Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-11
POLICE MYST|F|ED
! At LACK OF MOTIVE
! FOR BOYS Staying
Homer H. GaIentine, 10, Dies
With Skull Fractured
by Heavy Blows.
MISSING HAT SOUGHT
AS POSSIBLE CLUE.
Coroner's Jury to Be Selected, but
Inquest Will Be Indef-
ID nitely Deferred.

4uS aOSSuCe VI any apparent HOClVe
baffled police today as they sought an
explanation for the killing Saturday
night of Homer H. Galentine, 10 years
old, who died in Garfield Hospital after
he had staggered home with his skull
fractured from ear to ear by three heavy
blows.
Deputy Coroner Joseph Rogers, who
examined the body, found that a frac-
ture 6 inches long had been caused by
three blows, one behind each ear and
the other at the base of the skull.
Galentine lived at 1909 Patterson street.
A coroner's jury will be selected today,
but the inquest has been indefinitely
postponed to give police opportunity for
o more thorough investigation of the
youths movements Saturday afternoon
and evening.
Hatless and bleeding profusely from
his nose, ears and mouth, the boy stag
gered to his home at $50 o'clock Satur-
day night and collapsed after ml,tter-
ing something about "just waking mp"
Inree Theories Advanced.
Three tentative theories have been
advanced to explain his death
The first, which was discarded after
q careful examination, was that he
might have fallen three times, striking
his head In the different places where
the Commissions appeared. DR.. Rogers
expressed the belief, however, that this
explanation was highly improbable He
also said the nature of the injuries
definitely eliminated the possibility that
the boy might have been run down by
an automobile
A second theory advanced by police
was that some unknown enemy might
have enticed Galentine into an auto
mobile and taken him for a ride" the
fatal assault occurring some distance
from his home. The fact that his felt
hat is missing lends some credence to
this theory in police judgment.
Another fact which is held to
strengthen this theory is that Galen-
tines clothing was wet on one side.
but not muddy, as though he had been
lying IN a pool of water on a paved
street. If he was taken away in an
automobile and assaulted in some re-
mote spot, he must necessarily have
been brought back afterward and
MS home, police say, for his injuries
were so serious that it is not believed
me could have possibly walked any
considerable distance.
Police, however, are putting slight
1aith In this theory, because they say.
~ Galentine was taken into the coun-
Iry and beaten by some one he knew
1t is not likely the assailant would have
brought him back alive for fear his
victim might revive sufficiently to dis
close his identity.
Footpad Suspected.
The most reasonable explanation.
police believe, is that Galentine en-.
countered footpad and was slugged
from behind, or that lie became in
Tolved in an alteration with some
stranger whom he happened to meet
while returning to his home.
. Pointing out that Galentine was gone
from his home nearly two hours, despite
the fact that he told his stepmother
NE was only going out for some "fresh
air" police say that he must have been
stunned by the blows and probably was
lying in the street for some time before
coming to his house.
This, they say, would explain his
clothing being wet, but would not ac-
count for the disappearance of the hat.
Headquarters detectives and police
from the fourteenth precinct searched
all day Sunday in the vicinity of the
Galenttne home for the boys hat, but
their efforts were fruitless. Detectives
say that If they can find the hat they
win have a starting point from which
to work in their search for the killer.
II they cannot find it, there seems to
he nothing that will aid them in clear
ing up the mystery.
The boys personal habits were such
as to make it appear improbable that
he might have incurred the enmity of
ANY one who might be willing to make
an attempt on his life.
A short time ago he withdrew from
the senior class at Mckinley High
School to work with his father. His
was unusually fond of reading, spend
ing most of his evenings at home in
preference to going out.
He had been in poor health until
very recently, and underwent several
operations, but his father, Homer p.
Galentine, said he spoke Saturday of
feeling better than he had for some
time.
The youths stepmother said he had
been sitting in the house during the
evening, still wearing his working
clothes.
HE had been playing with the
radio" she said, which was not work.
ing very well because the battery was
run down. Between 7:30 and 8
o'clock he got up and said he was
going out for walk to get q little
fresh air. II was foggy outside, and
he started down the hill toward an
undeveloped section at the end of the
street.
His sister was Just finishing the
dishes, SO it must have been about 8
O'Clock when we heard him coming up
the walk. One of the boys went to the
door and he staggered in, dazed and
covered with blood We asked him
about the blood. but he couldn't say
anything except that he was just wax
ing up
"His father took him upstairs and
bathed his head in some cold water
This seemed to revive him a little and
he said he was feeling better, but still
he was unable to tell us what had hap
pened to him. In q few minutes he be-
came unconscious and we got doctor
who advised that he be taken to the
hospital He died at 3 O'Clock"
The father, building contractor
said the boy had no money with hin
when he started on the walk.
Besides the father and stepmother
he Is survived by two brothers, sister
four half brothers and one half sister
Because of the technical difficulties
and the tall in the franc, the hydro.
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