The Washington times., 1921-08-07
YOUTHS
R|DDLED
IN CLASH
At CAMP
Three Are Held in Clarendon
Jail; PoIics Told Many
Conflicting Stories. :

Paul Vierling, eighteen-years-old
machinist, was arrested this morn
ing for the shooting Of Arthui
Nichols, Of 8413 P street north
west, at Camp Key, on the Po-
tomac river, last night NicholS
death is expected momentarily.
Following a search of rive1
camps early this morning, and sew;
eral visits to the Vierling homesI
1918 Tenth street northwest, the
police found him about g.
o'clock, with his mother, at Silvel
Springs, Md. Serg. Herbert
Marcy, of the United States
Police, placed him under arrest
and immediately took him to the
being held for ne Virginia au-,
Clarendon, Va, Jail, where he ID
thorities. ..-....
Two Other Campers Held.
Two other campers, who are subs,
posed to have participated in the aSs'
gument that resulted In the shooting
and are being held in custody as wit.
nesses, are George Kiatta, OF 1915
Thirty-fourth street northwest, and
Richard l.. Burns, navy yard MACHINE
list, of IL d street southeast.
Sheriff A. c. Clements, OF Alexan.
dria county, Va. was at Camp
Key following the shooting. but could
find no trace of Vierling, who, thei
campers told him, had fired the three
shots which eliminated the argument
between two groups Of campers. The,
sheriff searched for the young ma
chinist until after daylight this morn-l
ing, when the report came In at head.
quarters that he had been taken into!
custody at a house in Silver Springs.
In the meanwhile Nichols was fight-
ing for his life at Georgetown Unh
versity Hospital, where he was taken
following the tragic climax of his.
visit to Camp Key. Doctors held butt
little hope for him this morning. His
parents were on their way from CO.
lonial Beach, where the police last.
night notified them of the trouble by
long distance telephone.
Many Conflicting Stories Told.
Many conflicting stories were told
police about the shooting by camps
ers. Sheriff Clements In inclined to-
believe the one that the campers seem
least likely to tell, that an argument
was raised between the Nichols group
and the Vierling group which result
ed in Nichols being shot while on the
steps leading to Camp Key tent.
"A thorough investigation of the
Occurrences In likely to result in Sc
rious charges" said Sheriff Clements
this morning.
The local police are anRered at the
conduct of the campers who padded
up the river In canoes, following the
one which carried the wounded man
last night. They lied about the af-
fair TO the police, repulsed Detective
George Darnall. who sought the true
story, and defiantly told authoritiesi
I'VE won't say a word. Don't give =
thing to the newspapers"
Frank McAvoy. OF s6 Foxhall road
northwest. padded the canoe which
brought Nichols to the District fog
medical aid. McAvoy sped his canoe
as fast as he COZ I'd with safety. as the
wounded man wy unconscious and
breathing heavily in the bottom OF the
craft. Struggling behind were other
boats, carrying the campers who did
not seem able to realize the result o1
the argument they had taken part In.
The wounded man was taken fronf
the canoe at Dempsey's boathouse, and
from there was Immediately removed
to the operating room At oeorgstowg