The Washington times., 1916-01-16
Ccontlnued from FirTt Pafe.l

a
answered, the police believe, except 60
some sad-eyed priest IN confessional
CONFIDENCE, or by the murderer, on hls
own bed OF death.
Since the day they were first con-
fronted with the case. entral Office
detectives and the entire police depart
ment, particularly those OF the Second
precinct, have had Il in the forefront
ped thinking about II since the day
Mrs. Dennis battered and bleeding body
was first discovered, but their answer
70 the question today Is the same az
1--WE haven't the faintest idea"
There have been many puzzling cases
Investigated by the washington police,
but the staying Of Mrs. Dennis stands
today as the most mystifying, battling,
and impenetrable ever recorded in local
criminal annals. Beside II all other So
called mysteries with which the police
have had, to deal are as plain as the
| MONDAY sun.
The fact that a man was arrested and
Indicted for the murder of Mrs. Dennis
heightens rather than diminishes the
mystery, for the District Attorney re-
allied the Government had no case
whatever against him, and he was re-
leased.
Man Living Near the Scene
Committed Suicide
Nor does the fact that man living
near the home Of the slain woman
intimated in note which he left after
committing suicide that ne knew some
thing about the crime shed any light
on the case. 1t was established by the
detectives that he was irresponsible at
the time of writing and that he was
not in Washington when lke woman
was beaten fatally as she lay in her
bed in the still early morning hours
The Dennis case vas not one to Which
two or three Central Office detectives
were assigned. Grutish ana reV0Itlhs
crime, il thoroughly stirred Washing
ton and aroused Major sylvester anG
inspector BoardmGn to detail every
available detective in the city TO lend
his wits. energy. KNOWLEDGE OF Grim
inology and criminals to lie search.
After weeks of futile investigation by
the detectives and police, during which
they unenrthed humber OF clues, All
of which proved valueiess, reward OF
81, 600 wac offered tOr the capture of the
slayer, That reward still stands, 50 far
as the police are advised, but IT Is be-
lieved to be perfectly safe from any
claimant.
grim reminders of the Dennis case
which will not let the police forget the
battling crime.
The most gruesome of these Is a
bloOd-spattered. cherry-stained olTeh
wrapped IN a piece OF torn and faded
yellow paper and covered with dust.
Attached to the piano stool is tag
bearing this inscl1Dtion:
"Pianc, stool, the top of which was
used in assaultinS Mrs. Dennis. officer
Weldon. December II, 1901.
The other is a record in the homicide
book which was made by defective
clerk, on October %, 1902, the day Mrs.
Dennis died. 1t follows: .A
Mrs. Ada Gilbert Dennis, fashion,
able dressmaker, was found in bed In
her room at her home in X street
northwest, about o'clock a. m. De-
cember 10. 1901, in an almost dying con-
dition. She had been brually assaulted
by some unknown person. Her skull
had been fractured, her jawbone broken,
and her left ear almost severed from
her head. Her left arm bore a num-
ber of bruises. such as would be re-
ceived in a struggle.
Robbery could not have been the
motive, for on a table at the foot OF
her bed was a small box In which there
was a pocketbook we'll filled with
! money. as we'll as some money in the
box and nothing to hide 1t from view.
| at was about o'clock when Mrs.
| Dennis was found. She was partly
| conscious when first discovered through
Miss Mary Doyle and Mr.. Smith Win
chell. who were roomers in the house
and heard groans through the heaters.
or fiue They went to her room. which
| they found locked, and Mr.. Winchfil
| broke open the door. finding Mrs. Den
mis- In the aforementioned condition.
Mrs. Dennis was taken to GARFIELD
| Hospital in an Unconscious condition.
| While being carried to the ambulance
| on a stretcher. several agonlzinR cries
indicated that the victim was conscious,
and DR.. Atkinson leaned over the pa
tient, inquiring;