Evening star., 1918-05-22
C0L0RED S[AYER'S
LIFE IN BALANCE
Hospital Surgeon Thinks He
Has Bare Chance for
Recovery.

| While relatives and friends of Lieut..
! David T. Dunigan and Policeman John
A. Conrad of the sixth precinct and
| Deputy Sheriff L. H. McParlan of
Charles county. Maryland. are mourn
| ing their deaths and arranging their
funerals. surgeons at Casualty Hos
pital are doing their best to restore
the health of Herbert L. Copeland.
colored. their slayer.
Surgeons and nurses see the patient
frequently, and a policeman from the
sixth precinct is constantly on guard
over the prisoner.
Five exterior wounds suggest the
probable number of bullets in the
patients body. DIR. Nolan. house sur
geon. this morning said he thought
the man had chance for recovery.
He Is in a desperate condition, how
ever, the surgeon admitted.
Police officials desire to get state
ment from the wounded man, but hos
pital surgeons deem it advisable for
him to be kept absolutely quiet, fear
ing excitement may bring on fever
and cause a collapse.
No Disposition to Talk.
Thus far, said Inspector Grant this
morning. the wounded man has dis
played no disposition to DO any talk
ing. and so far the case against him
IS concerned, he added, q statement
from him would mean nothing. He
might clear some of the reports made
about his conduct in other cities the
inspector stated. but even if it should
develop that he committed murders
elsewhere. he ha
rendered to the other jurisdictions
Such admissions would be a source
of satisfaction to the authorities of
the other Jurisdictions, however and
an effort will be made to obtain the
information If the patient gets
stronger.
Mrs. Margaret H. Copeland, wife of
the slayer. and Arthur Barnes, his
halr brother, are the only persons held
in custody as material witnesses. The
former. who. is twenty-six years old
is locked up at the sixth precinct sta
ton. while Barnes, whose age was
given as thirty-four years. is held at
No. 1. The wife was at home with
her husband at IS l street northeast
when Policeman Conrad and Deputy
Sheriff McParlan called to summon
him to appear in court at La Plata
Charles county, Md, as a witness in
case in which the Austin Construction
Company. doing work at Indian Head
was interested. McParlan vas in the
company's employ.
Reason for Using Pistol.
AS soon as police officials were ad-
vised of the double killing in the
street house they concluded that the
colored man had used his weapon, an
Army automatic pistol. for some rea-
son other than a desire to keep off
the witness stand in the Charles
county court, but what it was they
did not know until after the killing
of Lieut.. Dunigan and arrest of the
slayers wife and half brother.
Barnes statement of CopeIand's
confession Of murder committed in
Galveston, Tex, five years ago sat
isfied the police that fear of arrest
for that crime was what prompted
the double killing Having killed the
policeman and deputy sheriff. Cope
land jumped out the back window
and hurried to the house of his half
brother. at 400 Carrollburg place
southwest. on the border of former
"Bloodfield."
Admitting to the police he was
afraid of Copeland, Barnes declared
he made no move to help him. and.
while he couldn't help admitting him
to his home, he made no effort to
conceal him.
"All 1 did" said Barnes, was ask
Mr.. Mason. upstairs, to take care of
him, but he refused, and then the
officers appeared"
Inspector Grant deemed 1t advisa-
BILE to hold Barnes until further in
vestigation can be made.
Mrs. Copeland was taken yesterday
afternoon to police headquarters
where Detectives Mullen, O'Brien and
Wise questioned her about her hus-
bands movements in different parts
of the country under various names
A suit case containing letters and
papers belonging to the Copelands
was opened, and the wife gave what
information she could about their
contents. She repeated a statement
she made earlier in the day about her
husband having killed a colored man
named Charles Robinson in Galveston,