Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-04-04
POLICE INVESTIGATE
CEENS FOR SLAYER
IF ElW. P. MILLS
-.iOteI Guest Held in ConneC-
ton With KiIIing-Anoth-
er Man Sought by Detec-
tiveS-Finger Prints Taken

Inc man VINO ShOt Edward p.
Mills, known to the police as a man
about town, through the heart on
the ninth floor of the Hotel Ansley
about $50 o'clock Wednesday night,
an hour when the hotel was filed
with people, has not yet been found
Four detectives detailed on the
case Thursday Investigated various
clues, but as yet the affair remains
a mystery. The body of the dead
man was found in a ninth floor CORR
dor, between room 902 and room 904.
The man who occupied room 903,
just across the corridor, Morris
Hoffman. a guest of the hotel, is
under arrest, but denies any connec-
ton with the killing.
No new arrests were made Thurs
day.
During the morning detectives
searched for Floyd Woodward, said
to be a close friend and associate Of
Mills, and who is said to have been
seen in the lobby of the hotel with
Mills a short time before the shoot
ing occurred; examined checks which
were found on the dead mans person
after he had been shot four times,
and used the police departments sys-
tenn of Identification on glasses that
were found in the room of Morris
Hoffman.
The checks, 1t developed, were for
$1,000 and $500 and were drawn on a
local bank and made payable to E. p.
Mills. They were signed by George
E. Gunter. One of the glasses found
in room 903 bore the imprint of the
left thumb of the occupant of the
room. The other prints on the glass.
according to Jeff Wright. Bertillon
blurred and indistinct The automatic
revolver which was found lying be-
side the body of Mills after the
shooting, now is at headquarters. 1t
was loaded and had not been dis
charged. When told of the revolver
Thursday. morning, w. +; Mills IA
Their Of the dead man, said:
"It's a frame-up, I'm sure of it.
| They put that gun by my sons body
to make you believe he had 1t In MS
possession"
It was stated at the bank on which
the checks were drawn that George
p. Gunter" had no account there.
Seek Another Man
Besides searching for Floyd Wood
| ward, @the detectives were LOOKING
Thursday for another man. Chief OF
| Detectives Lamar Poole stateo
Thursday afternoon that 1t was ms
confident belief that cards, gambling
and liquor were responsible LOT Ihe
| killing of Mills.
Hoffman, who is in a cell uset
| for the state prisoners at ponce
| headquarters, was lnterrogateo NJ, u.
| detectives Thursday morning: I'M
| detectives believe that hoffman
Of light on the shooting, and OF
Thursday morning a second lnVesi
cation Of room 903 was made.
Detectives who arrested the mai
Wednesday night stated that tht
room was Uttered when they entered
If, and they found a half-emptief
bottle of whisky, two decks OF cards
several newspapers; and numerous
cigarette stumps. These stumps' y
is said, were Of different brands Oh
cigarettes. ro,,n
nal reporter Thursday, morning a,
HEADQUARTERS. vigorously. denieed any
connection with the affair. Il lef,
the hotel about ten minutes to
o'clock" he said, with two e,r Iaqif e.
the Grand theater; didn't think We
would like the bill. and then we wen
to the Lyric, buying some cano1
first. a.,
1--WE saw the second show at ~ IN n
Lyric and came back to the hotel
The BODY of Mills was not found II
front of NV room, and 7 knew moth
ing of the shooting until detect1Te!
saw me after I returned from In'
show. I have, been at the kt,o, Ansl eS
business. I wish had the coupon:
of the show. but threw them away
According to the police Mills wa:
a typical man about town and 81
alleged professional gamo pier o T.: "a
said that Mills had been forbidd1e:1
to enter the hotel because Of M
reputation. He is understood q
| have been unwelcome at all the pet
! ter hotels of Atlanta and the Ansle!
| attaches had been instructed to re
| port his presence If at any time NJ
| shouldd come in. He could not a
| any tine enter the Ansley with tn
| KNOWLEDGE of the hotel officers, j
| was said. e ~,
About twenty minutes before + t M
| shooting he was seen on the OUTSIDE
of the hotel by F. F. McMandel' one
| of the house detectives.
A short while later as DeMande
was descending in the elevator, ne
saw Mills on the fifth floor. AS
soon as the car reached the grouno
floor the detective started BACK ur
with the intention, he says. OF ar
resting Mills and turning him over
to the police for having entered the
hotel after his presence had beer
forbidden.
Before the elevator could return
four shots were heard on the nlntf
floor. Mills was found in the hall
way with a loaded pistol by his side
The pistol, it is said, was his owl
weapon.
Although he was reached within Z
few moments after the shot, no trace
could be found of his slayer. IT was was
as though the one who shot hin
had vanished into thin air. On the
floor lay the dying man with ~
loaded pistol beside him and thu
rest Of the hallway was empty
Mills lived until he reached Grad
hospital. but refused to disclose INT
name of his slayer.
4drs. ]. c.. Anderson, of Rome, ca.
a guest of the hotel, was one of the
frs to reach Mills. She says h'
made the following statement Il
II have the right kind of nerve
to die. I know who shot me, but
won't tell. I'm going to die like
man. The name of my assallant vii
go down to the grave with me.
III was in, my room only few " rec
from where Mills was snot' f sa9c
or quarrel of any kind. but suddenly
the four shots sounded in quick sue
cession. After a moment | opened
the door and looked out. Mills was
lying on the floor. l got my Goa
| from my room and put it under his
head. BY that time number O.
people had collected in the hallway
I asked him who had shot him ant
at first he seemed inclined to tell.
heard him murmur 'F-F-F-Frank.
then he fell back as though about t(
| die.
Before the hospital attendants ar
rived he revived but his manner hat
| changed. He said he had the nerve
to die and that he wasn't going Il
| tell who shot him."
part of the efforts of the police
| to solve the mystery are centerins
about the name Prank
Mills is survived by his wife. Mrs
| Myrtle Mills, of Memphis, Tenn.
where he formerly lived; by hi'
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. W. F. Mills
| of 295 Simpson street; three sisters
| Mrs. j. Bruce Brannon, of SaVan