The Washington herald., 1920-11-19
SUSPECT HELD
AS3RD VICTIM
OFBLAST DIES
Germantown Farmer Sue
cumbs to Injuries in
Hospital.
SAY THOMPSON INSANE
Threat to Get Bolton Be-
heved to Furnish Pos
sible Motive.

James Bolton. head of the little
family that occupied the tenant
house which was .dynamited at
o'clock yesterday morning on the
farm of Julian B. Waters. near
Germantown. Nd, died last night
IN the hospital at olney. Nd, of in
ternal hemorrhages.
He was the third victim of the
explosion.
The two Bolton children, 2 and 4
years old. were Killed instantly.
The most important development
in the investigation by the Mary
land authorities was the finding
late yesterday afternoon of a piece
of one of the glass windows of the
wrecked house bearing fresh finger
prints and a muddy footprint on
a board. which had probably been
a part of the floor of the porch.
Fred A. Sandberg. finger-print
expert of police headquarters. was
called to Rockville last night to
examine the two bits of evidence.
Cross-Exnmine Thompson.
In an attempt to. establish the
guilt of Vernon Thompson, a paint
er living near Germantown. the sus-
pect who was arrested few hours
after the explosion. Sheriff Nichol-
son and States Attorney Dawson
put him and his wife through three
hours cross-examination yesterday
afternoon. Both steadfastly main
tanned they knew nothing of the
affair, ii is said. Not satisfied with
their story Sheriff Nicholson held
them at the Rockville jail.
States Attorney Dawson pointed
to two stories supplied by friends
of Thompson in Washington and
Maryland.
I'm going to get Bolton" Thomp-
son is said to have told several per-
sons in the neighborhood of Fer
mantown- This report was brought
to the Rockville authorities by Dep
uty Sheriff Gingeil, who is assist
ing in the investigation.
Declare Thompson Insane.
according 10 wasnington friends.
lnOIupSOH
He was born at 'Clarksburg. Nd,
forty-four years ago. and while
serving in Cuba during the Spanish
American war contracted fever they
say. Since then he has at times been
irresponsible. II is said.
Mrs. Bolton, though in the same
room with her children and hus-
band. was not seriously hurt by the
explosion. She received a number
of bruises and was badly shocked.
but was able to go across the fields
to the home of her nearest neighbor.
Slagle Dorsey. who notified the
sheriff. Mrs. Bolton is now in the
Sandy Spring Hospital.
The explosion is described as hav-
ing been terrific. The report was
heard distinctly within a radius of
twelve miles and in houses two or
three miles away windows ratified.
The belief that dynamite was used
is based on two facts. Percussion
caps of the kind used for exploding
dynamite were found in the wreck
age and a quantity of the explosive
was stolen Wednesday night from
the store of Waters & Thrift at
Germantown.
Victim Under Indictment.
Bolton is under Indictment in the
Circuit Court at Rockville for as
sault with intent to murder and
his trial was scheduled for the term
which began yesterday morning.
1t is charged that on November =
Bolton shot and seriously wounded
Thompson. He was released on bail
and Thompson was only a few days
ago discharged from the Sandy
Spring Hospital.
Thompson was sent to Bottoms
home to haul" him to the polls at
Clarksburg and it is said that when
Bolton showed indifference about
voting Thompson pointed a shotgun
at him and declared he would make
him go.
A fight followed, which resulted
in Thompson being shot. 1t was
thought at first that Thompson had
been killed, but he later revived and
dragged himself 200 yards from
where he had fallen and was found
several hours later.
The deaths of the Bolton children
makes three children of the woman
who have met violent deaths. In
the fall of 1915, a two-year-old baby
by Douglass Shipley, a former hus-
band. was choked to death in the
couples home near Unity, Md. Ship
ley was convicted of murder in the
first degree and Is now serving a
life term in the Maryland Peniten-
tiary