The Washington herald., 1911-11-30

: =
In some respects she answered the de-
scription given by Marie Biggs, friend
OF Smith and formerly a member OF the
| theatrical company he led, but within
a short time convinced the police that
she was not "Goldie." Because of this
fact, the Central office men would moi
give out her name last night
Later in the night Marie Biggs, who
revealed so much of Smiths life when
he was a theatrical angel" admitted
she did not know where "Goldie" was.
Il never even said the Smith they have
locked up is the same man I'm talking
about" declared the girl sulIenly. I'm
making no such statement now The
pictures they've shown me of Smith don't
look a bit like the Smith I knew. II
may all be a mistake
| Officials at the Home of the Good
Shepherd. where the girl is housed, are
positive that none of Smiths friends from
| the outside could have reached or in
| fiuenced her. Yet the strange contra
! dictions in testimony-her apparent de-
sire to send the police on the wrong
trail-has caused the officials to investi-
gate thoroughly into the possibility of
a gang arrangement" whereby no one
who knows anything is to inform on
Smith.
Would BE Respected.
II Smith is the kind OF a man the po-
lice say he is, this is entirely possible
AS leader of a crowd his confidence
would be respected, and the demands
OF detectives defed, even If his pals
were Jailed.
Two men, who the police believe may
know something of Smith, were arrested
| late last night near FOrd's saloon, in
Northeast Washington, by police of the
Ninth precinct and were held by orders
| OF Capt. BOardman for further inVesti-
CATION. The two men gave their names
as Harry Lawson and Roger Gleason.
They protested that they were travelling
statesmen who had Just arrived in this
! city.
The men attracted attention of other
persons in the saloon by Offering for
| sale quantity of jewelry. When ar
rested 1t was found that they had more
jewelry In their trousers and overcoat
| pockets.
We don't know Smith," said the two
when questioned last night, land il the
| police hope to learn anything about this
| Mickle case they are mistaken"
The one most significant thing yes
terday was the absolute denial of Law
renee Britt, the man who roomed with
Smith, that a story told earlier in the
day was true. Britt declared last
night that Smith had come home on
the nlBnl OF lne HluTOer.
Il ought to know" re repeated over
and over again. Il ought to know. I
saw him"
The utter failure of the police to To-
! cate the woman for whom they have
searched for a day and a half is un-
dOubtedly the severest blow yet suffered
in their endeavor to strengthen the case
against Smith. During the forenoon De-
tective Cornwell and Sheriff Suit secured
. J, 1FfX- IFr OF,
tour through Southwest Washington.
There they obtained the information
which enabled them to find the woman
they had been shadowing. And it was
only to learn that she was not the
woman they wanted.
Every effort is being made now to de-
velop the evidence in the Mickle case
Yesterday afternoon Morris Bennett,
whom Smith is accused OF murderously
assaulting, identified the suspect for the
third time, as the man who attacked him.
Bennett, who is unable TO speak, was
walking slowly up and down his room
in Casualty Hospital. when detective,
with one OF the physicians. entered and
showed him Bertillon picture of Smith
Gives Terrible Pain.
The instant ne saw it Bennet's eyes
lighted with a gleam OF fury and he tried
to speak. The jaw. mashed by a blow
OF a hatchet. gave him terrible pain, and
he half staggered to a chair.
There he held the picture aloft, nod
ding his head vigorously as questions OF
it's identity were put to him.
rs there any doubt that this Is the
man." Bennett was asked finally.
He shook his head.
Bennet, the physicians say, will recover
his speech within a few weeks. The shat
tered bone of the jaw must knit, and
then it is believed that he will give
further information on the whole matter.
Detectives believe 1t probable that Smith
made some statement to Bennett which
will aid in the case, as the two were not
strangers.
Despite the fact that their first effort to
find "Goldie' has resulted in nothing
principally through misinformation fur
nished by Smiths friends-the police hope
that they will find the girl to-day. Her
statement will be taken with that OF
other witnesses in the Office of the dis
trict attorney.
Each Scores n Point.
One victory for James Smith and one
for the police were recorded during the
early days proceedings. The point for
the suspect came when William Anderson
and Ida Goldstein. the former the owner
and the latter the saleswoman of the
monkey wrench with which Mickle was
killed, repudiated their former testimony
and modified their Identification by say
ing 1T might be the same wrench"
Previously both positively identified the
wrench. 1t was on their Identification
that the police had built a chain OF evil
dence which led Smith to the tobacco
nist's shop at the time the murder was
committed, out of the place again, and
ultimately to Chesapeake Junction.
Monkey wrenches look alike" said
Anderson yesterday. 'and one that re-
sembles this one was stolen from my
shop the night after Smith and his conf
panlon slept there. But couldn't swear
on my oath that this was the same
wrench"
To offset this statement, the police
were able to completely break Smiths
story about having spent the night of
the murder at the Walker home with
Lawrence Britt. 1t was on Britt that
Smith relied to substantiate his state
ments Yesterday morning Walter Cos
tellO proprietor of saloon at Sixth and
G streets northwest, informed the police
that Britt and another man, generally
answering the description of John Walk
er, had entered his barroOm at $50
o'clock on Friday morning and had
hilariously told him of the grand old
time they had had the night before"
They described fully where they had
been, and although they did not men,
ton Smiths name, made 1t clear that
they were not the only two in the party.
Both Men BOIsterous.
gg