The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1920-03-26

who was called to the door Of his
home at Haight, Nd, Thursday night
and shot by some person unknown to
the police, died Sunday afternoon in
the University Hospital, Baltimore.
Merryman was shot in the abdomen,
and was taken to Baltimore on Sat-
urday for treatment. Every effort was
made to save the mans life.
Two neighbors,S Nimrod Brothers
and his wife, who were in the house
when the shooting took place and who
departed hurriedly when they learn
ed what had happened, are in jail.
Merryman had lived alone several
months. He seldom left the place,
only going now and then to the village
store to purchase supplies. Brothers
and his wife we're in the habitsof going
to the hut to see if everything was all
right, and it was ON an errand of this
kind that they went to Merryman's s
home. The three we're sitting in the
combined living room and kitchen in
the dusk when knock was heard at
the door. Merryman rose to answer
it, and as he opened the door without
warning he was shot through the
stomach. The ball passed clear
through his body and buried itself in
the wall across the room.
( The next morning Louis Boone, an
other neighbor went to the hut and
found the old man unconscious.
Boone Immediately summoned Dr.
M. T.. Norris, of Eldersburg, who went
at once to the scene and then IN
formed States Attorney Brown.
Brothers and his wife are in jail
here, held as states witnesses. Broth
ers' story is that he and his wife were
in bed upstairs; that about o'clock
he heard someone call Merryman to
the door. that he heard him open it;
that he then heard the sound of the
shot; that his wife said to him: My
God, Mr. Merryman has shot himself; !"
that Merryman called: "Come down
quick. my son Stanley has killed me;
that he heard whoever was outside
say: "If there is anyone else in there
we'll get them, too" that he and his
wife went down the stairway, where
he lighted lantern.
Merryman was standing in the
middle of the room with blood on his
left hand. They guided him upstairs,
where he lay down on their bed. They
left the house by the back door, and
walked for about 20 minutes to the
home of Eb. Hardy, colored man,
Brothers, after getting his wife to the
home of Hardy, left and returned in a
few minutes, having seen Alvah
>Brauning on the road and told him
that Merryman had been shot in the
hand, and asked him to notify the
sheriff.
Brothers also insisted that he saw
Stanley Merryman on the farm with
a gun on Thursday afternoon. 1t
has been clearly proven that he is
mistaken, and complete alibi is es-
tablished for young Merryman. He
was at work at the mills On2Thurs-
day all day, and was in the store at
Oakland Mills until 9 o'clock at night.
The authorities have abandoned all
suspicion of his guilt, not withstand
ing the fact that the old man, Joshua
MerrymAn, first told DIR. M. d. Norris
that he was shot.
States attorney Brown investigated
another clue. Some months ago Josh
ua Merryman was robbed. Several
colored men came to his house. One
of them engaged him in conversation
at the barn, while the other entered
the house. After they left Merryman
discovered the loss of about $125 in
money and his watch He went after
the man who had talked with him at
the barn. This man denied his own
guilt, but expressed the belief that
the other man had committed the
larceny. This man afterward re-
covered for Mr.. Merryman the watch
and about $50 of the money. 1t is
said that Merryman agreed not to
prosecute upon being reimbursed for
the balance of the money, and that
the parents of the man who is sup
posed to have stolen it have been
paying him back by installments.
Coupling these facts with the state
ments of hhe Brothers that they heard
some one after the shooting on Thurs
day night say IF there is any zone
else in there we will get them, a
theory is developing, strongly be-
lieyed, that either the parties guilty
of the former larceny, believing the
old man to be alone, returned either
to rob him again or by killing him
prevent his appearance before the
Grand Jury in May; or that Others.
believing that he had money in the
house, came for the purpose of rob
bing him, and that when theys found
others in the house were frightened
away without opportunity to COM
plete the, job.
The fact of the larceny referred to
was not reported to the states at
torney. sheriff or magistrate, and was