Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-10-30
Wallace Said to be Slayer
of Leo N. Creeger.
Reports Gathered By Police
Since Murder Occurred.

Since Murder Occurred.
County and State officers have been
very busy trying to locate the man who
shot and killed Leo M. Creeger of this
place Saturday morning, October Is.
Up to the time of going to press Sher-
if Klipp, of Frederick, has nothing def
mite as to the whereabouts of the man
who did the shooting. Reports have been
going that he was arrested and in Jail,
but such is not the case.
The Post of Saturday. Oct. 25th, gave
out the following story of the affair, and
names the man who did the shooting. 1t
says:
1.-THE man who killed Leo M. Creeger
at Thurmont last Saturday is Clarence 5.
Wallace and was in Baltimore at 8 o'clock
Monday morning, October goth.
"He told the story of wading Double
Pipe creek, which came up to armpits,
keeping to the banks of the river until
out of danger, then hiding in clump of
woods until nightfall and walking around
the creek and across fields until in the
open country, and walking on until he
reached Baltimore.
wallace told this to Mrs. Thomas j.
Graft, of Highlandtown, Md, where he
boarded for a time earlier in the summer.
Wallace walked into the house and at
once asked Mrs. Graft if she had read in
the papers about what had happened up
here in Frederick county. She replied
that she had read all about it in the pa
pers and thought it was horrible thing.
ed her TO keep quiet about it. She in
formed him that she intended to tell the
police at once, at which threat he drew
a revolver and made her go upstairs and
stay in the room with him while he shaved
himself While he was shaving he had
the revolver laying on the bureau in front
of him, and told her that he would use it
if she uttered a word. After shaving he
went down stairs and got something to
eat and later took some things with him
and left the house. She then told the
police all about what had happeded.
1.-The local authorities think it is just a
matter of hours until Wallace is caught
and brought to justice.
wallace said that after the shooting
of Creeger he took to flight and went to
the mountains and later when he heard
shouts and knew that he was being fol-
lowed he went up along the mountains
and got along the creek. The posse was
close upon him several times and if the
dogs had been there at that time he
would have been caught on the first day
of the murder. He laid in a bunch of
honey and waited until it was
dark. In the evening with all bridges
guarded he forded the river and went into
patch of woods and waited until night
fall before attempting to move on. He
then left that section of the country and
kept to the fields and made his way to
Baltimore where his story was told.
THE Waynesboro dispatch says:
ga report was current here that
Martz confessed to Waynesboro friend
who visited him while in the Frederick
Jail, that the man who killed Creeger
was Clarence Wallace, son of the late
Samuel Wallace, Mount Airy Avenue,
back of Burns Hill Cemetery and who is
still at large.
Mount Airy Avenue and both young men
have been living in Baltimore for some
time. The former is machinist and the
latter bricklayer and both are friends.
"Wallace served term in the East
ern penitentiary for holding up and rob-
bling Henry Baer of Cress, east of town,
a few years ago. The report that he
was implicated in the Creeger murder
case could not be confirmed here. but a
good many people believe he is the man
the authorities have been looking for,
suppositlon based on surrounding circum-
stances. He was here on a visit a few
weeks ago and then returned to Balti-
more, it is said"
"Another Waynesboro dispatch says:
"'Ge' rye Williams, of Chicago, ac-
complete and "pal' of the fugitive MUIR
derer of Leo M. Creeger. prominent
Thurmont, Md, merchant, has turned
out to be Irwin Martz, of Waynesboro.
"He gave his home as Chambersburg.
but no such person was found in that
town and the name corresponds with that
of young Waynesboro man whose home
is on Mount Airy avenue. 49,"
"The man is known to the police, it is
said, but to effect his capture State and
federal officials have been called into
consultation.
Erwin Martz left here about six years
ago. With him went Mrs. Thomas Graft, !
who deserted her home to go with Martz. ,
Before leaving he was employed by
Englar & Albert as a plumber.