, John Kapustke, Kabusta,
Cabbage" Kriekel. Smith, or whatever
his name is, alleged assailant Of Morris
Bennett. and suspected of the murder OF
William II. Mickle. still insists that he is
an orphan. He showed no appreciation
of the message brought him from his par
ents and five brothers and sisters:
Tell him we are all we'll
Yesterday afternoon and saw the prisoner.
He told the latter of his trip to Chicago
and of having met his parents, Drothefs
and sisters. After telling him of the con-
versation he had with his parents ana OF
their positive identification of his picture,
Kapustke remained mute several minutes.
He then turned and said:
They are mistaken in the identification.
1 am not the man they say am
i The prisoner was not In taLKatIVe
spector Boardman directed Detectives
Burlingame and Baur to see Smith during
the day 1t is thought by 1nsp' o.:
Boardman that Smith, alias kapustke,
will weaken to the extent OF At ieas' ao-
hitting his identity.
Maj. Sylvester hopes to obtain some
thing from the prisoner when he is con-
fronted by people from Chicago VINO
knew him there. He has not yet ma g
I'D his mind about bringing the Chicago
people here, however, although he says
he will do so should such course De
deemed necessary.
Rest in Bennett Case.
The Bennett assault case is giving the
police no concern. They are fully salts
fled with the proof they have in that
case, but they are still far from salts
fed with the showing they are able to
make in the Mickle case. although they
think everything points to kapustke as
the slayer Of the tobacconist.
Sergt. Mccormack yesterday went in
search Of two men who were reported to
have known something Of the assault on
Bennett The men were found in Mary
land, but were unable to throw any light
upon the affair.
The police of the ninth precinct last
night sent out a message asking the po-
lice Of the other precincts to make an
effort to find the Bennett watch, having
learned the number of the timepiece. 1t
is an open-face gold-plated watch, with
a Swiss movement The size Of the case
is sixteen, and its number is 363S654. The
| dial is cracked. and the missing piece is
replaced with cement.