Evening star., 1928-04-18
Maryland Contractor Awaits
Preliminary Hearing at
Rockville.
COURT MAY SUMMON
SPECIAL GRAND JURY
Pistols and Typewriter Link Build
er to Mysterious Murder of
Farmer Last July.

/ BY STAN Correspondent OF The Star.
| ROCKVILLE, April discharged
with the murder of Edward l.. Mills
/ who was shot to death mysteriously on
his farm near here July Z. 1927. Samuel
| T. Robertson. 3S, contractor and builder
Of Woodmont. Bethesda, Md, was being
held in Jail here without bond today
TO await a preliminary hearing before
! Judge Samuel Riggs in Rockville Po-
| lice Court.
! Charges involving Robertson in the
murder of Mills, which has baffied Bal
| timore and Montgomery County officials
since last July. came as startling de-
! development following his arrest early
Monday by Bethesda police on charge
/ OF asSaulttng Wilson Trout, 60-year-o'd
/ farmer near Potomac. with a pistol
/ March II.
/ Tests Of two pistols, one alleged 70
/ have been fired by Robertson at Trout
+ and the other turned over by him 10
( police after his arrest, showed similar
| ity between the cartridge and bullets
| fred from them and the bullet which
/ killed Mills and the cartridge iound
near his body.
typewriter is fouhu.
Further investigation. according 10
Robert Peter, jr., States attorney for
Montgomery County. showed that q
typewriter in RobertSon'S home was OF
The same make which typed the death
message which was found on Mil
body
Discovery Of these facts by Mont
gomery County and Baltimore officials
IA s94n tN4nntnu gF formal charges nf
flrst degree murder against Robertson.
Spirited away to Baltimore where he
was questioned by police officials after
hts arrest. Robertson was returned 10
Rockville late yesterday after his wife,
through Attorney Stedman Prescott.
had secured a writ Of habeas corpus
from Judge Robert Peter OF Circuit
Court directing the chief OF police In
Baltimore TO produce the prisoner for
hearing here at 10 o'clock this
morning
Attorney Prescott appeared before
Judge Peter this morning and requested
that his petition for permanent writ
be dismissed. which was granted.
Robertson, who stoutly refuses 70
make any statement that would serve 10
incrlminate him will be granted pre-
liminary hearing before Police Judge
Riggs probably next week States Al
torney Peter will seek his indictment
before the grand jury for firSf degree
murder provided Judge Riggs deter
mines there lS sufficient evidence 10 hold
the prisoner.
Special Jury Seen.
The next scheduled term OF the Mont
gomery County grand jury Is not untIi
| November, but in cases involving murder
| charges. IL was explained today, the
| court can summon grand Jury 10 con-
| yeile at any time.
In event II IL determined to give
| Robertson a preliminary hearing this
week. the proceedings would have To be
! delayed until tomorrow or Friday
Feeling ran high IN Rockville TO-DAY,
when the news spread that Robertson Is
being held IN connection with the Mllls
murder which rocked this community
nearly year ago
Makes Statement
MIR. Peter had no additional state
ment 10 make this morning beyond the
| information previously given by him.
| lie asserted that Montgomery County
authorities we're unwilling 10 try the
case in the newspapers, and reiterated
/ that Robertson has refused 10 shed any
| additional light on the matters invplV-
ing him.
The only statement that Mr.. Peter
| would make was as follows: ON March
| II, 1923, Samuel T, Robertson Of
| Bethesda. Md. went 10 the home ot
Wilson Trout near Potomac. An al
tercation eusued and an automatic
pistol was drawn on Trout. according
10 him, by Robertson. Trout imIneui"
ately notifled the police at Rockville.
Robertson claimed he obtained the
gun in the alteration and That II De"
1 ionged 10 Trout. He delivered It 10
the police at Bethesda. and when asked
/ II he had an automatic pistol, replied
that he had and he delivered a second
gun. OF the same make and model, 10
police,
Warrant Obtained.
IT was ascertained that cartridge
exploded by the f1ring pin OF the gun
Robertson said he obtained from trout
was marked the same as the Cartridge
found near the body of Mllls, ana tllat
a bullet fred through the barrel OF The
gun was marked the same M bullet
taken from Mills body.
"On this advice. "A warrant was op-
tanned for Robertson charging MIN WIN
the murder Of Mills. and when IL waA
served Il typewriter OF the same maze
1 AS the one Mhtu III Niitbih NitN FNfN'
! found on Mills body was found al the
| home ot Robertson.
Father Of -Four.
| Robertson IN the father of -four chll"
| dren. ranging In age from / to u years,
| and Is prominently Identified with Dusl"
| ness affairs in Bethesda. Ills wife, Nara
| Mabel M Robertson. was at Rockville
| this morning IN all effort tn Walt hei
| husband In jail,
| Early Monday morning Robertson was
arrested. AS result Of Investigations
| quietly under way since March IL, by
| Policemen Roy Iodnef and Harry Mer~
/ son. lie had been under surveillance
| for several weeks
| Mf Peter thought II prudent 10 take
| the prisoner To Baltimore Ia avoid, as
| he explained, the publicity aroused here
| al the time of the Mills murder case,
The discovery of the pistol and type
| writer, directly involving Robertson In
| the murder charge. WAS made by Alvie
! A. Monkey, chief nf police at Rockville,
| Ofiieera Bodnef and Mersnn and Sergt
| Leo A, Rogers, IN charge 1f the
| Bethesda station.
| Robertson was questioned In naltt-
| more by Detective James Manning, who
| was assigned 10 the Mills case invasti- j,
| ton. Capt Burns 0f the Baltimore
police and Mr. Peter
Demand Hearing,
Following the dismissal of The habaas
corpus writ this morning Attorney Pres.
| e9tl announced that hs would demand
preliminary hearing probably Within
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