Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-12
||1|NSON'S SLAYER
HAD ACCOMPL|CES,
POLICE BELIEVE
Evidence Reveals That at
Least Two Visitors
Had Called.
HAIR AND EMPTY KEG
LEAD TO THIS THEORY
Detectives Also Of Opinion That
Crime Was Not Planned
Beforehand.
ORONER MAKES EXAMINATION
4. Whitfield Declares Dead Man
Fought Stubbornly to Re-
sist AssnilantS.
HAIR AND EMPTY KEG
LEAD TO THIS THEORY
oRONER MAKES EXAMINATION
;. Whitfield Declares Dead Nun
Fought Stubbornly TO Re-
sist AssnilantS.

Fought Stubbornly TO RE-
sist Assnilants.
That there WAS more than one per
pm implicated in the murder OF John
insoh, The aged night watchman at
ie sand wharf below the Trcdcgar
Ion Works. Is the firm belief OF the
I'd inquiry into the habits OF the
urdcred man cause them TO draw
lis conclusion. II is known that Mr.
!nson was never in tn" hab!; ot
avinS NOR" than enc chair ia the
pom. and. when examination Of th.
lan,y was made. ono other was
'hnd, and alec an empty nail kcr
hich was evidently brought out for
'ine one 10 sit on. they believe.
That his assailants lid not &c TO
ic shnnty :or the purpose of murder,
IT that the Grim" was committed
!thout planning. * another dctuc.
on OF the police. This was crtan-
shed by tn. fact inat none OF the
arks on the body shows that It was
f.ctcd by blackjack or any other
eapcn which Il murderer might car
They vent 10 the ahanty unprc-
,rcd for Il murder ana withou,
eapons. is ,hclr belief.
| Watcher the murder was commit
by white men or colorci is still
! douh, Ia the minds OF the police.
number o! both raccu have been
ken TO headquarters and question
by them. After questioning. the
Electives were satisfied that they
4id no Knowledge OK the crime. aud
|lcy Were allowed 10 go. Tho police
AVE been working with almos; tire
:ss effort to apprchend the murder.
is. and every clue possible is being
Pilowrh mp.
Robbrry Not Moti,c.
| Tucy do not really believe that rcb-
rs was the motive for the crime.
though there ie st!i. some doub;
their fn.rds. The fact tina, one
tn. victims pockets was turned
de on; causes them ,o wonder
ha; was taken. That tn. dead mar.
known TO have had a pistol. wh!ch
,nnot he located leads the detectives
assun" that no must have drawn
and. III II scunic. had II wrested
om him The number of the re-
Diver IS not known. so thnt any clue
ong that line !s fruitlcss.
o. Coroner Whitfield yesterday made
t!gatiou Of the case. AMI II
as his opinion that Mr.. Minson was
urdcrrd only after putting up cnc
the most stubborn battles possible
II man OF mis- years and physical
1,ndi;ion. Tn. way the body was
ing on the floor and the marks upon
show that hc gave his assailants
s;in fsht before he was finally
nocked unconscious and killed. y
.cp cash on one OF h!s hands and
so Il black -and- blue mark across
9TH lead the coroner to believe that
|, put them up to protect himself
.oroner Whitfield said that he count
| eighteen wounds on the mans head
hd arms. and that II was the c!cv-
til wound on his head which killed
IN. This wound was on the lcf,
de and crushed the entire side OF
skull. There was also another
ound on tho top o! his head which
says was probably inflicted with
Q sharp edge of the Ak. The death
ow was dealt with the AK and cut
the left car, while the blunt par'
ushed the skull. This blow was
.alt from in front of the murdered
an and vas swung right handed
ne 10 the fact that the shanty Is
,ly nine feet high. all the blows had
be struck slanting, there not being
,acc enough to allow the ax to bs
ought NJ perpcndicu!arly.
Always Carried Revolver.
Mr.. Minson had revolver which
,longed TO MIR. Seay, and which had
zen given the murdered man by him
his pistol. according to Mr.. Scay's
stlmony, was defective and some
mes missed fire when the trigger
as pulled. According 10 the police
ho secured the information from nc
,alntanccs of the murdered man, Inc
ways carried n pistol and was In
he habit of drawing II whenever
armed. II is believed that he drew
on his assailants, but 1t failed tC
ork The cut on his hand is also
bought 10 have been inflicted &c
axe Kim drop the pistol. as well us
her hc put up his hands to defend
msclf. The marks on the bod,
,ake DIR. Whitfield agree with the
lice that there was more than one
sai!ant
[ The question which is battling both
ne police and corner is how three
hen could scufilc in the small room
Ind not disturb anything, as tho
lanty was found to be In perfect or
,r after the murder. 1t was sug.
ssted that the murder might have
zen committed outside the shanty
1T this is hardly probable. as blood
as spattcred oyer the window and
,e murdered mans false teeth found
side the shanty. The murderer.
ouid not have. stopped to throw the
eth inside. they say.
1t was announced last night at Pc.
CO Headquarters that Mr.. Mlnsor
nd two dogs ut, the shanty. One