Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-02
D. c. YOUTHS HELD
IN WOMAN'S DEATH
RELEASED TODAY
Murder Theory SuppIants
Assumption of Hit-and-
Run Accident Case.
NEW WITNESS TELLS
OF SEEING STRUGGLE
Driver Did Not Stop on Road Near
Baltimore, Where Body
Was Found.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
BALTIMORE, Md, August 2.-Their
story substantiated by authorities in
vestigating the death Of Mrs. Virginia
Matrazzo, 22-year-old Baltimore woman
whose battered and bruised body was
found beside the Old Philadelphia road
outside this city early yesterday, the
two Washington boys taken to Essex,
Md, for questioning yesterday were re-
leased this afternoon.
The boys, Charles Fillah, II years
old, and John E. BoStick, 10 years old,
both of the HOO block OF Tenth street,
have satisfied police Of Baltimore
County as to the reason for their pres
ence near the scene of the discovery Of
the body of the woman. They had
told authorities the automobile in which
they had been travelling from Phila-
delphia to Washington broke down out
side of Baltimore and they continued
to Washington by motor bus. Their
machine was found late yesterday in
the custody Of O street car conductor,
to whom they had intrusted 1t, police
said.
Meanwhile authorities working on the
case were following q new theory that
the woman had been a victim Of foul
play and not accidentally killed when
struck by hit-and-run machine.
Coal Miners Talk.
The arrest of the Washington boys
followed their arrival from Baltimore
after Vincent Casey, coal miner, rs
years old, of Mayard, w. Va, had in
formed an assistant manager of the
Union Bus Terminal, where the youths
had purchased their tickets, that the
two youths had KILLED a woman on the
Philadelphia road" Casey was under
made the remark, and later declared
he had no recollection of having made
such an accusation.
Casey was placed under arrest and is
also being held for investigation.
Today, his head clear from the effects
of what he said was gin, Casey told the
police that shortly before he went to
the Union Bus Terminal, Baltimore, he
had been talking to q policeman at
North avenue and McMechen street.
The policeman, Casey said, had men
driver who was believed to
have killed woman on the Philadel-
phia road.
The two youths declared that they
had never seen Casey until they met
him at the bus terminal. They had
been on their way from Philadelphia
to washington when their automobile
broke down just outside of Baltimore.
they said, and they had decided to
complete their journey by bus.
Go to Aid Of Youths.
Fillah's mother, Mrs. Sadie Fillah
and BosticS sister, Mrs. James L. Des.
mond, came to Baltimore last night
and today went to Towson in hopes
that they might be able to obtain
Desmond said that Bostic's mother was
critically i'll. YESTERDAY, by special po-
lice permission, he talked with his
mother for a short time by telephone.
Baltimore County police reached the
conclusion last night that Mrs. Ma
trazZo had been the victim of foul play
after James Pinkus, a bus driver, of
3010 East Monument street. Baltimore,
had gone to police headquarters there
and told a story Of having seen man
the old Philadelphia road near the
place where Mrs. Matrazzo's body was
later found.
An autopsy, performed last night by
DIR. James F. White of Essex, revealed
that Mrs. Matrazzo's death had been
caused directly by internal injuries
after her chest had been crushed. But
as a result of PinkuS' statement. Lieut..
william B. Dorsey Of the Baltimore
County police said today that he be-
lieved the woman had been beaten and
then deliberately showed into the path
of an automobile.
Saw Pair Wrestling.
Pinkus told the police that he had
spent Thursday evening with friends
who live In Baltimore County and was
returning to the city alone In his auto
mobile shortly before midnight by way
of the old Philadelphia road when, near
the place where Mrs. Matrazzo's body
a woman wrestling with each other IN
the middle Of the highway.
The man seemed to be In his shirt
sleeves, but Pinkus paid little attention
to his general appearance. Pinkus did
not think he could identify the woman
either. But he told police that he had
heard her scream and had seen the
man strike her. AS he drove up, Pinkus
said, she called to him TO stop But
another automobile, containing two men
and q woman, was parked beside the
road, and Pinkus decided that he had
better mind his own business.
The parked automobile was q closed
car, Pinkus said, and its lights were
burning. He could not give very def
mite description Of the two men in the
machine, but he thought he could
identify the woman. He had noticed
her particularly, he said, because OF her
light hair.
Passed About Midnight.
When the news of the discovery Of
Mrs. Matrazzo's body was published yes
terday, Pinkus concluded that she was
the woman he had seen on the road. He
was not certain In regard to what time
it was when he drove through the old
Philadelphia road, but he thought 1t
was about IL AS daylight saving time.
This, according to county police, was
approximately the same time at which
Mrs. Margaret T. Davis, near whose
home the body was found, was awak-
ened by voices on the old Philadelphia
road in front OF her house and, looking
out Of her bed room window, she saw
a parked automobile and what appeared
to be hit-and-run accident.
Mrs. Davis told the police that she
had seen a woman signal to one passing
automobile, which had failed to stop.
and that a few minutes later, when O
second machine drove by, she heard two
muff1ed blows. The second machine,
like the first, continued on its way,
Mrs. Davis said, but q man in his I'M
dershirt stopped o third car and asked
the driver to go catch that new Ford!
1t struck grill"
Later, Mrs. Davis said, two figures
which she took to be those of men,
placed burden in the weeds Of ditch
beside tn road. A moment later the
oarLed automobile drove 0fY towards the