Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-19
TWAS A HOT night REMAINS A MYSTERY
Students Enven Performance Police Still Baffed by the
in Theater Micke Murder
FOOT BALL TEAM PRESENT TOMORROW THE INQUEST
Actors Have Difficulty in Making improbable That Jury Can
Themselves Heard Blame on Any One
MISS CHASER GETS BOUQUET MANY THEFTs OF wRENcHEs
Made Lively
by
and University OF Virginia to
Police Still Baffled by the
MickIe Murder.
TOMORROW THE INQUEST
improbable That Jury Can Fix
Blame on Any One.
MANY THEFTs OF wRENCHEs
Certain Marks on Weapon Used May
Cause Its Identification and
Lead to Murderer.

The police are baffied for the time being
In their search for the slayer Of william
H. Mickle, murdered Thursday night in
the room in the rear of his tobacco and
news shop. 1904 7th street. Guesses have
led to no results. Two witnesses there
are. however. the police assert, who
would know the murderer of NIickie IL
he could be confronted with them.
A man was observed to run from the
Mickle shop about tho time Of the trag
edy. nearly running over q man who
stood on the curb The man who as run
down. the police profess to believe, would
know the face OF the fleeing rea H he
saw it again.
Vernon Square shortly after the tragedy
was discovered. The police hazard the
theory that the murderer had returned
to the scene of the crime and that this
was the man, and also are confident that
the negro would know him again.
Inquest Tomorrow.
Coroner hewitt and Morguemaster 5cho-
enberger will today select six men to
serve on the jury OF inquest The jurors
will meet at the Mickle home at io
O'Clock tomorrow morning and view the
body. From there they will go to the
store and make q thorough inspection of
the premises.
1t Is the intention OF the coroner to
have members of the police force who
were first to respond to a call for assist
ance the night of the murder explain the
condition OF affairs at the store when
they arrived.
The Jurors probably will be told that it
was an easy matter for persons in Pines
tailoring establishment next door to hear
through the party wall any noises in the
room in which the murder was commit
ted. Mrs. Pines was in the store. but
she heard no unusual sounds at the hour
the murder was committed II there had.
been struggle or an outcry. she said
she should have heard It, The Jurors will
consider these circumstances, and at 1890
O'Clock they Will assemble at the morgue
and hear the testimony the police have to
offer.
It il probable that only q few witnesses
will be examined Ralph Pines. who
was the last person to see Micikle alive.
and Claude Randolph, the colored boy
who found him Ia dying condition. will
be important witnesses. Medical testf-
nony also viii be heard, and the Jury
probably will be forced to reach q YER
dict that the t0baoconist met his death
at the hands Of an unidentified man.
Conference at Home Of II. +. Pines.
n
will hold a conference tomorrow at the
house OF NJ. T. Pines. 1Oo6 7th street
northwest, to discuss the case and to give
all possible assistance to the police.
THE friends are merely going to COM
pare notes.. said one Of the Interested
persons last night, land they hope they
will be able to be Of assistance to the po-
lice. who are working hard to apprehend
the slayer"
Detectives Ruriinnarne and Grant who
will be present, will report the result OF
the meeting to Inspector Boardman. ANY
clues they may get will be promptly run
out.
Maj Sylvester has not yet offered a re-
ward for the arrest OF the murderer. al
though he has announced that he will pay
literally for Information leading to his
arrest.
During the conduct of the Investigation
yesterday and last night the police were
told OF numerous thefts Of wrenches. per-
sons claiming to have been robbed OF
them calling to see if they could identify
room in which the Mickle murder was
done. Some Of the claimants may have
been robbed. the police say. but they are
certain that visits paid by many were
prompted by curiosity.
Marks on the Wrench.
Certain marks found on the hammer OF
portance. The marks are something il
the form of the letter Y, and Maj. Syl-
vester directed the attention of Capt.
Peck and the detectives to them. They
are really indentations. and, the chief oc
police thinks. were made by some metal
harder than the wrench
These marks" Maj. Sylvester stated.
should certainly assist in showing .hs
character of the work upon which it had
h1o he fo
an expert mechanic to determine JUST
what was that sort Of work.
MAI. sylvester nopes the marks Will be
the means of ultimately tracing the
Identity of the instrument, he thinks. will
lead to the arrest of the perpetrator OF
the deed.
The Alexandria police last night inves-
wrench supposed to have been stolen
from Peter T. Harrington, an Alexap-.
dria automobile dealer, two or three
weeks ago. Policeman John r. Roberts
obtained from Mr. Harrington descrip-
tion of the stolen wrench. The hopes OF
the police were shattered when they
learned that the stolen wrench was quite
different from the one used in the Mickle
murder.
Robbery Regarded as Motive.
Robbery was the motive" said Maj.
the crime was committed by an insane
man. 1t looks more like robbery. how
ever. as an insane man would have WELD
ed the wrench enough times to mutilatS
the victim
Inspector Boardman. chief OF detectives,
is also convinced that robbery was the
motive Both Maj. Sylvester and inspect
or Boardman spoke of the splendid char
acter of the dead man. and said there
could be no suspicion of motives such az
figure in many homicides.
Commenting upon the case, Maj Syt-
vester said 1t was possible the slayer
had no Intention of killing, hut that he
felt 1t necessary when Mickle perhaps
him. It II conceded that the
heavy paper wrapper around the
wrench was torn by the first blow and
the wrench probably fell to the floor, tha
slayer picking II up to renew the attack.
Maj. Sylvester and Inspector Board.
man attach no particular significance to
The paper wrapper. II IL the kind Of pa
per that is used In scores of stores. es.
pecially where heavy merchandise ts solds
md there are many such stores In this
cdty.
Mickle Heard Talking to Some One.
The police last night obtained informa.
lion from Samuel Livingston. who cone
iucts q store at 1910 9TH street. near the
scene of the murder. that may have an
important bearing on the case.