Evening star., 1924-08-02
MAYFLOWER MEN
HELD FOR ASSAULT
Two Sailors From Presi.
dents Yacht Detained as
ASSaiIantS of Veteran.

Two sailors from the U. S. S. May
flower, the preside ntial yacht. are in
cells at the first precinct today while
police are running down a brutal
case of assault and robbery in which
the assailants beat Henry p. Whit
sell. Of Richmond. Va, a crippled war
veteran, into Inconsistencies on
roadside near Arlington Cemetery
early this morning and then drove
away leaving him bleeding on the
ground.
The sailors who are being held by
the police in connection with the case
are John Alexander Shepherd and
Frank Moore. Shepherd has promised
to make a statement in regard to the
case
Quick work by Sergts. Burke and
Wise of the first precinct and De-
tective Wilson and Policeman Mus
selman has virtually cleared up all
clouded angles Of the case. When the
initial report of the robbery came in
early in the morning. Burke and Wise
Immediately set out to find the taxi
cab in which the two sailors and
They located the chauffeur, Robert H.
Slower of Seat Pleasant. Nd, as he
was making his returns in the garage
at the rear of 2013 H street
Sailors Arrested.
He told the police he had left the
two sailors at 1904 H street north
west. The police rushed there The
sailors were taken into custody.
Whitsell presented a tragic appear
ance at the first precinct, where he
told his story after having his head
sewed up in three places at Emer-
sency Hospital. He told of meeting
the men at Seventh street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue and Of the trip to Vir-
ginia which had been suggested by
them. He said he remembered an iron
pipe. later said by him to be a handle
to jack in the taxicab. descending
on the roadside, almost blinded by
blood from the wounds on his head.
He made his way to nearby gaso-
line station, told his experiences and
was driven across the river to the
seventh precinct. Police took him to
Emergency Hospital. There he was
taken to the first precinct. Half his blue
shirt was stained red with his own
blood.
Money Gone.
He said that he had about SIS in
his pocketbook, which was gone
after his experience. Police say they
recovered about $40 or $11 from the
two sailors. They obtained money
paid the taxicab driver by the sail
ors which was stained with blood.
Slower readily told all details Of
the nights adventure. He explained
that he was SO worked up after the
occurrence that he didn't report 1t to
the police. 1t was he who suggested
that the auto-jack handle might have
been used in the beating administered
to. Whitsell, and when he produced
1t from. the floor of the car. Whit
sell identified it. whitsell himself
said that Slower endangered himself
in attempting to stop the assault.
Whitsell has a right leg with about
three inches of~bone missing. 1t hap
pened in the Argonne. He was in
the hospital for some time and had
come to Washington to adjust a claim
for compensation. While he can
walk, brace is needed for his leg.
He didn't have the brace on last
night and couldn't make stand
against assailants without support
ing himself against a wall or tree,
he said.
Has Family In RichnonA.
He has a wife and baby in Rich
mond, Va. He said he had COM
pleted his work with the Veterans
Bureau and intended to return to
Richmond today.
whitsell told the police of having
been offered and accepting . little
drink Of liquor from the sailors. He
said later that he thought he had
been doped in the drink. He first met
the sailors In q Chinese restaurant
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