The Washington times., 1916-01-16

at No. when the crime was commit-
ted. Mrs. Dennis residence was within
the bounds of the Second precinct and
Detective Evans was one CT the first
men on the scene.
What was the most puzzlinR feature
about tho case3" Evans aud llorno We're
asked yesterday.
''The whole AFFAIR" both answered at
once.
What was the beet clue gotten in
the caHeY' they we're asked
None at ALL" responded the two de-
tectlves. There. were no aiues OF @ @tne
sliEntest value. Il was .ag mystery
"T.oolcinG back on the case after rore
than fourteen years, what IL your
theory ms TO who Killed Mrs. Dennis?
Detective Horne was asked.
IinyestiSa,ed @ the the oasc.s % replied the vet.
cran detective. but HAVEN'T single
one now. The more years that pass the
more I am puzzled by the ease and the
less ! think OF the theories had. AT
one time l believed white man COM
mitted the foul erime. At anOthe' ]
thought negro killed Mrs. Dennis
Then I Egured q woman might nave
had something to do with II. / worked
on every possible theory eToept ,hu suicsIS, ;,oh
berry theory, although Mrs. Dennis,
money and jewelry were not disturbed
and there was every reason for be-
lievinG that robbery was not the mo-
tive.
There may be one person living in
this wide world who knows who killed
Mrs. Dennis. That person II the cne
who committed the black crime. Mrs:
Dennis may have known the. name OF
her assailant. but II she did she carried
the secret to her grave with her!
Detective Evans paused and rejected
for many moments when asked his the
ory of the case. Then he said:
II don't like to say what my theory
is because IL is a delicate one" After
another pause he continued. II believe
Mrs. Dennis was murdered for revenge
or because of jealousy. ! believe the
person who killed her Will some day
confess. do not believe any man or
woman could commit such a crime and
the presence of the Maker without un-
sealing his or her lips. / may be wrong,
but have held the belief these four
teen years. and I still hold it,, Unless
there Is q confession. the world Will
never know who killed Mrs. Dennis"
Detective Evans told Of the great eX-
citoment which relgned in the north
west section of the city when the crime
was reported. Detective Horne related
the stirring scenes around police and
detective headquarters, when every
man in the office was rushed here.
there. and everywhere. both in and
out of Washington. running down clues.
onlvt to. return empty-handed and report
''waterhauls."
Among the men at Detective Head
quarters on Inspector Boardman's stan
in 1901 were Horne and Thomas Harti-
gan. Michael Muller and Frank Bauer.
Patrick O'DTien and Alfred Parham.
Ned Weldon and Sam Browne. Thomas
McNamee and Frank Helan,. George
Boyd, and a number of others, including
Henry Lacy. q color ed sleuth.
These men were reputed to constitute
the best detective force the National
Capital had ever had to that time. All
of them were assigned to investigate
various phases OF the Dennis case. In
addition to them. Precinct Detective
Evans, Lieut.. Michael Byrnes and the
entire force at the Second precinct
worked night and day on the murder
mystery. but no ray of light was re-
fiected in the direction the slayer had
taken.