The Washington times., 1917-08-14
COLORED GIRLS
ARE SURE THEY
SAW SNOWDEN
FEE

don a few hours before the woman's
body was found on her bed.
Not only has Mary Perkins main
tanned that she saw the man leave the
house, but, fifteen minutes before, she
says she saw a chair turned over and
heard sounds Of q struggle.
Detectives Comb Section.
while the colored woman lay in
bed and between sobs told her story
to a Times reporter, detectives from
Baltimore and from the sheriff's Of
nee combed the neighborhood of b6
Acton Lane, where Snowden lived.
Early this afternoon, they said they
had found no evidence OF material
Importance there, but that It would
be several hours before their investi-
CATION was complete. Here is the
story Of Snowden's exit from the
house as told by Mary Perkins:
Il did not see anybody go into Mrs.
BrRndon's home last Wednesday
morning, Is some OF the papers said.
was sitting by the window of our
house just across the street from Mrs.
Brandon's house and naturally was
looking at her home. What first at
tracted my attention was the sound of
q struggle like furniture being slam
med around. and through the half
open front door. saw q chair fall
over. It was so dark in the room
could not see what turned IL over.
"a moment later, the door was
slammed shut Ny sister, Edith
Credit, was in the room, and thinking
maybe Mr.. Brandon had come for
lunch, I said to her:
My goodness, that man surely
can't be beating his wife up while
abe Is in such a condition"
Saw Negro Come Out.
az was so curious that I did not
take my eyes off the house and about
fifteen minutes later, saw a COL
Ored man open the door and come
out He turned TO the right and
started north on Second street. 4
was very much excited. called To-
Edith:
"'who is that fellow? Do you know
him.
yes" she said, his name is Snow
den, and I think he drives an ice
wagon.
"Ils he walked down the street we
ran out on the porch to get a better
look at him. When he was about half
=
around, and take q bottle out of his
hip pocket can't say whether II
was q beer bottle or q flask, but he
had Il in his hand when he turned
the corner and dropped out OF our
sight
Verified IdeatIaeati0R-
81 had been sick anyway and this
made me awfully nervous. But to
make sure I would know the man, 1
went up town the next day and looked
around until saw him on the ice
wagon. walked by him several
times and got a good look at him. I
know he was the man saw coming
out Of the Brandon house don't
think he noticed me.
The whole thing worried me so
that I did not know what to do and |
finally thought / ought to talk II |
over with Mrs. Spencer Murray. where |
now and then.
81 went up and saw her yester-
day afternoon and she told me II was |
my Christian duty to tell fhe States |
attorney about IT.
Il am glad now that I did so, for
my heart was heavy with the awful
secret"
Mary Perkins, is a striking example
of the better type of negro, Of slight
build and medium light color. She /
Is obviously unusually intelligent for
her race. and is very devout
Catholic. She lives with her mother,
posite the Brandon home which is
No. 20.
Feared Being Locked Up.
"From other sources Il was learned
that the common practice in Annapo-
lis is 70 lock up negroes who are
witnesses in important cases and the
fear OF being held in jail for several
months iE thought TO have Influenced
the Perkins woman to remain quiet
for four days.
States Attorney Nicholas Green
and Sheriff John R. Sullivan devoted
little time to the Brandon case today,
both being employed on the exemp-
tion board, which Is sitting In An
napolis this week.
Stories sent out from Annapolis
last night that the crowd was In an
ugly humoE when Snowden was taken
oIt OF the courthouse and placed In
the auto which took him 70 Balti-
lioSSB were uA1CEEo4ie0 LOuAg-
Crowd Merely Curious.
4 large crowd had gathered at the
time the suspect was taken from the
but there were more color
81 men than white in II. and their
attitude was curious rather than
. men4cinG one.
Not q word was spoken as the man.
to Detective Pohier, was
led to the machine, and no effort was
made to molest him before the car
started. Neither was any attempt
made to interfere with the car after
II was under way.
John B. Martin, proprietor OF the
saloon frequented by snowden, told q
reporter for The Times this afternoon
that when he counted the contents OF
his cash register wednesday night he
found = 81 bill torn In half and crum.
pied.
He said that neither he nor his bar
tender could recall from who this dol.
lar was taken over the bar. but It was
paid by some customer on Wednes-
day.
Think MN Was vIetImiG.
The detectives who returned from