Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-09
CONFLICTING TALES
! IN DEATH OF MUDD.
Woman Tells Cloth Man May
Have Received Injuries
in Capital Fight.
BY LESTER N. INSKEEP,
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.

ARLINGTON COUNTY COURT
HOUSE, Va, July 9.-With nearly all
OF the stories of witnesses conflicting
and new rumors bobbing up every half
hour or SO, Arlington County author
tiles were today becoming more and
more puzzled as to how Willism Francis
Mudd, Is years old, 1101 w street
southeast, Washington, lost his life
early Sunday morning following party
at the home of Grover Good, Arlington,
Va.
Two facts of importance stood out
today in the investigation. One, which
resulted from a mysterious telephone
call received at an early hour at his
home by Commemorative Attorney
William c. Cloth, indicated that Mudd
may have received the injuries that
killed him in Washington. The person
making the call, a woman, who said
that she was a relative of the dead
man, said that she would appear at the
courthouse later in the day and go
into details regarding an alleged fight
in which Mudd may have received the
blow that ended his life.
Tells Prosecutor Of Fight.
She told Cloth that she had informa-
ton to the effect that the truck in
which Mudd was taken to his home
early Sunday morning stopped for
time near the Richmond, Fredericks-
burg & Potomac Railroad tracks In the
city and that fight of considerable
intensity followed.
The second important development is
that there was another man at the
party whose name has apparently been
carefully withheld by the eight prison.
ers held by the Arlington County au-
thoritieS.
While Cloth said that he was not in
position to reveal the source OF his In
formation concerning this man, he
stated that he has detailed his law as
Sociate, E. Bruce Green, and County
Policeman G. w. Carr to search for him
in Washington. The man Is known only
to him as Jimmie" he said, but he has
some information as to his place Of en-
ployment.
Just what Jimmie" may know of the
affair remains to be seen, but Cloth
the party having been withheld may in
dictate that he knows much.
Guests in Custody.
The third day of the investigation
dawned with all of the guests at the
party except one, being still in custody.
With the exception Of the statement
Of May Carlson of Washington, one of
the prisoners, there has been no infor-
nation to the effect that fight ac-
tually occurred in front of the house,
Cloth said today.
The Carlson woman claims that Mudd
attempted to choke her while she sat
asleep in an automobile in front OF
Goods house and that her screams re-
suited in a fight, in which Mudd could
have received his injuries. Mrs. Marion
Mudd, the wife of the dead man, how
ever, last night emphatically, stated
that she had neither seen nor heard a
fight and that her husband was appar-
emily unhurt when he got in the truck
driven by George w. Crawford, another
prisoner, to be taken to his home.
Got in Truck Unassisted.
"He got in the truck unassisted,'"
Mrs. Mudd is quoted as having said,
land was threatening to come back and
beat up every one in the house. Mrs.
Mudd discovered her husband uncon-
scious on the bed when she arrived
home at 3 o'clock Sunday morning and
summoned a physician from Casualty
Hospital. Mudd was pronounced dead
upon the arrival of the former.
Coroner B. H. Swain and DR.. w. G.
Welburn reported to Cloth last night
that their autopsy revealed that Mud
had died from a cerebral hemorrhage
as a result of blow of sufficient force
to fracture his skull. Both expressed
the opinion that such an injury must
have been inflicted by an instrument
in the hands of some person and not
as a result of having struck his head
on something in the back of the truck,
as has been suggested by Crawford,
Paul w. Gable and Good. There have
been conflicting reports as to whether
the latter accompanied them.
Cloth Visits Scene.
Following his examination of the pris-
cners held, Cloth today visited the
scene of the party, talking with neigh
hors. All said that they heard some
one talking in a loud voice, but that
they did not hear fight in progress.
Charles A. Padgett of Arlington, who
was named by several members OF the
party as the man from whom they
purchased their liquor, was arra1gned
before Judge Harry r. Thomas In Po-
lice Court this morning. He waived
the preliminary hearing and was held
for action of the grand jury on charges
of sale and possession. Police say that
he admits having sold the liquor and
that they found another half gallon In
his possession when they arrested him.
Capt. Ernest Clark of Boiling Field,
Cables commanding officer, today VS.
tied Cloth to learn what he could OF
his subordinate's participation in the
affair. He stated that Gable has an
excellent record at the flying field and
that officials are anxious to aid him IL
he is not guilty OF any crime.