The Washington times., 1920-11-19
.A[|B| STORIES
DON'T AGREE
Suspect and Wife Make Con-
fIicting Statements About
His Movements.

After placing a coat under the
head of her five-year-old daughter
not knowing the child was dead, Mrs
Hattie Cummings Shipley, mother Of
the two children who were killed
when the home Of James Bolton, hel
common law husband, was dyna-
mited early yesterday morning, re-
mained quiet and still, fearing that
should it be known she was alive an
other attempt would be made to kill
her.
FLEEs IN NIGHTDREss.
Then after daylight came, Mrs.
Shipley. feeling sure that the would
be slayer of her self and Bolton had
disappeared, struggled in her night
clothes and barefeet through rugged
woodlands. wading two streams, to
the home OF Julian Il. Walters for
help.
Bolton died last night at the Mont
gomery County General Hospital
from internal injuries and shock re-
ceived in the explosion. His dying
words were:
Thompson had threatened to get
us and I suppose he has got me-"
He then lapsed into unconscious
ness and died a short time later. He
made the dying deposition to DR..
Joseph ID. Rogers, of Washington,
and DR.. j. w. Byrd and Charles c,
Tomolson. OF the hospital stan.
THOMPSON BEING GRILLED.
Vernon Thompson, forty-four years
Old short Xyiry said t0 he
endowed with unusual strength. also
of Germantown. who Is being held In
connection with the dynamiting OF
Bottoms home and the toll Of three
lives in the explosion. today Is being
closely question at the Rockville Jail.
States Attorney Thomas f. Daw-
son. OF Montgomery county. said this
morning that both Thompson and the
latter's wife, who also is being held.
have made conflicting statements as
to their movements on the night and
morning of the explosion.
The authorities are attempting TO
get an admission from Thompson
that he made good the threat he is
alleged to have made to get" Boil
ton and Mrs. Shipley; also that he
stole fifty pounds of dynamite from
the general warehouse Of walters and
Thrift. of Germantown. on Wednes-
day night.
1t is believed by the authorities
that it was this dynamite that was
used in blasting the Bolton home on
the farm of George s. Dorsey.
FINGERPRINTs ARE CLUE.
Fingerprints taken from a pane Of
glass in the door of the warehouse
were photographed by Detective
Sergeant Fred Sandberg, Bertillon ex-
pert, and official photographer of the
Washington Police Department. and
are being examined with those taken
Of Thompson.
In her statement TO the police. Mrs.
Thompson declared she did not know
what time her husband left his bed
yesterday morning. She said she fell
asleep after midnight. and declared
she did not know whether Thompson
left the bed after that. Thompson,
in his statement, declared he was in
bed until long after the explosion.
He also said his wife knew he was
in bed.
Thompson and his wife were dues.
toned separately, and are being held,
Thompson in the Rockville jail and
the woman in another place. to pre-.
vent them from communicating with
each other.
HUSBAND IN PENITENTIARY.
The condition OF Mrs. Shipley, who
also Is at the Montgomery County
General Hospital, was reported today
as not critical. She is said to be
about to become a mother. Her hus.
band. Robert Shipley, Ave years ago
was sent to the Maryland peniten.
tiary for life after having been con-
victed of choking his child to death.
There had been feeling between
Thompson and Bolton for years.
Thompson. known in the community
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