The Washington herald., 1915-01-12
POLICE SAY CLUES
POINT TO SLAYERS
coNrINUEp FROM FACE oNE.


quainted with the affairs of the Harris
woman.
This woman had long been an intimate
| friend Of Mrs. Hughes and had been a
| frequent visitor at her home. About five
weeks ago she went to the Hughes resi-
dence, taking her trunk with her. She
was accompanied by man called BILLY,
according to Lilly Coleman, the cOlored
| cook Of the household. The couple re-
mained at the house for about a month,
the cook stating that Billy left only
a little more than a week ago. The day
| following his departure the woman also
left. and apparently without serving
| notice.
she just put on her things and went
| out" said the cook yesterday afternoon
Mrs Hughes who was sick in bed at
the time. and who was sick during the
entire week before the murder, called
me to her room and asked me whether
| this woman had gone. / told her she
| had She asked me if she had said any
| thing before going. and told her she
had not. Mrs. Hughes said nothing fur
ther, but believe there had been trouble
| between them. a day or so later Billy
| sent for the woman's trunk, and 1 gave
! it TO him."
| 1t was this man and woman the de-
tectives cross-eXamined yesterday. and
| from whom they obtained many impor-
| tant facts. 1t was due to some OF these
| facts that the police got on the trail OF
the person they now are preparing to ar
rest.
| II was determined definitely last night
that Mrs. Hughes and her woman COM
parton had a quarrel the day before the
woman left the house. This fCct was
IcCrroborated by person who told
representative OF The Herald that Mrs.
Hughes herself had informed him OF the
trouble. Mrs. Hughest did not. how
ever. tell the cause of the quarrel
Son Suspects Woman.
| There is a woman in this case: am
certain OF IT," said Leo Hughes, son of
the wounded woman. at the Virginia resi-
ldenCe last night. "A number of things
point to il. The suit case packed by the
burglars was filled not with the silver
ware and other things of value that
would have attracted the average burglar,
but with silk kimonos and night gowns,
skirts embroidered waists, dresses, and
silk coat-things that would appeal
/ only to a woman or to persons working
at the instigation Of a woman.
"I know the woman who lived for a
| time with my mother. She is an italian.
/ I cannot say any more at this time. I
also know the man who stopped at the
! house"
The son yesterday afternoon visited his
wounded mother at the hospital, but her
/ voice was so low and her suffering was
| so intense that it was impossible to carry
/ on even the shortest conversation. The
| son asked several questions and the
| mother tried in vain to answer. However,
| she signified that she might be able to
write replies to the queries Of the young
| man.
IT want you to go to the house. my
son." she wrote. Il want you to take
care OF the things. AS for your grand
| father" she continued. lit is not neces-
\ sary 10 take him South for burial. 1t is
| just as well to bury him near the home d"
Can you describe the burglars?"
asked the young man.
"One was short and one was tall"
she wrote with effort. They were both
white. And both of them had white
handkerchiefs tied over their faces,
with just their eyes showing"
! She tried to write more, but the ef-
fort was too great,,and she fell back
upon her pillow.
That the murderers were amateurs at
| the burglary game is proved by practi-
cally every trace they left. The police
point out first that experienced bur
glars seldom shoot unless absolutely
! cornered.
| 1t is clear that when Mrs. Hughes en-
tered the house Saturday night and
| flashed on the electric lights by pressing
| the button in the front hallway, the men
lost their heads and fired.
| Isaac waldrop, seventy-two years old
/ the father of Mrs. Hughes, was aroused
i by her screams. and came down the steps
from his room on the second moor over
| the doorway. As he reached the bottom
Of the steps the burglars opened fire on
him. Four bullets pierced his body. -Four
wild shots were fired. Bloody marks on
! the keyboard of n piano in the parlor
show where the aged man grasped for
support before dropping.
| It was learned yesterday that diamond
rings of the value of nearly $4,000 were
on the fingers of Mrs. Hughes when she
was attacked. Her gloves were on. how
| ever.
Tbs burglars ransacked the dining
| room. throwing the silverware from the
| sideboard to the floor. Silver plate, sugar
bowls. silver pitchers, a punch bowl, and
| other articles of considerable value were
found scattered on the floor and appar-
/ emily no effort was made to carry them
| of.
| In Mrs. Hughes room at the front on
the second story the burglars attempted
/ to pry open with jimmy the second
drawer Of a chiffonier. which was the
only drawer locked. They pried the
veneering away. but did not succeed in
| forcing the lock. A safe in this room.
containing more than 1900 was not tam
i pered with An enormous silver washing
| bowl and pitcher were left on wash
/ stand in this room.
i In an adjoining room, the one formerly
\ occupied by the woman companion and
i BILLY" the burglars broke into ward
i robe and took a number Of articles Of
i clothing The ytooix Mrs. Hughes suit
case, which was locked. broke open the
4 a e..H - .f1Ir arfrta