The Washington times., 1919-07-15

an overseas soldier, who was dis
charged from the United states army
two months ago.
Surgeons who made a post-mortem
examination found that Jones had
been shot through the head, three
bullets having penetrated his skull.
After their FIRST hour of work de-
tectives found that they were face
to face with an extraordinary crime
and the next day Marshal Carter and
members OF the police board were APP
prised of the circumstances uncover
ed by the detectives. All information
concerning the suspects was kept
secret and in trailing the suspects
the United States Secret Service was
brought into play.
Cothron is a native of Eau Gallte,
Fla. q small fishing town on the east
coast. $50 miles south of Jacksonville.
His wife, whom he met several years
a 20 at Miami is said to be the daugh-
ter of Mrs. Edith Stewart. of Allan
tic City. n. J.. For several days after
the crime was discovered detectives
combed Atlantic City and New York
for their quarry, and one trip by au-
tomobi!e led them to the mountains
of West Virginia.
Bank Robbery Suspected.
For three days prior to the killing
of Jones two men and a woman en-
gagged a touring automobile, instruct
ing the chauffeur to drive them to
Highland, Mont gomery county less
than half an hours run from Laurel,
Md. Two of the colored chauffeurs
who accompanied the trio on the
trips on June 9 and 10 were Purcell
Hill and David W. Tucker.
"A concocted story was told to each
Of these chautfeurs," said one of the
detectives. and the story clearly In
dicates that the object Of the auto
mobile trips to Highland was for
the purpose of holding up and rob-
bling the cashier of the Highland
Bank. Upon each of the visits the
chauffeurs were told that one of the
men had married the daughter OF the
banker, and that their purpose in re-
naming a short distance away was
to have the young woman Zee from
her fathers home and make her es-
cape in the automobile. Cothron, his
pal and Mrs, Cothron were armed
We can prove that the day before
the murder the trio made the trip to
Highland and that Cothron and his
pal left the automobile after in
structing the chauffeur to remain at
the wheel and be ready to make a
quick getaway. The two men enter
ed the bank, as they had done on a
previous day, but because of the
presence of men outside the inStitu-
ton their object was thwarted."
Tucker brought the two men and
the woman back to this city and left |
them at EUtaw and Mulberry streets.
Next day, June IL, the trio engaged |
the touring car driven by Jones.
Nothing was heard Of Jones until
his body was found, but the detec-
tives learned that the two men visit |
ed the bank again on June IL, but |
no attempt at robbery was made be- |
cause of the presence OF automobiles |
and persons outside the building.
A few minutes after leaving the |
bank the automobile drove through
the town and Jones was seen sitting |
in the back seat with the woman |
and two men were on the front seat |
The woman. according to the detec- |
tives, carried an automatic pistol in |
the pocket of her skirt, and both men, |
when they left the automobile for |
their visit to the bank, carried auto |
matte pistols in their coat pockets. |
There are other features to the |
killing of Jones which the |
police refuse to divulge. One in |
wolves the disappearance OF a child |
from the city who is known to have |
visited the rooms occupied by Goth |
ron, his wife and another man.