Evening star., 1918-05-17
MISSING MANS
AUTO IS FOUND
Two Soldiers Held at Rich
mond Had Car Identified
as John P. Werres'.

An automobile that belonged to
John p. werres. thirty-one years old.
who disappeared from this city a
mond, Va. where two soldiers. Rob-
ert Newman, twenty years old, and
Charles E. Gamble, twenty-one years
old, privates in the 601st United
States Engineers. stationed at Glen
burnie. Anne Arundel county, Md,
were arrested for violation OF the
automobile regulations. When Werres
left his home at 2710 Bladensburg
road last Friday night. he told his
wife he had been engaged to take two
soldiers for ride. and the wife told
the police she was certain he had been
murdered.
Inspector Grant sent Detectives
Grant and Armstrong to Richmond TO
make an investigation, and today he
learned from them that the automo-
bile surely was that of Werres. They
further reported that bloodstains had
been found on clothing of the soldiers.
whose explanation was such condition
of the clothing was brought about
while killing sheep No trace of the
missing man has been found, and In
probably would send detectives to Vir-
ginia to institute search for his body.
Warrant on It's Way.
Richmond detectives reported that
the soldiers told them the automobile
had been taken from Baltimore and
that they had taken the District of
Columbia license on the car from a
car in this city. Inspector Grant to-
a., L.
the soldiers on charge of grand lar
ceny of the automobile sworn out in
Police Court, and military authorities
at Camp Lee were asked to hold the
accused men until the warrant reaches
there and application is made for
their transfer to the civil authorities.
It is stated that two women were
in the car with the soldiers when they
reached Richmond and the where
abouts OF one of them is said to be
known to the police. 1t is probable
that she will be interviewed by the
two detectives in Richmond today.
Inspector Grant has sent the warrant
to Richmond and will make an ef-
fort to have the soldiers turned over
to Detectives Grant and Armstrong
without delay.
Werres was employed in the govern
ment printing Office as carpenters
helper and earned few extra dollars
Will HIS car. Last fT1Qdy n0
told his wife he was going to sell the
car and had advertised its sale in The
Star.
Before leaving home he told his
wife of the engagement he had to
take two soldiers on an automobile
trip. and carried friends from near
his home to 14th street and New York
avenue. telling them he would see
them that night about 1890 o'clock.
Anxious to Learn Route.
Nothing more was heard of the
young man until Inspector Grant
learned of a story printed in a Rich
mond paper about the arrest of the
soldiers with the automobile in their
possession. Mrs. Werres, on the verge
Of q nervous breakdown. has visited
Inspector Grant a number of times
and implored him to urge his men to
do their best to locate her husband,
declaring her belief from the day
after he disappeared until this morn
ing that he had been slain.
Inspector Grant this afternoon said
he was anxious to learn from Rich
mond the route taken by the soldiers
to that city in order that he might
know just in what direction to In
stitute search for the body of the
missing government employe. He said
the circumstances point to the prob
able murder OF Werres, and said he
was anxious to learn from Detectives
Grant and Armstrong the result of a
talk they were instructed to have
with the soldiers at Camp Lee to-
day.