Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-29
NO MOTIVE FOUND
F.. IN CREECY TRAGEDY
Weapons Traced in Effort
to Solve CoIoneI'S Death
hA and Hacking of Wife.
tcontinued From First Page,


murder and suicide. I can't believt
Dick would have done thing like that
Why man, it is impossible. I nevel
knew a more devoted couple. Wher
she was Ill In the tropics he would dror
everything and prepare his wife's fooc
with his own hands, and nurse hel
back to health. They had no children.
The younger Sgcther of the dead Ma
rine officer does not believe, he says
that his brother could have gotten the
pistol and ak between the time they
left the rooms of the elder CreecyS in
the Gordon Hotel Saturday night and
the time they were found in the hotel
Some men," the younger Creecy said
"are interested in tools, and If Dick
had been that sort, might have be-
leved he had bought some special sort
of ak to take back to the tropics with
him, but he wasn't the sort that was
interested in tools, and he used them
little. And about that gun-back in
the war days / used always to use q
80 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver,
and he used to laugh at me, telling me
the big Colt AS was the only gun worth
anything"
THE only possible solution of the
thing is to suppose that his brain sud-
denly snapped as the result of his
service In the tropics. and he went
wild But that doesn't explain his
having the new pistol and Ratchet"
Married for "a Years.
Col. Creecy was 49 years old. He had
been married for "a years. His wife was
Louise Reifsnider of Maryland, promi-
nent in Capital and Baltimore society
She made her debut in Baltimore.
The Creecys have been prominent So
cially in Washington for many years.
Col Creecy was reared In Georgetown.
He was born here and went to school
here until he entered the Marine Corps,
during the Spanish-American War.
Members of Col. Creecy's family did
not recall that the Marine officer had
ever suffered from any tropical fever
which might have affected his brain
and brought about the tragedy.
j. L. Reifsnider. Mrs. Creecy's brother,
a wealthy Gamer of Westminster, Nd,
Is in Washington today. staying close
to the bedside Of his sister at Emer-
gency Hospital.
Seemed Happy In Haiti.
Col. Creecy was to have returned TO
his post as assistant commandant OF the
Garde dHaiti, an organization OF con-
stabulary commanded by the Marines
in the Island Republic, on October Q.
His plans, his family said, were to
return to New York yesterday to prepare
to sail for his post.
No indication had been given, his
relatives say, that he objected to re-
turning to Haiti.
Brig. Gen. Rufus H. Lane, attached
20 headquarters of the Marine Corps
here, said he has received several letters
IN the past year from Col. Creecy in
Haiti. In all these letters, Gen. Lane
said, Col. Creecy expressed himself as
satisfied with his lot In the Marine
Corps. and seemed particularly happy
Ia his post in Haiti.
He described Col. Creecy as O fine
type Of Marine Corps officer and one
with q great deal Of promise In the
service.
Col. Creecy back in 1909 Tipped q
coin with Lieut. Selfridge, u. 8. A.,
after whom Selfridge Field, Mich, is
named, TO see whether he or Selfridge
would ny with Orville Wright on test
OF the Wright machine made for the
Government. Lieut.. Selfridge was
killed when the plane crashed in the
flight.
Born In Washington.
Ohicial records at Marine Corps
headquarters show that Lieut.. Col
Richard Bennett Creecy was born in
Washington on March 5, 1881, and was
lieutenant in the Marine Corps on July
II, 1908.
Col. Creecy served at most Of the
Marine posts in the United States and
In the Philippines, Panama, Cuba, Vera
Cruz. Mexico; Haiti and France, and
also aboard many Of the ships in the
service.
During the Spanish American War
ne was appointed naval cadet for
temporary service and in that capacity
served from July to October 10, 1898
While aboard the U. S. s. Michigan
Col. Creecy was in command of the
Marine detachment On April 3D. 1914,
he landed in command Of the advance
guard of the ships battalion from the
Michigan at Sandal Wharf, Vera
Cruz, Mexico. He advanced under fire
70 the infantry barracks and was in
the danger zone from April % to 30.
1914, when he returned to duty aboard
the Michigan.
Col. Creecy served in France during
the World War from October 10, 1918,
TO July 90, 1919. commanding the Port
of Toulon and Camp Canet, MarseiIle,
France. In January, 1919, he was act
ing lieutenant colonel Of the 18th
Regiment and served in that capacity
until ne was detached from France, on
July 30, 1919.
Ordered TO San Francisco.
Upon his completion of the student
held officers course at Quantico, Va,
on May 90, 1926, Col. Creecy was or
dered TO duty at Marine Corps head
quarters here as executive officer in
the adjutant and inspectors depart
nent, where be served until June /,
1929, when he was ordered to the
headquarters department of the Pa
cific, at San Francisco, Calf, as SEN
Tor assistant TO the commanding gen.
eral
On November 2, 1929, Col. Creecy
was ordered TO duty with the Constab-
ulary Detachment Garde de Haiti, at
which station he was serving when he
came TO Washington for a months
leave
The colonel arrived at New York
aboard the S. s. Cristobal on Septem-
Der on leave. He was scheduled to
be back in Haiti on October g. and
Marine Corps officers said that he was
preparing to return TO the West IN
dies some time this week.
Associates Of the couple recalled that
they were most devoted and said that
Mrs. Creecy was a prominent church
worker and that Col. Creecy had at
tended Christ Church, Georgetown, in
his younger days.
Running through Col. Creecy's serv-
Zee record were frequent notations of