The Washington times., 1919-09-22

L XAlA q
often posed as his wife. A fun in
vestigation into her Identity Is now
under way. as well as one concerning
the James woman.
-Four days have elapsed since the
lifeless body OF young Wood wes dis
covered in the dark, cavernlike cham
Der below the Liggett drug store, at
Fourteenth and + street where he
was formerly employed. The saying
Is fast developing into one Of the most
bahltng IN criminal annals Of Wash
ington. The utter brutality and the
apparent sinister plot attending the
acts Of the slayer are almost without
parallel
PFObe Deenens MyBteFy.
Investigation only. deepens the
mystery and leaves the police de-
tectives sim at sea. Inspector
Grant has every member Of his force
at work on the case and confer
ences are being held almost hourly.
Evidence now At hand. the police
say, strongly indicates that the two
women, the use Of concaine or mor-
and the theft Of the money from the
LigEett store are closely interviewer
with the killing Of Wood
But with these facts az hand. the
police are stiu at q loss 70 explain
the motive for the crime. Such q
small amount Of money as &4o-the
maximum amount Wood could have
had IN his possession-is not guf-
dcient to prompt such cold blooded
killing, police say.
New Theory Advunoed.
A new theory was Injected into the
investigation today when one Of the
Headquarters detectives declared the
killing might have bene done By q
drug addict, who had secreted him
self in the unused basement chamber
awaiting an opportunity 70 rob the
drug store Of cOcain, morphine or
some other drug. While such q
theory is not supported By any facts,
it Is said TO be entirely within the
range Of possibilities.
Large numbers Of drug addicts are
known 70 be in Washington, and they
will stop at nothing in their search
for stimulantB, Il was pointed out
Wood, II said, might have come upon
such a fiend ia the basement, and
have been struck down without warn
ing. The brutality Of the crime and
the subsequent rffling OF Woods
pockets would, under many ctrcum-
stances. typify It as the work Of
a drug fiend.
Two Suspects QueEtiOaed.
Repeated questioning OF Aonzo
Fletcher, negro porter employed at
the drug store. and william H. Ford
another employe, has failed 70 con-
tribute any facts that would lead to
a solution OF the mystery. Ford wls
arrested Friday and Fletcher Satur-
day. Both emphatically deny all
knowledge OF the crime.
Fletcher failed TO appear for work
Friday. the day following the killing
and the day the body was discovered. |
This fact fastened suspicion on him,
but repeated questioning has failed
TO shake his story. Both may be re-
leased today.
The Staying. Inspector Grant said
today, has assumed the proportions
OF a veritabIe spiders web OF mo- |
tives. when the body was found II |
was impossible to determine the exact |
time Of death. and this makes difficult |
any attempt definitely to link Starr or |
anv Of the other suspects with the |
crime.
$, nen starr is returned today he !
will be asked to give a full account |
Of his movements since he was seen |
talking to Wood in front Of the |
Westory Building Thursday noon. The |
killing occurred soon after this. and
II was on this same day that Starr, |
sylvia. and the James woman left /
Washington
fund which police officers pro
posed raising for Starr to aid in de- /
Tending him against an indictment for I
the killing OF He Roy Mcleod on July /
Q probably will be abandoned. starr. /
while a member Of the police force. /
hot and killed Mcleod when an au-
tomobile party, of which the youth 1
was a member. failed to halt at the /
command Of the officer.
Starr was Immediately dismissed for |
his hasty action and is under $4,000 |
bond for action OF the grand Jury.