The Washington times., 1929-08-24
BELIEVED A
DANGEROUS.
LlJNAT|C

More than "A hours after
the probably fatal shooting df
Col. Charles N. Joyce, Wash
ington lawyer, at his Claren-
don, Va, home, James A.
Wood, believed by police to
have been the assailant, is at
large, despite all efforts to ap-
prehend him.
The search for Wood Is made more
intensive by the fact that he has
been confined in st. Elizabeth's Hos
pital for killing another man, be-
cause, he alleged. the man and his
wife attempted to railroad" him to
St. Elizabeth's Hospital.
Shortly before a. m. today a body
was found floating about 80 yards
above Benning bridge. in the East
ern Branch, by viii Bailey, a boat
man.
1t was taken to the morgue and
was described as being that of a
man about so years old, five feet.
four inches in height, about 145
pounds, and having sandy hair and
q mustache. He was wearing a
white shirt and khaki trousers,
black socks and no shoes.
The body had not been inN the
water for any length Of time,
morgue officials said.
Detectives are being sent from
headquarters to view the body and
check it with their description of
Wood.
Conditions Very Grave
Colonel Joyce has been un-
conscious for more than "a hours IN
Emergency Hospital and there has
been no change In his condition,
which is still Every grave" hospital
attaches reported at 8 O'Clock today.
The .S2-caliber bullet entered the
back of his head and made it's exit
almost directly above the nose and
high up on the forehead, doctors re-
ported.
Mrs. Joyce stayed at her hus.
bands bedside late last night and
left only because urged by nurses
and doctors to so to bed and get
some rest.
Wood was described by DIR. D.
Percy Hickling, District alienist, as
a. paranoid, one of the most dam
gerous types of insanity know to
medical science. This type, the
doctor explained. has hallucinations
of persecution and bides his time.
awaiting an opportunity to kill the
person he believes responsible.
Usually Successful
During the period OF waiting
rPoR
friendly toward intended victims
and the attacks are always u1lex.
pected and usually successful, DR..
Hickling said.
There were no eye.witnesses to
the shooting, which occurred
shortly after z a. m. yesterday,
The lawyer was found by his wife
lying. in a pool of blood on the
rear porch of their home. Neigh.
bors reported hearing two shots
and seeing Wood run through a
flower garden. climb a fence and
disappear on the Lee Highway.
DR.. Ralph Quick, of Clarendon,
was summoned and ordered Joyce
removed to a hospital at once.
Emergency Hospital was called,
but the hospital authorities re.
fused to send the ambulance be-
yond the District limits, the Vir-
ginia end of the Key Bridge, and
it was there that Joyce and Mrs.
Joyce. who was accompanying him,
were transferred from the auto,
mobile of a neighbor, ]. L. Boil
linger, to the ambulance.
Believed Hiding Here
Police of nearby big cities and
towns were telephoned to be on
the lookout for Wood Many hours
went by and there was no word
of him. 1t twas considered highly
probable. however. that he is
hiding in Washington.
Colonel Joyce had appeared as
attorney for Wood throughout his
many legal battles for release from
st. Elizabeth's Hospital. He also
Is attorney of record in Woods
suit for absolute divorce from Hat.
tie L. Wood, 1900 block of Penn
sy1vania Ave. N. w.
Wood was said to have been work
ing on a Photographic invention in
q special laboratory in the basement
of the Joyce home. He served in
the Spanish-American and World
Wars.
He was never brought to trial for
killing Army Sgt. Emmett Lanier,
at seventh Street and Pennsylvania
Avenue, N. W., because a jury
found him to be. of unsound mind. |
He was sent to Howard Hall, home
of the criminal insane at st. Eliza !
beth's and was kept there until
Colonel Joyce rescued" him.