Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-14
NEGRO UNDER ARREST
IN MURDER MYSTERY
Scoop" Snowden Severely GriIled
Last Night.
BUT HE HAS NOT CONFESSED
Authorities. However, Inclined To Be-
lieve They Have Party Guilty
OF Horrible Crime.


noon of John Snowden. colored, 80
years old, alias "Zep" and Scoop
Snowden, one of a corps of wagon
drivers employed by the firm of Par
lett and Parlett Company, the police
officials of the city and county believe
they are close to solution of the
Brandon murder mystery which was
committed some time during Wednes-
day of last week
But among many persons who have
that Snowden is innocent of any con-
nection with the crime and further
more, in many quarters, it is not be-
lieved that negro committed the
horrible affair.
Snowden was submitted to a severe
grilling at the hands of the several de-
tectives, States Attorney Green,
Sheriff Sullivan and other police
officials last night. His examination
lasted about three hours. And it was
stated by the officials that they feel
they have the party guilty of the
crime. Following the grilling exami-
nation the negro, in handouts, and in
company of detectives Dougherty,
Pohler and Kratz and Sheriff Sulli-
van, was whisked out of the city at
$50 o'clock last night to Baltimore.
He was confined for the night in a cell
at the Central Police Station Today
he was removed to the Baltimore City
Jail, where he was further questioned
by the detectives.
Although it has been published in
other newspaper reports that Snow
den was one of the ice delivery men of
the Parlett Company, it was stated by
a representative of the company to-
day that Snowden had never been en-
ployed in that capacity. He was ~siM-
ply one of the drivers of the big dray
used as supply wagon to convey ice
to the delivery wagons about the
streets. This same official of the
company also stated that as far as the
company's records show, Snowden had
never been to the Brandon home to
deliver any material, though it has
been published that at least on one oc-
casion he delivered some wood there.
1t appears, however, that Snowden
was a consort of aiyoung negro woman
who was formerly employed as a
laundress by the Brandons. He lives in
Acton Lane, a negro settlement, i'm
mediately in the rear of the Brandon
home on Second street. The informa-
tion which led to the arrest of Snow
den, together with another negro,
Bernie Chambers, who is also an ice
wagon driver for the Parlett Com
pany, was first furnished by Mrs. Ella
Rush Murray, wife of w. Spencer MUIR
ray, of Boston, who is one of the most
active suffragists about Annapolis,
and who lives at Acton" the estate
of the late Pay Director Murray, of
the Navy, at Murray Hill. Mrs. Muir
rays information was gained through
her colored cook, Florence Queen.
mother of the two young women, who
live on Second street near the Bran
don home These two women had told
their mother of the identity of the
colored mar whom they had seen
leave the alley of the Brandon house
some time between IL and II o'clock
Snowden was held largely because
he was unable to account for certain
of his time on the morning that the
crime is said to have been committed.
Yesterday Snowden went to work.
and when he returned with the truck
to an ice cream plant he found await
ing him Detectives John Kratz,
Joseph Dougherty, Herman Pohler
and Deputy Sheriff w. d. X. Lee. At
the Court House he was grilled
severely, finally breaking down, it is
said.
In spite of the severity of the third
degree, Snowden maintained his in
nocence. The following facts were
elected from him, however:
That Edna Wallace, colored, with
whom he lived, had been laundress
for Mrs. Brandon for several months.
That Snowden had, through his as
sociation, been made acquainted with
Mrs. Brandon.
That Snowden had. several weeks
ago. been caught red-handed while at
tempting to loot the home Of Henry
Cowman, reciuse, Sc years old.
That he had carried heavy bottle
on the day of the murder.
Immediately after Snowden's arrest,
the negro women who claim to have
seen Snowden leaving the murdered
woman's hame, were taken to the
Court House, where from a group of
about six suspects, they identified
Snowden as the man they claim to
have seen. They selected him within
less than two minutes.
In Danger From Mob.
News of the arrest spread rapidly
through the town, and a throng of
several hundred persons quickly gath
cred When Bernard Chambers. col
ored. one OF the suspects, was re-
leased. States Attorney Green, speak
ing to the crowd, proclaimed Cham
49,