Evening star., 1912-07-15
Whites Held in Connection
With Murder of Negro.
ROBBERY ALLEGED MOTIVE
Thomas Cole Waylaid and Slain for
Sum Of So.
ARE OBTAINED
Those Under Arrest Declared to
Have Shed Light on Crime.
Autopsy Performed.

Autopsy Performed.
Six young white men are at the ninth
precinct police station, having been ar
rested on suspicion in connection with
the murder Of Thomas Cole. a negro, of
1896 Bladensburg road. whose dead body
was found at Benning road and 25th
street northeast yesterday morning. The
prisoners are Albert Nalley. 1884 eth
street northwest; John j. Patten, 652
10Th street northeast; Robert Maxwell,
1921 Benning road northeast: Joseph
Needham. 527 1ath street northeast;
Joseph O'Donneli. 223 18th street north
east. and William P. Connell. 1902 Mary
land avenue northeast. Frank Dougherty,
whose mother Is said to reside at 80 NJ
street northwest. is sought by the police
as the seventh member Of the alleged
murder gang.
When the body was found yesterday
1t was thought Cole had been
struck by a street car and killed, al
though his body was some distance from
the car tracks. The finding Of his pockets
turned wrong side out suggested that he
had been robbed. but even then it was
mitted after the street car had killed him.
Murder Is Shown.
hewitt showed that. the man had been
murdered. his death having resulted from
a hemorrhage following what appears to
be knife wound. the instrument having
punctured one Of the more important
arteries and caused the victim to bleed
to death. Robbery the police soon found.
was the motive for the crime. 81 being
the amount taken from the negro's
pockets. The police investigation disclosed
that there had been division of the
cash. The money taken from the mur-
dered man consisted OF a 81 bill and four
quarters. A bloodstained bill was
changed at Tyree's drug store yesterday
Capt Daley, Lieut.. Falvey, Sergts.
Davis and Mccormack and Detective
Smith Of the ninth precinct and Detect
Ives Burlingame, Warren. Mullen. EN-
brey and Messer participated in the in
vestigation, which led to the arrest OF
the several suspects.
Statements obtained by the police from
the prisoners and others shed light on
the crime. The time of the murder is
Of Lincoln Heights named Harris having
heard Cole shouting Murder" Police"
and Help" while on his way home.
Harris had been delayed in the city.
and was walking home from 18th and II
streets northeast, when he saw num-
ber of men engaged in a struggle. and
when he heard the cries for help ne
jumped a fence and ran until he reach
ed the Benning marsh near the dump.
There he returned to the road and hur-
ried home.
Young Men at Cemetery.
The police learned that a party of
young white men were on the old Grace
land cemetery property late Saturday
night. They had bread and baked beans,
the police were told. and occasionally
they rushed the growler'' It is said
that the closing Of the saloons terminal
ed the midnight feast, although some
of the men fingered there in the cool at
Joseph Needham and Joseph O'Donnell
were seated on a doorstep near 18th and
H streets about 1890 o'clock, they are
said to have told the police, when the
negro came along and showed them two
bottles of cheap port wine he was TAX
ing to his home about four squares away
boys" Cole is said to have remarked,
adding: You know I never go with COL
ored people
Cole, the police were told. also pre-
tended he had a roll of bills. A few
minutes later Cole and the several white
men. it is charged. were seated on a log
not far from White House station indulg-
ing in the wine. when two policemen ap-
peared and frightened them away.
Robbery Is Planned.
1t was just after the policemen had
frightened the men away, it is claimed.
that the white men planned to rob Cole.
nothing was said about killing
him. The plan, the police were told, was
for O'Donnell to accompany Cola some
distance out the road and for Others to
frighten him into surrendering his cash.
Cole and O'Donnell. 1t is charged. walk
ed out the road. Dougherty and Patten
a country wagon and passing
ahead Of them to the Eastern branch
marsh. Connell, Needham, Maxwell and
Nalley, 1t is charged, followed O'Donnell
alleged to be the ones who
were first to reach the place where the
crime was committed, are charged by
the police with having taken palings from
q fence to use in the attack.
The intended victim and O'Donnell
reached the point where Dougherty and
Patten are alleged to have been in wait
ing, and one Of them shouted: What
are you bringing that boy out here for?"
Cole, instead Of becoming frightened, it
is said, put up a hard fight. but he was
so greatly outnumbered that he soon
fell under blows dealt him with the pal
ings, 1t is said.
Each prisoner denied that he had a
knife or that he cut Cole with an in
strument of any kind. One of them is
said to have suggested that the wound
may have been inflicted with a nail in
one of the palings. O'Donnell, 1t is said
from the pockets of the negro's cloth
ing when he fell and that he picked
it UP.
Needham had the bill changed, it is
alleged, and the money was distributed
among the seven men, the police were
told, O'DonneIl getting so cents and the
others a quarter each.
Autopsy Performed.
An autopsy performed at the morgue
showed that Cole had been slashed with
q sharp instrument. Two cuts across
his upper lip, 1t is thought. were first in
iicted, and then the femoral artery was
cut.
He could not have lived more than
five minutes after the artery was sew.
ered." Coroner hewitt said.
No wounds indicating the use OF the
palings were found. The coroner will
nold an inquest at the morgue at IL
D clock tomorrow morning.
In the presence Of number Of fellow
Horkmen, Otto G. Jacobs. 41S North Pop
1afa CT ma