Evening star., 1924-10-31
FIND HANDKERCHIEF
IN MURDER PROBE
New Clues May Aid in Solving
of Staying of Sentry
at Walter Reed.

Detectives this afternoon started on
the last lap Of a secret and recently
developed theory in the mystery sur
rounding the murder of Russell Shores.
Walter Reed Hospital sentry, who was
found dead near his post the morning of
October %. The three soldiers from
Walter Reed Hospital are still being
held as Government witnesses at noon
today. while Detective Arthur Scrivener
and Sergt. Cornwall of the Tenleytown
subprecinct were experimenting and
testing the firing of bullets from the
revolvers of each of the three soldiers
and from the revolver which Shores car
ried on the night of his death.
Another clue which the police are
working on was furnished by the
discovery that the dead soldier had
woman's perfumed handkerchief in
his pocket. W Wh$le-aetectives declined
to discuss what steps they have taken
to determine the original ownership
of the handkerchief. 1t is known that
its discovery furnishes one of the
principal leads" on which the police
are working. 1t gives strength. ii is
stated, to the theory that Shores may
have left his post before he was
murdered.
A recent discovery in the use of fire.
arms. in which Sergt. Cornwall is an
expert, is being developed by Scrivener
and his partner. Detective Kelly under
the supervision of Inspector Grant. and
upon this novelty in detective work is
hinged the investigation into the MUIR
der of Shores.
Riding Leaves Marks.
1t seems that some time ago, it was
discovered that marks left by the
rifiing of the barrel upon a bullet or
slug passing through are sufficiently
different in different revolvers to en-
able experts to distinguish special
characteristics in each individual gun.
Each revolver leaves an indentifica-
tion stamp on the bullet. but it takes
an expert and often a microscope to
discover it.
With other theories being run down,
therefore, detectives a few days ago
branched out on another tack. A
theory was formulated which en-
braced the following principles:
Shores was discovered absent from
post at 7:30 o'clock. Another sentry
was stationed. His orders were to
arrest Shores on charges of being
away from his post. In following out
these orders, detectives are now ask
ing, did any one of the relief SEN
tries or any member of the guard,
have trouble in effecting the arrest
which might have eliminated in a
murder? If so, how can this be de-
termined? The detention of the three
soldiers from Walter Reed Hospital,
Stanley Kadish, who found the body
and took the post at midnight; Lyle
w. Jordan, supernumerary member
of the guard who took Shores place
prior to midnight, and Lawrence A.
MiZer, also on guard duty that night.
Testing Guns Of -Four.
In a secluded spot somewhere in
Washington this afternoon tests are
being conducted by Scrivener and
Cornwall with four revolvers. One
belonged to Shores and 1t might have
been used to kill him. The other
three are the ones issued to the
other men.
1t is explained by the detectives
that the tests are being conducted
primarily with the aim Of checking
up on the accounts of the three
soldiers.
Inspector Grant, chief Of detectives
stated frankly that he would release
the three men before nightfall, ac-
cording to present Indications, but
he specifically qualified this state-
ment by adding "in case. of course,
nothing new crops up"
Detectives Springman, Darnall,
Sweeney and Waldron, who have been
assigned to the investigation of the
Shores death, accordingly are await
ing the outcome of the revolver tests
before taking any further steps.