Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-04-26

A CLOUD OF MYSTERY
Indications Surrounding The Affair
Point to Deliberate and Premedi-
Tated Marder.

Although maintaining that he Sho
his brother accidentally in "a scutfl'
to secure possession Of revolver
the police are firm in their conviction
that Joseph Henderson, who is locked
up in the city Jail, deliberatel!
killed his brother, John w Henderson
and left his body lying in the stree
while he went home and went to bed
They discredit the story Of the accl
dental shooting because there were
two shots fired and on account ol
Henderson's suspicious actions.
The tragedy which took place al
1920 o'clock last night, has stirrec
Alexandria, as it is the first time fol
a number of years that one white
man has killed another and there are
incidents surrounding the case which
indicate that the crime was deliberate
if not premediated.
The two brothers returned home
last night after spending the day al
the "Dyke," river resort, three
miles below Alexandria, where there
are several houseboats and where a
number of !Alexandrians and Wash
inptonians 90 on Sundays for the pur-
pose of playing cards. Joseph Hen
terson, the younger Of the two, had
won a small sum of money, and when
lie left the trolley car at the corner
Of Royal and Wilkes streets. ne said
that he was going to Il resort IN the
western section of the city to con-
t;nue the game. His brother remon-
strated with him as they walked up
the street and quarrel evidently
arose between the two over the sub
ject.
There were no witnesses to the
shooting, which took place near the
corner of Wolfe and Pitt streets
lust in front of the residence of the
late John A. Marshall and hundred
feet from thes Alexandria Hospital
Howard W. Smith, president OF the
Common Council, was aroused by the
firing of two shots. He raised win
dow and saw a man walking up
Wolfe street. Another man was ~
ing on the side walk and Mr.. Smith
could hear his groans. A few Sec
onds; later Policeman Roberts, who
lives on Pitt street, just around the
corner, and whose attention had beer
a,tracted.by the shots, game on the
scene and fGAnd John Henderson, un-
conscious, with Il. bullet hole in his
forehead, over the left: eye. He was
carried Ito the Alexandria Hospital
where he was attended by Drs. NJ. D
Delaney anh.T. NJ. Jones. The ply
sicians were Of the opinion that two
bullets had made one hole in the fore
head and penetrated the brain. Hen
derson died at the hospital at five
o'clock this morning without regain
ing consciousness.
Policemen Norris and Rawlett Wen
to the home of Luther Henderson
father of the two men, $40 FRANKLIN
street, where they found Joseph Hen
derson in bed. He had reached hom
m hour earlier and in response TO
Question from his mother stated tina
he did not know the whereabouts o
his brother. Young Henderson wa
taken to the hospital Ito see; nj
brother, but denied to the police tina
he knew anything about the shooting
In the meanwhile Sergeant Wllkn
son had been advised that HenderSo
had turned a pistol over to a DO
named Leslie Williams who IN tur
had given it to the foreman OF TN
Southern Railway roundhouse. Sere
cant Wilkinson went to the hospltf
and after he had convinced Hendel
son that he knew about the gun, tn
latter confessed that he had fire
the shots.
: According to his statements, h
brother had demonstrated with hi
about not going home when they r,
turned from the Dyke" In the a,
gument a question arose about tt
pistol which young Henderson ca
u 1