Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-22
Jury WILL PROBE
POLICE H|-JACK|NG
Capt. Kelly to Present Facts
Gathered in Cunningham
Staying Quiz.

Police moved today to lay before the
grand jury evidence of hi-jacking un-
covered during their search for clues
in the assassination Of Jack Cunning
ham. veteran informer for the depart
ment.
Capt. Edward ]. Kelly said he would
turn over to the district attorneys
office inform ton charging that the
slain infcrmer was assisted in robbing
an I street spesksasy by Patrolman
Wallace j. Middleton of No. IL pre-
cinct, who was implicated in the killing
by Cunningham's dying statement.
Has Alright AIibi.
Middleton. who was suspended fol-
lowing his arrest, has advanced what
appears to be an alright aIibi, but
still is being held in the investigation.
Another development today was the
discovery alongside Lincoln road north
east Of an old Army revolver which
was submitted for ballistic examination
when 1t wss found to be Of the same
csliber Of the fatal slug removed from
Cunninghams body.
Police last night arrested Vernon ".
Hawks, % years old, of New York ave-
nue. near Ninth street, on the posi-
bility that Cunningham's death may be
linked with what was described as the
accidental shooting of Burt l.. Smith
in a speak-eaSy several days ago.
Visited Police.
Only few minutes before he was
waylaid early Tuesday, Cunningham
had visited No. / precinct to turn over
to police the gun with which, the in
former said, Smith had been shot.
Smith, only slightly wounded, declared
he accidentally fired the shot himself.
Cunningham'S wife, Mrs. Helen Cum
ningham, was questioned at length at
headquarters today by Capt Kelly and
other Investigators. She was released
yesterday after being held for tnvestiga-
ton several days at the House Of De-
tention.
Mrs. Cunningham today gave police
a signed statement in which she re-
lated how she overheard her husband
conversing with man whom he adj
dressed as MILDLY" while they were
apartment one night during March.
The liquor. alleged to have been stolen
from an 1 street speakeasy, was
brought in after Mrs Cunningham had
retired. she told police.
Middleton also was brought to head
quarters for questioning, particularly
with regard to Mrs Cunninghams
statement. He said he had nothing
to say"
Revolver Clue Studied.
The Army revolver apparently had
been tossed from q passing automobile.
The Identification numbers had been
filed of and police assumed the weapon
was thrown away by a person who
wished TO avoid being incriminated by
its possession.
The revolver, of As caliber and bear
ing evidence of recent use. was found
Yesterday afternoon near Trinity Col
lege by Edward Grant colored en-
ployed by the District Highway De-
partment. Grant gave the weapon to his
superior on the road job, Theodore
Richard Rham, who turned 1t over to
Sergt Earl Burdine of the Montgomery
County police.
Burdine notified headquarters here
and a member OF the homicide squad
was assigned to trace the ownership
through a secret number on one of the
working parts overlooked by the person
Police said today they are satisfied
with Middleton's alibi. Several dis
interested persons have corroborated
his statement that he was in a lunch
room on Fourteenth street Just around
the corner from the shooting when
Cunningham was waylaid.
Due Further Grilling.
investigators said, however, that the
lunchroom was within so yards of
where Cunningham fell and expect to
question Middleton further today with
regard to his statement that he did not
hear any of the five shots and there
fore did not arrive on the scene in time
to see the assasSins automobile turn
from the alley.
Middleton said he first realized that
something was amiss when he saw
peopIe running by outside the lunch
room windows When he got on the
street. he said, there was no sign of
an automobile turning from the alley.
Middleton was not in uniform at the
time. He explained that as soon as
he learned there had ben shooting
he telephoned No. precinct from a
police box nearby. This was corrobo-
rated by officers on duty at the pre-
cinct.