Evening star., 1919-06-12
ROSS, 50, HELDAS
MURDER SUSPECT
Must Explain Several Circum-
stances Concerning Dead
Boy, Richard DuvaH.
AUTOPSY SHOWS BULLET

Charles Ross. thirty years old. over
seer Of the laborers employed at Trim
ity College. is under arrest, being sus-
pected Of killing Richard H. Duvall,
fifteen years old, also employed at the
college, whose body was found in a
clump of woods between two wagon
roads several hundred yards north of
University station late Tuesday after
noon. He was arrested by Detectives
Embrey. Sweeney and Connors. mem
bers of Inspector Grants murder
squad. while Detectives Scrivener.
Sweeney and Kelly, other members,
were running out another clue.
Following Ross arrest, Capt. Judge
and Policeman 'Darnall of the tenth
precinct arrested Robert Lee Haw-
kins, colored, nineteen years old, also
employed at the college. and locked
him up as material witness. Daniel
Joseph Betz. seventeen years old. en-
ployed at the Marist College and
close personal friend of the dead boy.
also is held at the police station. He
made 80 many conflicting statements.
among them being an admission OF
guilt. which he later retracted, that
detectives were hampered in their
investigation of the tragedy.
Ross Denies Guilt.
the suggestion that he murdered the
Duvall boy or that he took any part
in the murder. On the other hand, de-
tectives say there are several things
that they want Ross to explain.
Learning that Ross probably was the
Individual at the college who last
saw Duvall start away on his pro-
posed trip to Baltimore to buy cloth
ing and visit relatives, the detectives
questioned him closely and later ar
rested him.
1t was following the locking up Of
the colored boy that the first inti-
nation of the handling of a revolver
by Ross was obtained. and Ross it is
stated, admitted the truth of Haw-
king statement, The colored laborer
said he loaned Ross a .38-caliber re-
volver Saturday afternoon and that
the latter returned it to him Sunday
morning. It was loaded when he
loaned 1t to him, he stated, but no
cartridges were in it when it was re-
turned to him.
Il threw the cartridges, fve in num-
Der. on the lawn near the college"
Ross said. Search Of the lawn later
revealed the presence Of only three of
them, and detectives are trying to de-
termine what became of the two miss
ing ones.
Bullet Found in Backbone.
War Department surgeons operating
portable X-ray instrument at the
morgue this morning located a .38-
caliber bullet in the fourth dorsaI
vertebra of the dead boy.
The surgeons who performed the
autopsy found that Duvall also had
been shot through the head, the bull
let entering the left temple and find
ing an exit on the opposite side of
"a hvrlI IA<
from the vertebra and turned over
to the police. 1t is of the same cali
Der as the bullets taken from the re-
volver that Ross borrowed from Haw-
kins.
Hawkins tofd the police that at the
time Ross boEpwed the pistol from
him he said hsfhad had trouble with
woman in the city and IL he had any
more Strouhle he was going to s'burn
things up Ross admitted telling the
colored man about trouble he had
about woman 1t was with her
gentlemen friends" he asserted, and
said he intended to burn them" il
they repeated the trouble.
Ross is the individual who told the
police he had given DuvaH 81 and
asked him to purchase two shirts for
him him while in Baltimore, one pink and
they learned that Ross left the COL
lege Saturday afternoon about the
time Duvall left 1t was DuyalPs
intention to catch a Washington, Bal
timore and Annapolis electric car at
North Capitol and II streets at $50
o'clock, and why he went in the op-
posite direction after walking from
the college has not been established.
Theory Held by Police.
1t is the theory of the police that
ho n 10 MI vxrlo LIT
body was found under some pretext
that going in that direction would
benefit him. Ross yesterday morning
expressed the belief that he went
stated, he had heard Duvall say
something about wanting to go west
Another statement attributed to Ross.
and he admitted having made it, ac-
cording to the police, was that he
feared Dick had been killed and
robbed" the statement having been
made before the finding of the body.
Yesterday morning after he had read
Of the finding Of a body. the news
paper giving the age Of the dead
man as about twenty-five years. Ross
is said to have suggested that the
body was that Of the missing boy
Discussing his fear Of a renewal Of
the trouble about a woman the pris-
oner said he had no trouble when he
visited the city Saturday night He
Vfsiteu moving picture treater. he
stated. annd returned to the college
late at night. II was explained BY
both men that Hawkins bought the
pistol in question from Ross for So
some time ago. explaining how Ross
knew the colored boy possessed q
weapon. Hawkins said he did not
hesitate to loan theweapon to the
frmer wner. when he It'd him f the
anticipated trouble.
Alleged Conflict in Statements.
When Ross returned the pistoc to
Haw kins he told Hawkins that he vis1
tied a woman near the government
printing Office and that she took the
cartridges from the weapon. He ad-
mitted to the police having made
such a statement to thecolored boy,
and said it was untrue, adding that he
threw the cartridges on the law,
where three Of them were found.
Displaying an interest in Ross
finances about the time Duvall disap-
! peared, the police asked the prisoner
| to explain his borrowing money that
day and returning 1t Sunday morn
ing. He said he borrowed IS from
Matthew Guy, another employe. Sat-
| urday afternoon and paid him the
following morning. He also declared
| he borrowed $40 from one Of the sis
ters at the college Friday morning.
When arrested he had $11.s8 in his
4 possession.
Capt. Judge. Sergt. McGinniss and
Policeman Darnall, who were the first
/ poenherS of the pOlice depa rf N, ont m