Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-26
ARREST EXPECTED
| HOURLY IN M|NSON
| MURDER MYSTERY
Detectives Smith and Gen
try Go After Person
Named in Letter.
POLICE ARE CONFIDENT EMO
| OF THEIR QUEST is NEAR
Declare Newest Clue in Case
Comes From Reliable
Source.
WORK ON REVENGE THEORY
Believe Slayer OF Aged Man Was
His Acquaintance OF Long
Standing.
POLICE ARE CONFIDENT EMO
OF THEIR QUEST is NEAR
WORK on REVENGE THEORY
Believe Slayer OF Aged Man Was
His Acquaintance OF Long
Standing.

Information received by the pollce
in a letter. which links n certain ncr-
son with the murder Of John A. Min
son. may soon lead to an arrest in
the case which has been battling the
police Tor more than two weeks. De-
tective -Sergcan,s Gentry and Smith
have been detailed to investigate tho
new clue and have gone to a point
where. II Is believed. they will make
an arrest. Their names on the po-
lice records are marked so that they
cannot be called upon for any other
duty.
The police will not divulse the in
formation received. though, it Is said.
/; starts them on an entirely new limo
OF endeavor. 1t isalso said that the
information comes from reliable
source and that the police are conf
dent that the end OF their quest is
near.
HriicNc Revenge WINS Motive.
The police have been working on
the theory that the murder was COM
hiiied ont or revenge by some one
who bore hatred against Nfinson.
This. conclusion was drawn because
| OF the mutila,cd condition of the
body when found. More than n dozen
wounds. any one of which would
have killed the aged wntchman, lead
| the police to assume that the blows
were inflicted by some one who was
onrased and was striking blows with
The AK while in n frenzied state Of
| mind
| The fact that money was found on
the body and that his gold watch was
no. taken also leads to the belief that
| robbery was not the motive. II is
still their firm belief that the person
| who committed the crime was well
known to the murdered man and had
| been In the habit OF visiting the shan
| ~. AS nothing was out OF place. &C
| is believed that either the aged man
was rei>!ered unconscious by the first
| blow or that the murderer stopped to
stra!ghten up the shanty before he
left.
The Offering CT a big reward may
| lead some one to divulgc some infor-
nation In regard to the mystery.
Three hundred dollars has already
| been offered. II. II. Williams, the
watchman's son-in-law. has offered n
reward OF $500. and the Junior Order
United American Mechanics. OF which
the dead man was member, has Of
| tcrcd the sum OF 500.
Governor Davis said yesterday that
| he could not supplement- any reward
made by individuals. as 1t has always
been the rule to supplement only
such rewards as are offered by cities
| or counties. Ii the Council will offer
reward, the state will gladly sup
plemcnt II. the Governor said.
The State OF Virginia is deeply in
terested In the matter OF bringing to
justice such criminals as the murder
er of Mr.. Minson," said the Governor; {;
but. as much as We would like tn
offer a reward. we cannot break the
precedent and establish the practice
of experimenting rewards offered prl-
vate!y Should the city authorities
find it practicable to offer n reward
we would be glad to give tho matter
considerations"