Evening star., 1926-01-29
FREE KIRK MURDER
SUSPECTS TODAY
Police, BaffIed in Probe of
Staying, to Release Three
Men Held.

Edward Thompson, one Of the three
suspects held in connection with the
investigation into the killing of Miss
Emma NJ. Kirk, 68-year-old proprietor
Of an umbrella repair shop at S19 X
street, whose dead body, bound and
gagged, was found in the shop last
Saturday, was released today. and the
two others will be released before to-
night unless new angles develop out
OF clear sky, Inspector Henry u.
Pratt, chief Of detectives, annol'nced
today.
This brings police and detectives
within sight of the end OF the trall
which leads to the graveyard Of un'
solved mysteries. There are few
steps along the trail, however, which
may open divergent paths. One is
the unhoped-for announcement from
the Bureau of Standards experts that
they can identify the cord which was
used to tie up the wrists and ankles
of the murder victim.
Fingerprint Search.
The othtr Is h. -ea#.h h OF fin
gerprints. now being conducted by De-
tecttve Sergt. Fred Sandburg, who Is
now on his fifth thousand of 10000
hne"p"intS on ale 4 police headquar-
ters. which he is examining individ-
ually in the hope of finding the owner
OF the thumb print that was left on
the glasses of Miss Kirk at the time
of the murder.
IT these two side paths fail to open.
and apparently the Bureau of Stand
ards investigation is destined to be Of
little. II any. practical assistance to
the police. the route of the Kirk mys-
terry will be straight into the annals
OF local unsolved crime, where the
Barney Mcbride murder mystery and
the John F. Heimer case now are semi
inferred.
I'VE never admit final defeat" In
spector Pratt said today. There is
always the possibility that some little
lndlcatlon may crop up which will
send us off on the real line to clearing
up this caSe-and the other cases also
y" - ~ a@ain@i = difficult case, but
we are by no means beaten"
Motive Battles Police.
Three suspects arrested thus far in
the case are Edward Thompson of
823 r street. Clifton Gaskins of SIT
R street, and James Chambers Of 99s
X street-all colored. Sufficient eyi-
dence to hold the men further than to-
day. 1t was admitted, has not de-
veloped, and since the running out
or their accounts has disclosed no ma
terial reason for the further deten-
ton OF the men, Inspector Pratt said
ne would order their release today.
Motive was the thing that stopped
the detectives. In the Kirk case, q
woman OF IS years was found dead;
no signs OF violence were discovered:
there were no indications of a crime
OF vengeance and less, If possible, of
a crime committed in the heat of
passion; robbery was eliminated by
reason OF easily accessible sums being
discovered in the house untouched and
Interior motives also failed to present
themselves.
The mystery with all the complex
ity OF simplicity has probably offered
police less material on which to con-
duct an investigation, they saw, than
any in the history Of crime during the
last generation. In the other out
standing unsolved mysteries motive
at least was evident-robbery in the
Hetmer case and the same in the
Mcbride case.
Heimer was shop proprietor near
Sixth and E streets, killed by a hold
up man; Mcbride was found murdered
on suburban road near Meadows
Nd, and indications were that he had
been robbed before the murder.