Evening star., 1915-02-06
Tracks Found in Snow From
Meagher Home Go Direct
to Army Post.
PECULIAR MARK ON SHOE
MAY IDENTIFY ASSAILANT
Arrest of a Man Giving His Name
as Nota McKinley-Taken
to County Jail.

Following tracks in the snow that
lead from the home Of John w.
Meagher, on Chestnut street, not far
from CORTLAND station. on the wash
ington-Virginia railway. to Fort Myer.
Va. Sheriff Barbour, Deputies Langley
and Palmer and Commonwea1th's Al
torney Crandal Mackay of Alexandra
county believe they have an important
clue to the assailant of Mrs. Constance
Meagher, who was shot Thursoay
pight.
This morning Deputy Sheriff Palmer
arrested man who gave his name as
Nota Mckinley. He is held on suspicion
at the Alexandria county jail.
Mr.. Mackey and Sheriff Barbour spent
considerable time at Fort Myer yester-
day afternoon in an effort to establish
the identity of the person who made
the tracks. The commanding ohcer
summoned the captains of the several
companies of artillery and cavalry, ex-
planned to them a popularity about
the shoe, as indicated in the tracks, and
directed a thorough search of all the
quarters on the reservation.
When Deputy Sheriff Palmer learned
of the shooting late Thursday night he
summoned Deputy Langley and hurried
to the Meagher house. and II was pc.
tween that time and dayDreak tnat
they picked up the trail through the
snow-coyered woods to a vacant house
on Beach street. where a bullet hole
was made in the glass panel IN the
front door. and from there to within
few feet of the band hall on the MILL
tary reservation. 1t was not until yes
terday afternoon that tracks leading In
the direction of the Meagher home
were found.
Think Assailant Drunk.
Mr. Mackay and Sheriff Barbor made
a careful examination of the bullet
hole through the panel of the door Of
was held open at the time the shot was
fred. and the county officials expressed
the opinion that the man who did the
shooting probably was under the in
fuence of liquor. They think that the
shot was accidentally fired with pis-
trying to open the door with his left
hand. There were evidences of a fee
BILE attempt having been made to open
the blinds.
Taking up the trail at the vacant
house, the officers followed it to the
army post, and lost sight of the tracks
where there was sidewalk from which
the snow had been cleaned. Some dis
followed them to within about twenty
feet Of the band hall. where they were
lost.
The home of Meagher. where the
shooting was done, is not more than
100 yards from the tracks of the
Washington Virginia Railway Com
pany. and the nearest house to his is
between his home and the tracks. A
deep ravine separates his home from
the woods next to the military reeerva-
tion, and II was from near tree on the
edge of the woods that the four shots.
were fred
Bushes to Door With Gun.
When Meagher heard the reports of
the four pistol shots he leaped from his
bed, procured his shotgun and ran to
the rear door. He heard his wife
scream, he said. and knew something
serious had happened. He saw moth
ing of the man who had done the shoot
ing, but he discharged his gun to
arouse neighbors and summon assist
ance.
Meagher said that chicken thieves an
noyed him prior to last September,
when he purchased a shotgun to use in
frightening on such intruders. The
thieves, he thought, knew he purchased
the gun for he had no more trouble
with them.
Sheriff Barbor thinks the man who
cid the shooting could have been land
ed yesterday morning before daybreak
q
bloodhounds. He said he had recon-
mended the purchase Of a pair of dogs
for use in trailing criminals and he
hopes the county commissioners may
see their way clear to make such a pur-
chase in the near future
Alexandria county, the sheriff said, is
no longer country district. There Is
a succession of villages from one end of
county to the other and a police force
is badly needed.
Has Chance to Recover.
Meagher spent part of yesterday with
the Alexandria county officers and part
of the time at the bedside Of his wife
at Georgetown University Hospital.
Mrs Meagher. 1t Is stated, seemed
somewhat better after the operation was
performed, and this morning Mr.
Mackey was told that she had a slight
chance for recovery.
Meagher says he can hardly believe
that the shooting was done by a man
at the military post. He has been sta
TONED at Fort Myer since shortly after
the close of the war with Spain and
he stated. he thought no man at the
post would have harmed his wife in
tentionally.
IF my friends at the post discover
the man before ] find him." said the
distressed husband, IT hardly believe
he will be IN condition for immediate
trial.