The Washington times., 1924-12-31
STORY Of
PAL HELD
To Be
TRUE
Body Of [. B. Grant Is at the
Morgue Pending Inquest
by Coroner

What quirk Of reasoning caused
L. B. Grant, twenty-six years old,
reputed bootlegger, to excuse him
self from a drinking spree with
Alexander Taylor Speck, twenty
eight years of age, pal of long
standing, while they were parked
in the formers coupe on, the
Speedway at 4 o'clock this morn
ing and kill himself by sending q
80 caliber bullet into his breast
This is the question that is
battling police and caused them
to hold Speck at the Fourth Pre-
cinct station, pending q coroner's
inquest, despite the fact they be-
lieye the youths story that Grant
eon1mitteed suicide.
IN the mesnphila the police r
ehdeavorine to identity positively
the gun Grant used to take his
life.
Body at M0rgue.
The Lody of Grant is at the
morglIe pending a coroner's inquest,
and instructions from his wife, from
whom ne IS said to be separated.
The dead man lived at the Tuxedo
apartments. Fourteenth and T streets
northwest.
Spech, whom Grant sought out
as his "comrade in suicide" tells
the police that Grant pulled the
trigger of the German automatic
just as he mad become approhen-
sive over Grants delay in returning
TO the coupe and had called, "Oh.
Earlg'
WhiSkey In The Car.
The coupe which took Grant to
the spot where he met his death
was owned by him. After the trag-
edy it was found to contain four
and one-half gallons of corn whiskey
and was seized.
How Speck seized Grants body,
and tried to cram it in the coupe,
in order to rush it back to the city,
was graphically related by the young
man today. He was unable to get
the body in the coupe and was
forced to speed back to the First
precinct for assistance.
Policeman J. c. Baum, Of the
First precinct station, returned to
the scene with Speck and the two
of them got Grants body in the
coupe.
When they reached the Bureua OF
Engraving and Printing they met
the Emergency ambulance respond.
ing to their can and transferred
the body. Grant was pronounced
dead by the surgeon.
He Wanted q Pencil.
II have known Grant for five
years" Speck told a reporter for
The Washington Times in an ex-.
elusive interview in his cell today.
This morning at $3.50 o'clock, as
l was waiting for a car home at
Fourteenth street and Pennsylva.
MIA avenue northwest, a friend of
mine and myself were hailed by
Grant.
Grant said, Come on and take
ride with me- He said that he
had to have pencil. My friend
said he didn't want to 60, but |
accepted. gave him a pencil.
AFTER we had sped down -Four.
teenth street until about the Blu
reau of Engraving, Grant told me
he had to have cigarettes and went
back and got some.
1.-THE second time we rode down
to about $50 yards east of the rail
road viaduct. He then told me he
had to leave the car for q minute.
/ understood, and was not sus.
picious.
Calls; Hears Pistol.
After I had waited about four
or five minutes. however, won.
dered what was keeping him. l
opened the door on my side and
yelled, oh. Earl
Just as I yelled I heard the
report of the gun. / ran down and
found his body had rolled down
near the seawall. 1t was huddled
up and / saw blood splattered all
over his shirt front.
1T was then That I tried to get
him in the coupe and came back
to the police for help"
"In JAM" He Said.
Speck told the police that on the
way down to the spot where Grant
killed himself that the latter said.
IT am in a JAM"
Speck further says that Grant
told him he had just returned from
Brunswick where he had gotten