Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-22
Articles Found With Slain
Girls Clothing Identified by
Owners as Property Stolen
From Parked Automobiles.
EX-CONVICT IS DETAINED
BY POLICE IN RICHMOND
Prosecutor Cloth Requestions
Frank Smith and Plans New Ex-
animation of James Violin, Who
Were Found With Dead Wom-
ans Coin Purse.

discovery OF important new eVA-
dence set Washington police, Ar
lington County officials and De-
partment Of Justice agents today
on what they described as the
most promising clue to the muir
derer Of Mary Baker that has de-
veloped since she was found shot
to death on April IL.
The evidence consists Of a green
back novel, Golden Dancer" a
collection of costume jewelry and
a string of coral beads, found with
Miss Bakers coat, hat and other
personal effects in a manhole
sewer on the Arlington expert
mental farm Of the Department
of Agriculture about quarter OF
a mile from the culvert where the
body was located. An investiga-
ton revealed that these articles
were not the property Of the slain
woman, but had been stolen from
parked automobiles.
Man Held in Richmond.
Another unexpected development to-
day was the detention in Richmond,
va, of Earl Frank White, who was
picked up there for questioning as O
result of . lookout broadcast through
out the South by the Washington de-
tective bureau.
white, according to the Richmond
authorities, was released from prison
In Raleigh, N. c., March IS. He said
he had been visiting q sister In Bal
timore after his release.
The suspicion of the Richmond
authorities was aroused when they found
in Whites pocket clipping from q
Washington newspaper dated April ID.
White denied that he had been IN
Washington at the time miss Baker
was murdered. He said he passed
through washington Sunday night,
April IS, on q motor bus en- route from
Baltimore to Richmond, but did not
stop on here.
Baltimore and Richmond police have
been asked by Inspector William 8.
Shelby, chief of the Detective Bureau,
to check the details Of Whites story.
Inspector Shelby said II the investiga-
more during the period he said he was
visiting his sister his release would be
ordered.
The owners of the book and the
fewelry have identified their property.
Neither Of them had ever heard Of
Miss Baker until the murder.
With this evidence, Commonwealth
Attorney William G. Cloth Of Airing
ton County turned back to the first
two suspects, both colored, who
were arrested with Miss Bakers small
coin purse and scarf at Queen City,
Va, about 10 hours after the finding Of
her body.
Suspects Again Quixzed.
Frank Smith, one of the men, was
subjected to an intensive examination
today by Commonwealth Attorney
Cloth. James Vollin, the other, will
be questioned again later.
Cloth also plans to confront Smith
and Violin with the three witnesses
who saw a man struggling with q
woman IN Miss Bakers automobile at
Seventeenth and B streets q few hours
before she is believed to have been
murdered.
The jewelry and novel have been in
the possession Of the Washington police
since Friday, when they were taken out
Of the sewer by three men who were
searching the experimental farm. The
police first believed they were the prop
erty of Miss Baker and attached no
particular importance to it until the
murdered woman's friends failed to
identify 1t. A subsequent check-up
disclosed that the jewelry had been
ktolen, although the owner Of the book
yet unable to say definitely whether
was stolen from him or from some
e to whom he may have loaned IT..
As a result Of these disclosures, the
gestigators have advanced the theory
ht thieves may have been responsible
{ the death of Miss Baker. and not
me one with whom she was init
ately acquainted as at first believed
Is possible, 1t was pointed out, that
he man seen struggling with the
Woman In the car at Seventeenth and 3
streets was an automobile thief who
y surprised in the act Of attempting tc
ransack or steal the machine, choked
her into Inconsistencies and drove the
car into Arlington County, where NJ
assaulted her and then shot her II
death.
Theory Of Investigators.
This Is the only theory which seems
plausible to the authorities in view Of
the fact that stolen property was found
IN the manhole sewer with MSS Baker:
coat. hat and pocketbook. Otherwise II
Is puzzling to them how the slain wom'
ans effects could have been found witt
the stolen property.
This theory, it was pointed out, alsC
would explain the failure Of the authors
ties to md anything in the manhol'
sewer when they searched 1t last Tues
day. and have the same sewer yield thu
clothing, jewelry and book and pocket
book Friday.
The authorities are still confident tina
the man who committed the crime die
not hide the woman'S clothing in thu
sewer Immediately after the crime. Tn
murderer, they are satisfied, was in to-
much Of hurry to get away from tn
scene to take the trouble to gather VI
the clothing and search for a seclude'
Snot like the sewer to hide the articles
The property was placed there, they be
lieved by some one familiar with tn
spot. -,
When advised that Commonwealth
Attorney Cloth had returned to an
other interrogation Of the two colore.
CONTINUED on Page 2, Column a.