Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-17
MURDER MYSTERY
is AS DEEP AS EVER
authorities Incline To Belief OF
Snowden's Guilt.
RUNNING DOWN ALL REPORTS
Detectives Still Hard AT Work On Case
Efforts. By Habeas Corpus, To
Release Accused Negro.


parently no nearer a solution this
afternoon than it has ever been.
Detectives have been scurrying
about the city ad others have been
running down reports that might lesri
to some connecting evidence as to the
party who may have slain the woman
in her little home ON Second street in
the western section of the city on
Wednesday of last week. But the
crime stands today as it has appeared
all along-a maze of conflicting re-
ports, with no motive for the crime
established, no tangible evidence
tending to the same and still mys-
terious affair
The authorities seem TO be almost
unanimously agreed that the negro
Snowden is the guilty party of the
horrible crime but wide divergence
of opinion still maintains about the
city on this score.
AS stated in las nights issue of The
amined Mr.. Thomas A. King, who,
with his wife, lived next door to the
Brandon home. The examination took
place in the Office of, and in the pres
ence of, States Attorney Nicholas H.
Green, but it is understood, according
to the statements of the authorities,
that no new light was thrown on the
case. 1t was stated by one of the in
vestigating officials that they have
been hard at work endeayoring to
clear up every little detail in connec-
tion with the case, and in running
down every report brought to their
attention that might form a basis
leading to a clue of the criminal. Late
yesterday afternoon Detectives Dough-
erty and Kratz visited the plant of the
Parlett and Parlett Company, at the
foot of Main street, where John Snow
den, the negro under arrest accused
of the murder, and held in prison in
Baltimore, was employed. Snowden
was driver of an ice supply wagon of
this company. The object of the visit
of the detectives to this plant was to
interrogate the several negro employ
ees who were acquainted with the
idea of ascertaining whether or not
Snowden might have made any re-
marks to them about the murder.
Officials of the firm promptly agreed
to permit of such an investigation at
o'clock, at the close Of the working
day. But after it was over, it was
stated that none Of the negro workers
furnished any information that was
worth while The detectives, there
fore, continued their inquiry along
lines during the night and today
Attorney Jerry l.. Smith, of this
city, who has been acting as counsel
for the accused negro. has been in
Baltimore for the past "a hours, and
has been endeavoring to secure his
release on habeas corpus proceedings,
on the ground that Snowden has made
no confession, and that there is not
sufficient evidence to warrant holding
him further, but it is said Marshal
Carter and other police officials are
fighting these proceedings. Another
report that was spread about the city
today was to the effect that Snowden
will be spirited away from Baltimore
some time this afternoon and lodged
in the county Jail on Calvert street,
the idea being that the accused man
should properly be under the jurisdic-
ton of the authorities of Anne Arun-
del county and confined within its pre-
cincts. Whether the negro is to be re-
moved is not known.
In the meantime all Annapolis is
still agog over the mysterious case,
and everyone is hoping against hope
that an early solution of it will be
made. Summing up the case from
every angle however the belief that
Snowden has any connection with the
crime, has not fallen fiat here, and
many persons have expressed the
opinion that the murder will go down
into history as among the unsolved
mysteries.
Mrs. Kings story of the next morn
ing, as told to the detectives. follows:
MY husband and / were at our
breakfast table at o'clock. Mrs
Brandon talked across the yard to us
Ny husband left about $50 o'clock for
his Office / talked to Mrs. Brandon
until after o'clock. l then went
about my household duties, and that
was the last | saw of Mrs. Brandon
alive"
Mrs. King stated that she noticed in
the afternoon that the shades in the
kitchen were down and that the back
door was locked and that she thought
this unusual.
1t is the theory of many persons in
Annapolis that if negro had killed
Mrs. Brandon he would not have pull
ed down the shades and locked the
kitchen door. leaving behind consider
able jewelry on the bureau and a dia-
mond ring on her finger.
Husband Again Questioned.
Brandon went to Baltimore yester-
day and was questioned by Marshal
Carter and Deputy States Attorney