Evening star., 1920-11-19
finger PRINT CLUE
LIKELY TO REVEAL
HOME DYNAM|TER
Marks Are Found on Boxes in
Warehouse Where Ex-
pIosive Was Stolen.
BOLTON is DEAD, MAKING
TOTAL OF THREE VICTIMS
Vernon Thompson and Wife, Still
Held at Rockville Jail, Have
Made No Statements.

Identification of the person respon-
sihle for the explosion yesterday morn
ing at the home of James Bolton. a
farmer. near Germantown Md. which
resulted in the death of Bolton and his
housekeepers two children. Evelyn and
Harold Shipiey, will be established
through finger prints found on boxes in
the warehous. OF Waters & Thrift. gem
eral merchants, of Germantown, it was
believed today
Aided by Detective Fred Sandberg
of Washington. Montgomery county of
hcials are working on this theory. and
Sheriff Nicholson ordered that nothing
be moved or touched in the warehouse
until The finger-print photographs have
been made. 1t was from this estab-
lishment that dynamite believed to
have been used in the explosion was
stolen several days ago.
Death Of Bolton.
James Bolton. the third victim Of
the explosion. died at $3.50 o'clock last
night a thu Montgomery County Cen
eral Hospital, in Sandy Spring. Nd
Death was caused, physicians stated
from internal hemorrhage, resulting
from rupture of the left kidney.
Vernon Thompson of Germantown
and Mrs. Thompson. who were ar
rested yesterday and placed in Jail
at Rockville for investigation in con-
nection with the crime. are still held.
Neither has made any statement.
States Attorney Tom Dawson said
today he was holding Mrs. Thompson
for the sake of expediency."
Vernon Thompson had his finger
prints taken yesterday. He will be
questioned further regarding his where
abouts on Wednesday night and early
yesterday morning.
Mrs. shipIey's story.
Mrs. Hattie Shipley. housekeeper Of
Bolton. in an interview at the Mont
gomery County Hospital near Sandy
Spring. today gave The Star reporter
a graphic description of the triple
tragedy.
Il had just gotten up to look at the
clock " said Mrs. Shipley. 1T was be-
tween fifteen and twenty minutes
after o'clock. 1 went back to bed
and was just DOING off when there
was tremendous fash and explosion.
/ saw the flash and heard the noise
Then / was stunned for a minute, and
after picking myself up across the
room. where l had been thrown, I
heard Mr.. Bolton groaning:
MY God. my God. Hattie. do
something for me. or I will bleed to-
death
II went to him and felt his head and
it was all bloody. Then I heard my
baby girl strangling. as though she
could not breathe. I went to her.
I could not see thing. I was afraid
to light a match. for fear the person
who had set off the explosion would
kill me. l lifted beam from my
little girls throat so that she could
breathe.
It groped around for some coat. be-
cause the front of the house had been
I was shivering. 1 found two coats.
and / wrapped one about Mr.. Bolton
and put one around myself. | don't
know what happened to my little boy.
Il sat there shivering. with the coat
around me. afraid to move. At the
peep of dawn I got up. and Mr.. Bolton
implored me to go to Dorsey's. our
nearest neighbor. to get help.
CoIlapses ON Way.
1T was getting light as l tumbled
out of the house, without either shoes
or stockings. I waded across two
creeks and collapsed about half way
up the last hill toward Dorsey's.
had picked up a stick to help me
along, and leaned on it until final
ly reached the house. Then I fell on
the porch.
Il had worked for Mrs. Dorsey be-
fore, and / knew where she slept. ]
woke her up. Mr.. Dorsey and Mrs.
Dorsey said that they had heard the
explosion. but did not know where it
had taken place. l don't remember
anything after that
Mrs Shipley is in good condition
today following medical treatment.
She is suffering no internal injury.
but she has several severe bruises
about her body, especially on the
lower limbs. She spoke of the incident
coolly and calmly at first. but toward
the end of the interview showed SYM
ptoms of being overcome by emotion.
and when the door closed upon the in
reviewers she dropped her head on
the pillow. crying: "Oh. why did any
one want 70 kill my little babies"
Pictures taken at the scene OF the ex-
,1ociap are reDroduced on uaga II