The Washington times., 1920-11-27
RIDDLE STORY
Of TREADWAY
Police Upset Wild Yarn OF Boxer
Held for Killing Peirce.
Girl Clipper.

OF the fnuruer Oh titnTy - TeHce,
the Maret street business man,
nullify the prisoners protestations
Of innocence in the ewes Of the po-
lice, and di-ectlv indicate thai he
actually he'd a hand IN the killing.
FACES THREE CHARGES.
! Treadwsy will bo charged with
murder. robbery and larceny of an
automobile when he Is srraigned on
Monday. The girl also will probably
face the same charge, detectives an
nounced last night
In his account OF the crime. Tread
way, who Is also known as Norman
ID. Williams and Fred c. West de-
clared that he was in Peirce's apart
ment, 2007 Market street. when the
murder was committed early last
Sunday morning. but insisted that he
was innocent. and placed the guilt on
two men known as All Smith and
! Jack" who tired TO "stick up" the
place. Running out OF the room, he
explained that he tripped over a hose
attached to gas stove and fell. his
left knee landing in pool OF blood.
This story was blasted yesterday.
when the prisoner was subjected to n
merciless grilling by Captain Of De-
tcctives Alfred I. Souder and other
operatives. A photograph OF the
room in which Peirce was slain. TAXI
short time after the body was dis
covered last Monday morning. shows
the gas stove against a wall, appar-
emily not having been touched during
the struggle. To tho right Of the
murdered mans mead is a large
splotch OF blood. and in the center
Of il the imprint OF mans knee
can be plainly disccrned. Captain
Soudcr feels certain that the imprint
was made when Tresdway knelt down
TO snap or the victims diamond
studded lovers knot scarfpin.
The trousers, belonging to a pin
striped brown suit. werc recovered
by the police in pawnshop in Wheel
ing, W. Va, Wednesday afternoon.
shortly after Treadway and Marie
Phillips, his pretty eighteen-year-old
companion. were arrested in that city.
The pawnbroker positively identife4
Trcadway as the man who received an
IS advance on the suit.
Other discrepancies Of an important
character developed az a result Of tho
Grillings OF Treadway and tho young
woman. Both prisoners, however.
steadfastly stuck to tho general trend
OF their story of the murder. the girl
especially showing much spunk. The
prisoners admitted that they had lied
when they declared that they had
spent Sunday resting in Peircc's ma
chine, in which they fed to Wheeling
on q side street in Baltimore. Trapped
by detectives, they admitted having
spent the day in a Baltimore roomiug
house.
The story that two other men were
implicated In the crime apparently
holds water, as it is known that a
W rnl, ;a kn,
tho mysterious All smith and Jack"
Tho name Ar Smith is regarded by
the police as an alias. and it was
learned that tho police believe II was
assumed by Harry kendrick~ a gam
bier well known in the underworld and
pal Of Treadway. Among letters
found in Treadwsy's possession at
the time of his arrest was one from
kendrick. written in New York and
dated November II, 1919.
Kcndrick. IL is said. lived at one
time in Wheeling or in that vicinity,
and that il was he who suggested
that the murderers seek refuge there.
Even though il should turn out that
kendrick is not Smith, the police arc
anxious to get him TO trace his actions
on the days Immediately preceding the
murder. Treadway and Kendrick
were pals. When the former was con-
Quoting the roomng house of Mrs.
Bertha Waldron, No. 1925 Arch street,
last summer Kendrick was associated
with him. The proprietress was out
of town at the time and when she re-
turned she learned that the two men
had been running the place as a
gambling den and a disorderly resort.
Mrs Waldron told the police that the
pair had stripped her house of many
articles of value. She said both men
invariably carried revolvers.
Detectives who visited the rooming
house at Eighth and Spruce streets,
learned from the proprietor that on
Smiths left cheek was gauze
bandage, held In place by two pieces
OF sticking plaster. Armed with this
information, sleuths who quizzed
Treadway again last night suddenly
asked him II there was any distinctive
feature about the suspect whereby he
could be readily recognized. Quick
as a flash. the prisoner replied:
Yes. on his left cheek was q small
eauze bandage held by two pieces of
court plaster. He told mo that a few
days before he had had a boil lanced."
Treadway and Marie were ques-
toned for several hours last night
by Major Wynne and Captain Souder
In the latter's Office. As far as could
be learned. neither varied much from
the stories they had told earlier in
the day.
Late last night Captain Soudcr an
nounced that he had received a tele-
phoen call from n man In Media, Pa.
who said he helped the occupants OF
red Pathfinder car to FIX mud
guard early Sunday morning. He said
three men and a girl we're In the ma
chine.
At the apartment house, 2040 Wal
nut street, where Treadway and his
girl lived under the names OF Mr.. and
Mrs. West. a story OF their move
ments Saturday night was told yes
terday that does not coincide with
statements made by the prisoners IT
was related by Mrs. IL. ID. Ashford.
the proprictress. her daughter Crys-
tai, known as Pete" and a man who
rooms there.
CARSON REFUSES U. s.
rnNAuHvCCunAI nYvyvrr