Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-08-23
CRIME PREHEDITATED
W. ]. Brrns. Famous Defective of
New York, Says Killing of Eva Roy.
of Fairfax County, Not Done by
Stranger.
Stranger.

of Fairfax County, Not Done by
! Stranger.
William J. Burns today declared
that after detailed investigation DC
was prepared to say that the slayer
Of Eva Roy, the 14-year-old Fairfax
county girl, was not 4 stranger in the
jungle where the crime was commit
ted.
1t was the act of one thoroughly
acquainted with the fact that Eva Reg
frequently tended her fathers cows
near Burke Station, according - Mr..
Burns.
The famous detective asserts that
the physical facts prove conclusve'y
that the crime was premedItated.
Fully a score of persons knew that
| Eva Roy on the morning of August
6--the day of the li]ling-was tend
ing her fathers COWS near the Old
Hanse house spring, above Burke Sta
ton. Peter Roy, the father, was at
Burke Station that morning on busi-
ness, and it was a matter OF common
knowledge that the girl tended tha
COWS when he was called to Burke.
Mr.. Burns is said to have eliminated
ali but two and possibly three clews.
He hopes within the next day or two
to have narrowed this number to one
The Fairfax county authorities have
been flooded with theories during the
past few days. While many of those
which are within reason are being run
down, more attention is being give
to investigating the movements on the
day of the crime Of Lou Hall, now IN
the Fairfax Jail as suspect. and
top sergeant from an engineer COM
pany, who deserted from Camp Hum
phries on August 5. The soldier has
not been arrested rs a suspect, bur
since his arrest at Charlottesville, Va.
on August 10, he has told so many
conflicting stories that he wull be
checked up. He has stated poFitive!"
that he drank water at a spring somo-
where between the camp and Char
!ottasville. where he surrendered.
Had he gone on direct route from:
Camp Humphreys to the old Hanse
house spring, the soldier would have
nassed the home of tie dead girl. H2
would also have passed the home of
Lou Hall.
1t was stated last night by Walter
I. Oliver, Halls counsel, that the wife
If the accused man would be ques;
t.oned in an effort to determine wheLh:
,r. or not the soldier had stopped q
TIE Hall home. on: the day of. the kill
The, authorities are known to be,iNn-
vestieating a theory that Eva Roy was
rot done to death az he spring where:
ner hat and garter were later found by
searching parties.
It has been suggested, that she coulc
nave been slain some distance. from
me spring; that her slayer, KNOWING
that the girl was expected to tend the
,owsist the spring, had removed the
body, to that LOCALITY to make it an
pear that the crime had been commit,
led there.
Lou Hall yesterday asked his conn-
sol to state for him that he harborcd
40 i'll will against Peter Roy because
If some words that had passed be
tween them some time prior to The
:;iling of Roy's daughter.
Hall referred to a series of incl
dents which started in May last. AL
that time he was living in one of
Roy's houses. The house was sold ard
Row informed Hall that he would have
to move out. He offered him, how,
ever. another house for which he was
agent, and Hall accepted,
Rental on the house was S2 month
This also included the use of ;he
garden. Hall paid 81 in advance
rental for two months. Some tilne
thereafter, Hall claims that Roy
cows strayed into his garden and ate
ND some cabbage plants.
An argument ove- the loss of tthc
cabbage plants caused Hall to deman;
COMPENSATION. Hall claims Roy tolc
him that he still owed him some reni
ON the house and that he (Roy) OWED
Hall nothing.
Gwen if I did feel that Mr.. Roy
had not treated me right, | wouldn'
harm his little girl" Hall told hi
counsel.
u b,r baen marked hy many tha