The Washington herald., 1919-01-19

went toward the wlnQO", ana lnen
there came again the dreadful moan
increasing in volume and express
sive of mortal agony. and Miss
Doyle discovered that it came up
through the heating pipe that ran
near her bed.
This pipe led directly from the
second parlor in which Mrs. Dennis
slept, and, believing that Mrs. Den
mis- might be suffering from one
of her frequent attacks of acute
indigestion, Miss Doyle quickly
dressed and hurried to her room to
give assistance. The repetition OF
the means had also reused Mr.. Win
chell and Mr.. Thomas, and they went
hurrying to the first floor to learn
the trouble.
Break in Door.
Finding Mrs. Dennis door locked
Miss Doyle called in and asked If
she could be of assistance. The only
answer was a deep groan and a sharp
cry of pain.
Ada. don't you hear me?" cried
Miss Doyle. Won't you let me in?
The door is locked"
is that you Nary" feebly respond
ed Mrs. Dennis. her voice drifting off
into the wall.
Il am coming in to help you. Ada,
cried Miss Doyle again. There was no
answer "Oh. please" she appealed
to the two men, won't you break this
lock so that I can get in to help herr"
WinChelI and Thomas simultaneous
" hurled their full weight against
the massive oak door. There was a
crashing and splintering roar as it
yielded. Again and then again the
stalwart men attacked the door. and
under the fourth effort it was torn
from its hinges. The rescue party
plunged into a room that was in
total darkness. One of the men
struck a match and lighted the gas.
The three roOmers gasped in horror
and turned sick at the horrible sight
it revealed.
Ada Dennis lay before them. a
moaning. battered shred of humanity,
her very soul seeping out through
gaping. CHASTITY wounds.
Found In Flood.
She was lying on her right side in
the bed. which was literally a river
of blood. The left side of her face
was crushed into an almost unrecog-
nizable mass of pulp. and her left
arm lay at her side as if broken.
Even as the roomers stood paralyzed
with shock. great stream Of blood.
caused by internal injuries, came
from the injured womans mouth.
The wildly-tossed bed clothes indI-
Gated that there had been a desperate
struggle when Ada Dennis received
her wounds.
BY this time the entire house was
in full aCCion. The noise of the shout
ing to Mrs. Dennis, the smashing in
of the dior. and the means of the in
jured wiman had aroused all hands
All the place became a scene OF Wild
confusion and excitement. And right
at this juncture in the chaos of con-
fusion. one vital mistake was made.
II was a mistake of omission: the
police were not Immediately notified.
In the frantic anxiety to render first
aid to the injured woman no one
thought of giving the alarm to Police
Headquarters so that the all-impor-
tant quick investigation of conditions
could be made. Had not this over
sight or blunder of Judgment oC
CURED it is highly possible that the
famous Ada Gilbert Dennis case
would not now be recorded as an
''unsolved mystery"
Police Called Too Later
Responding to an emergency call
from Mrs Dennis mother-in-law. the
family physician, Dr. Wade Atkinson,
hurried to the house and Immediately
set to work to check the flow of blood
and prevent immediate death. A swift
examination revealed that Ada Den
mis- skull had been fractured and that
particles Of bone had lacerated the
brain tissues. Some of the brain it's
sue was slowing Oozing from the skull.
The left ear was almost severed from
the head There were other wounds
about the head. a severe fracture OF
the left jaw. numerous lacerations on
the face and behind the left ear. and
a lacerated wound of the left thumb.
With the GOODNESS of the skilled ply
sician. DR.. Atkinson assumed control
of the chaotic situation, and after dis
patching a messenger to DR.. A B.
Hooe, asking that he hurry to the
house with a salt-transfusion instru-
ment. he directed that the police be
notified.
Dawn was breaking as the little
green cord to the inspectors desk at
headquarters carried the message of
the murderous assault on Ada Gilbert
DtilillS. DcltNllNt StlSl. carter,
charge at night. answered the tele-
| phone. He put a few brisk questions
over the wire, then slammed up the
receiver and got busy.
Dramatic Scene Mt Headquarters.
| 1t would be difficult to describe the
dramatic scene at police headduar-
| ters following the receipt of a sensa-
tional Crime message" 1t can best
be described. for the privileged few
who have seen a newspaper in the
making. as similar to the dramatic
| scene in the news room when a big
story breaks" just about press time.
| Anyone who has seen a group Of
/ trained newspaper men in action
amid clicking typewriters. clicking
/ telegraph instruments and ringing
! elephones-pounding and driving a
: big story into form 50 as to get it to
! the world in the fewest possible min
utes. can mentally picture police and
detective headquarters when a Crime
story breaks
| Within sixty seconds after Sergt.
Carter had put up the receiver the
wheels of justice were moving
swiftly. Detectives Thomas B. Nc
/ Nance and Edward Helan. two OF
headquarters star men, were hurry
ing to the Dennis home. and the cen
trail office was spread ding the alarm as
quickly as nimble-fingered operators
could plug the numbers.
| The downtown precincts. then the
suburban stations and the railroad
terminal men were acquainted with
the first bare facts in the horrible
crime and were cautioned to throw
out a net for all suspicious chagac-
ters. Inspector Boardman. chief oi
detectives: Detectives Horne. Harti-
gan and Mullen of the central office