The Washington herald., 1911-09-11

Cner at once declared he was not Rogers
and It later developed that he was right
Later a man whose name was Rogers
and who had known Melano for more
than four years was found by the police.
He denied that he had been near Mela-
nos shop on the night of the murder,
and Melano corroborated his statement
You haven't found him yet.. he kept
saying, you're not looking for the right
man. The man l mean has scar. Find
him and he'll tell you who committed
the murder. He's hiding now"
Search Italian Colony.
A score of policemen searched the
italian colony from end to eAd and
traversed the entire section OF Washing
ton to get a trace of the mysterious man.
Then came the startling news-unbelieve-
able at first-that Melano had confided
10 one man that his story was a falsity
from beginning 10 end and a ruse that
he needed for a few more days. Even
then the Italian said that the true version
OF his story would not implicate him.
He declared that he would be freed
Meantime, at the scene of the crime
detectives had developed the new fact
that the woman in yellow" had been
the boys last companion on earth Ed
ward Slattery fourteen-year-old son OF
! the druggist; E. S. Sedgwick, negro
tanitor at the Jefferson apartment house;
Mrs. Nellie Newman. who lives at the
apartment house, and seven-year-old
! Marie T. Slattery all described the
woman who had visited the drug store
with Harry Smith, given him a quarter,
and asked him to change il for her at
the shop across the street.
The cOmplexity of the case was height
ened by the fact that there was absO-
Inf Of a ~ which
the murdered boy might be identified.
| From waist 20 head he was horribly
| burned, aud the Slattery boy. with the
| other witnesses, were only able to iden-
tify him by the shoes and stockings
! that he wore.
! However, there was one feature Of all
tAeir statements that makes it clear
| that young Smith entered the drug store
! with this unknown woman just before he
met his death. Every one of the wit
nesses distinctly remembered that the
| boy suffered so that conversation was
! almost misunderstandable. Every one
also recalled the vacant expression on
! his face which indicated weak-minded-
ness. The first thing that the boys
| mother said when called by the police
was that her son suffered badly, was
slightly deaf. and unbalanced mentally.
Entered Store Together.
Every description of the scene in the
store tallies. as do all descriptions OF
the woman. The witnesses say that
she and the boy visited the drug store
at o'clock. entering the place to-
gether. From remarks the woman |
made IT was understood that she was
| about to take the boy away with her |
TO some place.
When the two entered the drug
quarter.
GO across the street and get it
changed she requested Il want to |
use the telephone.
The boy disappeared. He had hard |
ly gone before the woman arose and |
walked to the door, telling the pro-
prietOr she would soon return. She !
went TO the Jefferson apartment house |
where she turned over a brown shag-
gy dog to the janitOr. asking him to |
keep it for her a little while For |
few minutes thereafter she was seen |
walking up and down the streets |
Then she, too, disappeared, leaving the |
dog with the janitor.
What her motive was in sending the !
boy TO Melano's; whether she really |
knew anything Of the handsome ItaI-
ian, or whether she was merely a |
chance acquaintance, having taken |
strange liking to the lad, are rnys-
teries which the police now seek to |
solve.
The boys mother knows nothing Of this
woman. Neither do his two grown sis
ters, Myrtle and May They were asked
whether he had any acquaintance of tine
woman's description. and without excep-
ton replied that the only woman whom
he knew, far as they were aware, was
the mother of his Chum, who is about
fOrty-five years old.
Description of Woman.
The description of this woman is that
she was about twenty-seven years old,
brown haired and slender, and clad all in
yellow. Her hat was decorated with
flowers. and besides the little dog she led,
there was a purse in her hand. The Slat-
terry boy declares that when she left the
drug store she first took the dog to the
Jefferson apartments, and subsequently
met man who was waiting for her at
Fourth and II streets. This man. the boy
said. did not enter the store with her.
I'D know her anywhere" the boy said,
1T she was dressed as she was when I
saw her Saturday. The dress she had
on was a bright yellow, and unlike any
ever saw before"
The scene at the morgue last night
when the mother and sister OF little
Harry identified the charred remains vas
heartrending. 1t was not until o'clock
last night that the mother called upon
the police 20 ind him, and twenty min
utes thereafter she was on her way 10
the little chapel by the river front where
her sons unidentified body lay.
For a moment, as they gazed upon the
blackened blot that once had. been eyes,
nose and mouth, the mother and daugh-
ter sickened and turned away.
"It isn't Harry" Mrs. Smith mur-
INJURED.
Detective Cornwall urged her to make
a. closer examination. Again she ap-
preached the body. and while she stoDd
there the few metal trinkets found were
handed her.
Suddenly a scream more terrible in !
anguish than the cry of death burst from
the mother.
Identified by Pin.
Kneeling by the marble slab, she took
one of the burned hands in hers and {
clutched it as though she sought to end
the terrible nightmare that had come
upon her.
TITS Harry's scarfpin,' she screamed.
but It can't be Harry. 1t can't be my
poor, little Harry"
Coroner Ramsey hewitt and others
lifted the woman from the side Of her
child and started to help her toward the
door, Suddenly she broke from their