Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-29
WRENCH CLUE FAILS
Persons identifying Weapon
Not SO Sure Now.
MICKLE MURDER UNs0LvED
Weak Links Appear in Police Chain
of Circumstances.
MAY SURRENDER JAMES SMITH
Possibility That Suspect May Be
Handed Over to Chicago Of
fcials on Charges There.


terry sustained a wrench today when VIII
liam Anderson and Ida Goldstein admitted
they were not willing to positively .den-
tify the mysterious bludgeon. The best
either of them will say today is that 1T
might be the wrench. 1t looks some
thing like it,
Additional evidence that Smith knows
more of Chicago than he is willing to
admit came from w. w. Stout today in
a talk with Detective Frank Baur, in the
Jail. Stout said:
MY wife is Smiths sister. She came
from Chicago and was the leading wom-
an in theatrical troupe, getting a fine
salary. the highest in the company Her
father came here from Chicago some
time ago and took her home. Smith had
a wife somewhere, l know. because about
October ] he got a telegram from Chi
cago which read: Come here at once
Your wife is dead l forget who sign
ed it,
a Star reporter called at william An
derson's house, where the pair boarded
at that time. Mrs. Anderson says she
remembers the telegram, but could not
tell who signed it.
Mystery Still Unsolved.
Despite the certainty expressed by
the police that James Smith was con-
nected with the Mickle murder, IT was
learned today that there is very little
chance of Smith ever being held for the
murder of the unfortunate t0baccOnist.
whose death. nearly two weeks ago. has
given Washington a mystery as yet
unsolved.
against Smith in the Mickle case. it is
declared. and Smiths attorney. George
Curtis Shinn. claims that the state
fnents made by important witnesses
are erroneous. Although the police
have felt and still feel, they say. that
they hold the slayer Of William H.
Mickle, the contention that their chain
of evidence has weak links has spurred
them to still further efforts. If no
charge Of murder in the Mickle case is
say he will be sent to Chicago to be
accused Of the murder Of two men there
in 1908. And in that event the assault
upon Morris Bennett may never be
aired in court here.
Thirteen days have elapsed since VIII.
liam II. Mickle was beaten to death IN
the back room of his little cigar store
at 1904 7th street. during which time
the hopes of the detectives have scared
to height where they were sure OF
conviction; yet today they seem to be
as far away as they ever were from
hands of the law. Instead Of clearing,
the mystery deepens today. IL there
are loopholes in the evidence the police
have obtained the detectives started
out today to find substantiating testi-
mony to remedy the defects.
Commissioner Johnston Interested.
Commissioner Johnston, in whose
charge the police department lies, is ex-
a4lx,
and believes the police have worked faith
fully in running down every strand Of
evidence. In speaking Of the case today
he said:
1.-The men Of the police department have
been working like bees on this case, and
1 do not believe there Is man who Is
not interested in the matter. Even those
who are not directly connected with the
case seem to be anxious to develop
something new. II there is any evidence
to get. the detectives are keenly alive to
their duty and their opportunities.
II have been extremely interested In
the likenesses which exist between James
Smith and John Kabusta. The similarity
is remarkable"
George Curtis Shinn. attorney for James
Smith. has developed a line Of alfbis
which may prove very interesting II the
into court. Mr.. Shinn said few days
ago that the two cases presented more
avenues of conjecture than any he had
seen. Friends of Smith have already
commenced writing letters to Mr.. Shinn,
and the attorney himself Is busy workins
in Prince Georges county. Nd. to estab-
lish contradictions to the stories OF the
witnesses the police have found. Mr.
Shinn was asked to tell what he had
discovered, but said he preferred to keep
his evidence to himself.
Attorney Shinn Active.
Naturally" he said, Il am sveEse to
discussing this case. as have had
charge of James Smiths interests but q
few days. I can say. however, that /
have devoted the greater part OF my
time since 1 was employed in the case
to the investigation of the circumstances
and so-called clues, and / have learned
enough to convince me that while
may not be able to solve the mystery
OF the Mickle and Bennett cases. I can
absoive Smith of completely in either.
l have investigated the statements maue
by various Witnesses, and have dtscov-
cred that the infora1ntiOn given by them
is entirely erroneous. Working as l am.
my progress is slow. but
I am surely making progress.
Il commend the Washington police
officers for their zeal. l am sure the
officers are honestly striving to ferret out
the real criminal. and l hope to aid
them. The ponce are mistaken In many
Of their deductions. but do not believe
they want to convict an innocent man"
"Goldie" Smith Not Found.
'Goldie'' Smith has not been found.
Policemen thought they had discovered
her residence yesterday, but they were
mistaken. G. A. Davis. a switchman for
the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis
railway. told the police yesterday he knew
Smith had a raincoat at one time. The
police say that man with tan rain
coat was seen In the vicinity OF the
Mickle store, November 16. the date OF
Mickle's death. They also admit that
tan coats are not rare.
Another witness who may prove Of i'm
portance in the Bennett case was uncov-
cred last night by Policemen Trumbo and
Strobel in the person Of Walter Collins. |
The officers visited Collins at his home. |
TWO and a half miles north Of Seat Pleas |
ant, Md, and learned from him that he |
mad driven past the wagon in which Ben |
nett lay battered and bloody the morning |
,f November 20 and had met Constable |
Mohler driving in the opposite direction. |
Collins said he did not stop Mohler. as the |
after appeared to be in a hurry. and he I
Inferred Mohler had been notified OF the