The Washington times., 1915-02-11
FIND new THEORY IN
COFFINAS TRAGEDY
Mrs. Hughes Escort and Father
Shot in Robbery Conspiracy,
Police Assert.

acting on the belief that Nicholas
Coff1nas was shot by accident and not
by design. in the double murder and
brutal assault upon Mrs. Matte
Hughes, at her home, near Clark Sta
ton, Va, on January 9, the Alexan-
dria county authorities are at work
on new theory in this case. 1t has
been developed that but one revolver
was used in the triple shooting, in
dicating that shots were fired by one
man instead of by two men as at first
suspected. FouT bullets have been re-
covered. one from the body of Coffinas.
one from the body of Isaac Waldrop,
father of Mrs. Hughes, one from Mrs.
Hughes chest. and the fourth from the
front door jam Of the Hughes home.
A NTH bullet that passed through the
BODY Of Waldrop has not been recos;
that but five shots were fired. The
four bullets recovered are of the same
caliber.
Removed To Home.
Mrs. Matte Hughes, one of the vic
Tins. was removed from Sibley Hos
pital to her home on Sunday after
noon, but Is still under the care of two
surgeons. Pieces of bone are still
working out of her cheek. from the
fracture Of the right cheek bone. and
\ through her scalp from the fracture
Of the. skull she sustained. Mrs.
healed and she will fully recover, al
though she win be dtsfgured.
lac injured woman is not permitted
to see visitors. Her son. Leo Hughes,
Mrs; Leo Hughes, and Mrs. Leo
home.
AS soon as she has sufficiently recov-
cred. Mrs. Hughes will confront Michael
vGlidi. the Greek waiter. who is being
suspect In the case. Volidi was ex-
tradited from New York. The authori-
ties confidently believe that Mrs. Hughes
met previous to the shooting under the
name Of De Mar
VOlidi Denies Being Here.
Until such time as Mrs. Hughes can
see Volidi. his hearing by the Alexan-
dria county authorities will be postponed.
Volidi denies any connection with the
crime. and declares that he left Wash
ington on December 20, and was not
Virginia authorities. Two witnesses tes-
titled in the extradition hearing in New
York, however. that they had seen Vo-
lidi get off car at Clark station the
morning before the shooting.
In a statement to Commemorative At
torney Crandal Mackey, Mrs. Hughes,
declared that the man she knew as De
Mar. tried to chloroform her in a cab
before the Shooting. She said that De
Mar had met her in a cafe. and had in
sisted upon accompanying ner home. Co
ing through the Smithsonian Grounds,
her eyes closed apparently asleep. when
she saw DE Mar reach in an inside
pocket Presently, she AYERS, he waved a
handkerchief slowly before her face, and
Ill Ill n1~v< <rv~y, l,
she said. and demanded of De Mar.
What are you trying to do, chloroform
me. He said no. that 1t was ammonia
on the handkerchief. and that he used
ammonia, and demanded that he throw
it away. He did throw it away. and,
getting out another handkerchief, mop
ped his forehead"
Plot To Rob Women.
Mrs. Hughes was closely questioned as
to whether she was sure Of the odor Of
chloroform, and she maintained posi-
lively that she knew it to be chloroform.
Mrs. Hughes stated that De Mar had
repeatedly asked her to put up money
with him to purchase a business.
lieve that Mrs. Hughes. her father and
Ccffinas were all victims Of plot to
rob Mrs. Hughes.
1t is their theory that, Coffnas was
hit by perhaps the nrst Duilet lred by
the men in Mrs. Hughes home. which
went wild and out the front door, which
was standing open. Coffinas fell In his
tracks. apparently from the position of
his body near the gate, never moving
after being hit in the back with the
bullet that pierced his heart and lodged
just under the skin of his left breast.
He fell outside the gate and on the Mt.
Vernon road.
Each of the shots fired was from an
exceptionally high-powered revolver
toward the open door.
Mrs Hughes is positive that she can
identify the masked man with whom
she struggled in her home and who beat
her with the butt of a revolver until
she was felled, and then jumped upon
her, stamping her face and body and
finally firing bullet into her breast.