Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-21
SHOWS TERROR; THOUGH,
At BEDSIDE OF BENNETT
Begs to Be Spared Sight of Benning
Assault Victim.
DOG FEARS ACCUSED MAN
Terrier Belonging to Fairmont
Heights Grocer Has to Be Forced
into Cell-Police Say Alibf
Will Not Hold.

The murderer of William n.
Mickle is still at large.
Mickle was beaten to death in
the back room of his tobacco
store, 1904 9TH street northwest,
last Thursday evening between
the hours of and =. At that
time the streets are crowded with
people.
So far the police have had
scores of so-called clues to handle
and have actually arrested and in
terrogated two suspects with no
result.
Now that James Smith is ac-
cused by the police of assaultine
Morris Bennett with hatchet. an
attempt is being made by detec-
tives to connect him with the
murder of Mickle.
James Smith, stoical. uncon-
cerned, practically laughs at the
police in both cases, and has Of
fered evidence that he was in
Prince Georges county at the time
Mickle was killed.
II did not kill William H. Mickle. Z
was not in the city OF Washington rhurs-
day or Thursday night at the time the
man Is supposed to have been hit With n
monkey wrench. I can prove a complete
abb. and they have got to be pretty slick
to catch me. Thursday was In Prince
Georges county, Maryland. all the time
and can prove It by Cleveland Walker
and John Walker"
This is the first statement James smith.
held In connection with the murderous
assault on Morris Bennett, the grocer OF
Fairmont Heights. has made concerning
the attempts of the police to connect him
with the killing of the 'tobacconist in his
shop on 7th street northwest nearly a
week ago. Smith made these remarks TO
reporter for The Star at police head
quarters today. just after going through
the Bertillon measurements and being
photographed.
Smith and the police form a most re-
markabe picture Of stoicism nonchalance
orous activity on the other. Never have
the police been SO sure OF their man with
out confession. and never has there
been a man in Smiths plight who has
shown such marvellous unconcern.
scornful of Third Degree.
Whether innocent or guilty 81 the
charge, he displays about as much inter-
est in the efforts Of the police to hang
him or send him to the penitentiary as IL
he were an angleworm. Throughout the
tortuous mental strain OF the third de-
gree, behind the thick oak doors o, Capt
Daly's Office, he has exhibited no sign OF
giving way, and not until he was taken
to the hospital last night to see Bennett
did he show any feeling.
Time and again they asked him the
question:
did you hit Morris Bennett with this
hatchet that belongs to the man you
work for?"
And all the answer they could get was:
Say, what do you think / am?
wasn't educated for nothing. and didn't
go to school 10 grow up a fool
For hours they kept at him. using every
trick at the command of experienced
detectives, but the only thing Smith did
was to light cigarettes. for he smokes
them constantly. He appeared q bit tired
about tne eyes this morning. for the third
degree neither slumbers nor sleeps. Some
one spoke to him about it. and he an
swered:
'Well, they may kill me, but they can't
eat me. I'm tough.
Although Smith lays more than his
usual positiveness on the alibi he offered
In the shape Of the Walker brothers, eonS
of the man Smith lived with and worked
for. Capt. DAILY says. that Cleveland
Walker refuses to back Smith up In the
statement
Falls to Support Smith.
Cleveland Walker was in my office last
night. He said he could not account for q
minute Of Smiths time on the day Mickis
died"
The entire ninth precinct, aided by sew
eral men from police headquarters. went
to work this morning to attempt to con-
meet the extremely faint strands OF evi-
dence which point to q connection be-
ho terrific assault Moses