Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-11-17
Who Killed Major
Cronkhite, Puzzles
CHAPTER III
nv Initel Press }

~. CHAPTER II
tBy United PreSs.)
The war with the Central Powers
rame to n successful conclusion No
vembar II. 1918 On or about that
dav another war started, the war or
q heart-broken mother determined 20
vindicate the character of her hoy
and remove from his name forever
whatever doubt there might hav,
beer in the minds OF some 2s TO me
manner of his death.
Mrs. Adelbert Cronkhlte, vile q
Major General Adelbert Cronkmte,
commander of the S0th division OF
the A. f.. +, and mother If MalDr
Alexander, CrOnkhite, Killed az
Camp Lewis by the accidental dis
charge OF his own automat,c while
shooting at a target, acc Jrdnc 80
tire Ncr..c It Of an army board CT ~
oulry. started personal inycstlEa-
ton Of the circumstances surround
ing her sons death.
The necessitated long trips -
various parts Of the country, the IN
terviewing of numbers of Officers
and men who had known her son
and former Captain kOsenblutn, anG
the writing Of hundreds OF letters 10
men who might have even 4 remote
Knowledge of the tragedy at Camp
Lewis the afternoon OF Oc,GOey %,
1918. She was aided in this work 0y
GeYera! CrOnkhlte when ne ret1r1ed
fr,u. FIarce ,.
5cbGgeticaily did Mrs. Gronkbite
work that she was able to gather a
mass OF eyeidence. She turned TINS
mass of evidence. She turned TINS
over 10 the department of justice, to-
gether with the report OF number
of experts Mrs. Cronkhite had EN-
ployed to eXhume the body OF her
son and examine the wound. These
experts reported that the major could
not have inflicted The wound him
self either b. accident or design.
Major Cronkhitc was right-h1nded
and would have had great difficulty
I'm shooting himself in the right arm
nit in the manner in which the
wound was inflicted, these experts
claimed The department Ct justice,
with this data in its posses sion, c2i-
led a second official board Of la>
ouirv into session, and Soy the see
ond time verdict o. a,cideut2i
death was rendered Thus ending
the second episode Of the search for
the SLAYER Of Major Crorkhtc.
AIRS Cronkhite's Investigation g.
tended we'll into 1919 OS,CrsIriJ ncr
Investigation ended With The ycitact
OF the second board Of inquiry. .t"5.
. uAllv it did not Both Mage" NeA"-
raj and Mrs. Cr0nrhite appeared
tireless IN their search for evidences
which would convince the authorities
that her son was murdered, and MOI
shot bv A weapon in his own haCd,
either accidentally or by design
1t was i'm 1927 that the FIRST rcai
sensation was caused in the Cronk-
hite ease, as it came to be called -
official army CIRCLES and among o0'-
TORS and the public generally. On
March II. 1927. Roland Il. Pothier,
FORMER bugler sergeant. was arrested
i'm the Auburn freight yards ~
Providence. K. /. He was jajle,iy-a0d
ON March 10 it was learned that Po
+bier had confessed In fail to the
murder Of Major Alexander CrorE-
hite. He pleaded guilty TO "a charge
of involuntary MluS.aUEhter Great
mystery surrounded MS arrest z
mystery seemingly rs uuf2tGomab~
eX-Captain Robert i. RoscNbluth n
the Civic Club in New York 'i'|
., March %. 1921. RoScnb.uth appar-
entity could shed no light upon the
arres. of either P0thior or hlmSci'.
Then il was announced that kose9-
bluth was charged with the muir
der of Major Cronkhi,e at Camp
Lewis in 1918. 1t was learned that
In five affidavitS p0thicr charged
FRAT Rosenbluth gave him IN auto
matte few days before the iata
nractice march. and told him: i want
10 vet Major Cconkhitc. Accord
inc to Pothier'S confession, no rea-
son had been given by RoSenbluta
for the dced Pothior said RoSen-
bluth promised him immunity. 20.
thior went on 20 say In these at1l-
davis, it was reported, that CronE-
hite was some yards away from the
column of troops setting q tobacco
can or q bush 70 use as target. 70
thicr said ne slipped three shells IN
80 his automatic while the officers
attention was thus engaged, ana
fired one shot wild Major CronG-
hite turned, and as Ec did SO, Poth;e>
fired AGAIN striking the major m
the right side, where, he said, HoS-
crbluth had told him 20 shoot the
major.
Just after he firct, Pothier saia
he heard second shot, and RoSeN
"blulh came running up. lie looked
at the major and said: - think ne's
dead The captain then drew hie
superior others body parallel with
+bo r,lGsiAp aud WhiONga ont his