The Washington herald., 1921-04-20
John w. Ni6in. II, Tells
Police He Fired Shot
That Killed Schnurr. /
CONFESSION CLEARS
MURDER MYSTERY
Says That Sweetheart Be
trayed Confidence He
Gave Her.

sole confidant, In q moment-of rage
provoked by . quarrel, John Walters
Nifin. IT years old. was led into the
police dragnet early yesterday, his
confession yesterday noon clearing
up the murder Of Frederick Schnurr
barber, at Third and p streets
northwest, who was killed on the
night Of January o..
In the confession made before
Mai. Harry Gessford. Superintendent
of Police, aud ofIicers Of the Second
precinct yesterday Nifin declared he
murdered schnurr accidentally
while attempting to hold him w
about II o'clock on the night OF
January 80 in front Of 1907 First
street northwest.
Tells sf shot.
The youthful murderer calmly told
police the story Of how he and q
narty Of friends plotted the hold-up
Of Schnurr and DR.. p. p. Withers'
druggist in the building adJoinins
Schnurr's barber psrlor. the night
before the tragedy.
The party watched Schnurr ana
withers from a machine across the
street on the fatal night and fol-
lowed them from the store, accord
ing to the confession. Mimi said he
frured the men would have their
saturday night collections with
them. Losing the men at First ana
r., the confession reads. the party
again picked up the trail OF Schnurr'
who was going norIn on First stree'
alone. Nifin says as the bandit car
drew up alongside Of Schnurr. ne
jumped to the sidewalk with 80
automatic revolver In hand and
commanded Schnurr to throw up MS
hands, Schnurr. 50 Nimn claims
threw up his hands and turned 10
run and in doing SO struck Nlrhh
hand. The revolver was discharged
and the barber dropped to the side :
walk dead, shot throuh the BACK oi
the head. Niffin, terrihed, lespeo
hack into the car which sped away
into the darkness, the confession
reads.
Tells Friend
Leaving Washington Immediately
the lad returned again about three
weeks ago. confiding his dread Sc
cret to a friend. Hazel O'Neh. VINO
lives AT the Milford Apartments. e23
M street. northwest. Monday night
at dinner Nifin and Miss o'Neil
ouarreled, During the scene which
foIloved the girl is reported to have
shouted: Il know who you are and
what you have done" Miss oNei'
a short while later told her story
to police of the Second Precinct and
early yesterday morning Policemen
Bremmerman and Frayne of the
Second Precinct arrested Mimi IN
his room at 9l3 NJ street northwest
After making his confession. Mi
I'm was taken to detective head
quarters and sriIled by Major Cess
ford. Inspector Grant, chief of de-
tectives, and Detective Burke, of the
Eighth Precinct. Orders were later
issued for the roundup Of compan-
ions of Niffin who accompanied him
on the night of the murder and
whom he implicated in his confes-
sion yesterday. Arrests are e1-
pected soon.
EIudes Police.
Min eluded police Immediately
after the crime by going to Rich
mond. Va. in company with others
who were with him the night of the
murder. From Richmond, Mimi told
police. he journeyed to Savannah
Ga, and from there to Jacksonville
Fla. About three weeks ago the
youth returned. Upon returning
Nifin obtained a. room at sl3 NJ
street northwest. He arranged to
board at the Milford Apartments
where he met Miss O'Neil.
Major Gessford and Inspector
Grant were highly pleased over the
solution to the Schnurr murder. in
vestigation Of which had been tenn
porarily blocked by Nifhn's sudden
departure from the city. along with
friends who knew of the tragedy.
Min is a native of Canada and
served in the Canadian army dur
ing the war. His mother. Mrs. So
phie MINI. resides in Toronto
Canada. He came to Washington
last fall and had been out of en-
ployment for some time. In spite OF
the gravity of the charge against
him. MINI calmly smoked a cigar
cite as he told police his story. He
appeared to regard the affair as
something Of q nuisance.
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