Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-31
TWO FOUND HURT
At WRECKED AUTO,
ARMY PROBE IS ON
Lieut.. Richard WetheriII, Jr.,
and W. F. Griffith, Jr., in
Critical Condition.
HCLD-UP SUSPECTED
BY FAIRFAX OFFICIALS
Officer and His Companion Had
Attended Horse Show at
Warrenton.

A Young Army oficer and a COM
panlon were found unconscious on the
Little River turnpike in Fairfax County,
Va. this morning in and near wrecked
automobile under circumstances which
lead police to believe that they may
have been held up and beaten, although
there are indications that they may
only have been the victims of an auto
crash Both are in a critical condition
and as neither has regained conscious
ness the circumstances of their injuries
are uncertain.
Lieut.. Richard Wetherill, IT.. of 1851
Fairmont street, is at Walter Reed Hos
p1tal with wound in his left leg and
probably a fractured skull. The left
leg is broken and hospital officials say
that he may be injured internally. 1t
was at first thought the leg wound was
caused by shot, but the authorities
at Walter Reed Hospital said it was
not
In the meantime, however. an Army
board of inquiry was ordered to investi-
gate
William Francis Griffith, jr., of 1711
Riggs place, the other victim. sustained
severe lacerations to his head. His
and his condition is greatly weakened
physicians say, because of great loss OF
blood
Had Attended Horse Show.
According to friends, the two young
men had been to the horse show at
Warrenton, Va. They were found about
a quarter of a mile from Fairfax Court
House by E. w. Croft, an undertaken of
Fairfax
Croft declared that Grifith was lying
unconscious inside the car and wetl1-
erill was in y heap on a bank along
side the road. Their car had struck a
telephone pole as IL rounded a turn.
Grif1th was blseding profusely, Croft
told police.
Croft hailed q passing car and re-
quested the driver to take care of Grit
nth while ne took Wethsrill to Wash
lngton, The name Of the operator of
the car was not sscertained when he
reached the Alexandria Hospital with
Griffith.
wetherill vas taken to Emergency
| Hospital here. where he was identified
by West Point ring he wore. It was
found through the War Department
( that he is the son of Lieut.. Col Richard
Wetherill. stationed at Fort Thomas, KY
He was graduated from West Point this
year and was on his graduation leave.
Young Wetherill was graduated from
Western High School and studied for
year at Schadman's Preparatory
| School.
It vas learned from friends here that
| Wetherill had intended leaving Wash
ington Monday and going to Fort
| Thomas for short visit with his par
I ents before proceeding 10 Fort Hayes.
| Columbus. Ohio. where he was assigned
| to the 10th Infantry.
! Deputy Sheriff Wilson Darr Of Fair
fax County said this morning that 1t
| appeared that the car had been travel
+ ing at high speed and was unable TO
| negotiate the curve in the road. When
, Ii was learned. however. that the wound
| in Wetherill's leg appeared to have been
! made by a large caliber bullet, Capt,
Haywood J. Durer of the county police
vas assigned to investigate.
Accident Theory Doubted.
The Virginia police admitted that
| the theory of simple accident would
I hardly account for the position In which
| the two men were found
Griffith's parents were notified this
morning and Immediately went 10 his
/ bedside His father is an engineer III
| the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Griffith is former cadet at Virginia
/ Military Institute and played pron1i
nent part In the student strike last
Winter. when almost the entire student
body walked out as a protest against
! the attitude of Supt W. H. Cooke. III
the suspension of Griffith, who was
accused of hazing a freshman. The
board of visitors of the institution up
held the superintendent and refused TO
reinstate Griffith despite the vigorous
action OF his classmates.
Wetherill has a grandmother. Mrs,
F. N. Wells. living at Ianham. Md. His
mother is at Fort Thomas with Col.
Wetherill and has been notified of the
accident by the War Department
Col. Guy V. Henry, commandant ct
Fort Myer, Va. who was at the Emer-
gency Hospital this morning to visit
relative who is Ill, examined the wound
in Wetherill'S leg and declared that he
thought that II was undoubtedly caused
by bullet Col Henry also declared
that 1t appears that the Young lieu
tenant was struck on the head with =
sandbag or some similar instrument.