Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-21
CONV|CTS INNOCENT
OF M|NSON CRIME,
IN WOODS OPINION
Superintendent of Peni-
tertiary Absolves Es-
capped Men.
J. 0. U. A. M. OFFERS S1OO
FOR MURDERER'S CAPTURE
Detectives Receive New Secret
Orders Bearing on Mys-
tcry's Solution.

The two convicts who escaped on
the day OF IN. murder OF John A.
Minson. Al the sand wharf below
the Tscdegar Iron Works. and who
cE'nc by the police. had nothing 10
do with the death OF the aged night
"atc'man. IN tho opinion Of James
H. wood. superintendent; Of tho pen-
itentiary. expressed last nIgh, when
y vas learned that one OF the es-
capped prisoners had been seen in
King william County Major Wood
declared II his belief that ;hcse two
convicts could he eliminated from the
suspects in the crime. II is hoped
10 locate boih Of them IN "a few days
aud he believes they viii bc able TO
c!car themselves OF any suspicion.
officers OF the Junior Order OF
United American Mechanics last night
made official the report that reward
81 Sico would be offered by tn. Rich
mond councils Of the order 10. any
Information which leads to the ar
rest and conviction Of the pariv. or
parties, WHO. on the night Of Jan
unrJ :. murdered John A Minson In
cold blood in his shsnty near tho
sand wharf below the Tredegar
Iron Works" The money. which the
order VIII oner as a reward, will be
deposited in the form o. i certified
check ,h!s morning with Chicr
Charles \. sherry, a; Police Head
quarters. The murdered man was n
member or Aurora Lodge ana the
order has been considering ofrcrine
the reward mentioned for several
days
Given New secret Orders.
Three detectives from heaauuar-
'"rs wer: yesterday given new secret
orders N the murder ease. supposedly
concerning an anonymous commun!-
cation received through the mails ~
Captain Alexander $ Wright. Of de.
tcc'ivc force. II is believed tha, an
effort viii DC made to trace The let
ter through cnlis;ins the aid Of Post
oiiice Inspector Dixon ana the Rich
mond postal officials.
Chances that the communication is
hoax or the work Of some dcmentcd
person are being considered hy The
police. but IL is believed that gem
eral credcnce in the letter is being
given by the detectives in charge Of
solving the mystery.
II is also admitted by the police
that newly discovered clues are he
ing Kept secret until they can ne in
vestigated by the authorities Every
city In the State has been notified
OIL the murder and a general d-agnei
covering the entire Commonwealth
t,ae
Importance Is being attached TO the
iact that the car. which on the night
OF the murder is said to have bccn
seen IN the vicinity Of the shanty
had headlights which did not in any
WY conform with the regulations in
iorcc in Richmond This is taken to
mean that IL there IS any particular
significance IL tla appearance OF the
car the murderer or murdercrs came
from some other section remote from
hichmond. where no glaring head
iight ordinance exists
Discuss Shnnty'S Locnfion.
superintendent Wood last night
threw new liEht on the ease when
he said that the location of the
shanty made il improbable that
chance rasser-by would he able to To-
cate II. He discrcdited the suspicion
cast on the escaped cOnvicts for this
reason declaring that they would
nave been unable TO reach the shanty
III thcS had so wished and that they
mad no reason for wanting To get into
such place as the one where the
shanty was located. !
Iolicc admit that the theory is en-
tContinncd OH Second Pare