Evening star., 1926-10-13
SLAIN DETECTIVE
KEPT WORD TO GET
CLUE TO MURDERER
Sergt. A. B. Scrivener's Hand
CIutched Necktie That May
Solve Mystery Killing.
PISTOL FOUND NEARBY
HINTS EXPERT CRIMINAL
Victim Planned to Wed Virginia
Girl Tonight-Three Theories
of Shooting.

Somebody "got" Mitt Scr1vener
early this morning.
His murderer may have been a
casual hold-up man. He may havs
been a crook who wanted to wipe OF
the books the knowledge that "Mitt"
held against him. He may have been
q man who held a personal and vim
dictive grudge.
Whoever it was, Mitt made good the
plan he had long ago laid for such an
emergency.
"If anybody ever gets me-" he often
said, "I'll grab something from him
to give the boys lead to work on. 1t
may be only a button, but I'll get
something"
Made Good His Promise.
He did. When they found Detective
Sergeant Arthur B. Scrivener this
morning with bullet through
his heart stretched full length on
his back near the mouth of the
alley on N street east of Wis
consin avenue, where he had just
left his automobile, his dead right
hand was clutching a silk and wool,
had jerked from the neck Of his as
sailant With the fOur-in-hand knot
neatly tied, the neckpiece had been
parted in the middle of the back. He
left a lead for his comrades to work
on.
Scrivener was murdered on his we'd
ding day. In his pocket was the plat
mum wedding ring, which he had
planned to have engraved today, and
then to have slipped on the finger
of his 19-year-old fiancee, Miss Helen
Barnes Parker of Langley, Va, to-
night at a quiet ceremony, in the
home Of Rev. Dr. Earle Whitley, pas
tor. of the Vermont Avenue Christian
Church. Less than eight hours be-
fore the killing, 'Scrivener had given
Miss Parker the engagement ring. He
had kissed her good night at the
home of her sister and brother-in-law,
Mr.. and Mrs. B. o. Can't, with whom
she lives, and as he left he told her
he would see her tonight at o'clock.
Drove Home With Friends.
He went to the Kenilworth fights
last night with Detective Edward J.
Kelly and Detective Thomas Sweeney,
close friends. He took Sweeny home
first in his automobile, then sat with
Kelly for three or four minutes out
side of kelly's home on r street near
Fourteenth street. He left Kelly
about midnight.
He may have stopped in a lunch
room on his way home. At 1 o'clock
this morning Scrivener had locked his
car in a garage in an alley on the
SSOuth side of n street. and started
for his home, at 1923 N street, across
the street from the garage. when a
man accosted him. Low, quick words
followed. After q minute or two there
was a muffled report. Then every
thing was still.
At about 1:10 o'clock this morning
Mrs. Catherine Doering, sleeping in
her home bordering on the alley, at
1928 N street, heard groans. She
woke up her brother, Robert. He
heard what sounded like a man
running from the alley. He heard a
groan. He telephoned the seventh
precinct. 1t was thought then that
a drunken man was in the alley.
Police responded in a hurry. One
went across the street to get Detec-
tive Scrivener to help them. Then
Motor Cycle Policeman Bohrer stoop-
ing over the body, gasped. The
features were those of the detective
who was being sought to aid them
at that very moment.
Police telephone wires burned with
the news.
"Scrivener's been killed."
Detectives were turned out from
their beds. Inspector Henry G.
Pratt. in charge of the Detective
Bureau, took personal charge of the
investigation. The detectives were
working for an early break" The1
secured the streets. They VISITED
''hunch" places. They ran out ona
lead after another. And at O'Clock
this morning they returned to roll
call. heavy-eyed and weary.
They have three theories. They
themselves don't know which will
stand up, but Maj. Edwin B. Hesse,
chief of police, said today that he ex-
poets the murder will be solved, and
that within "a hours there will be
something tangible" to work on. The
Police Department has offered $500
reward for the capture of Scrivener's
assailant.
Taking the tip for what it may be
worth, detective headquarters this aft
ernoon sent a look out" to all pre-
cincts for a blue roadster with it's
kahki colored top down and contain
ing two men who were seen going
north on Wisconsin avenue a little
after the murder is supposed to have
been committed. The police want to
question the men.
May Have Been HoId-Up.
The first theory is that hold up man
shot Scrivener down without knowing
his Identity after his demand had
been resisted. The second is that the
murder was planned by a criminal,
against whom Scrivener held damag-
ing information. The third is that it
was planned for revenge by a man
with a grudge against the detective.
The police have two clues which
may help them. One is the necktie
The other is .38 caliber pistol
found near Scrivener's body. The
necktie bears no mark Identifying the
maker 1t Is Of fairly good material.
The knot was neatly tied.
The pistol. however, has one of the
strongest traces of the type of man
who shot Scrivener. Three numbers
on 1t had been carefully filed off. 1t
bore rust marks on the outside. From
the appearance Of the ejector and the
inner chambers the shot that killed
Scrivener was the first one that had
been fired from 1t. Detectives took
this pistol today to the Bureau of
Standards, where experts will attempt
to pierce the metal below the filed-onf
portion and ascertain the number.