The Washington times., 1931-05-21
FRIENDS BARE
RELATIONS
Of PAIR
Policeman Accused by Dying
Underworld Character Be-
Iieved to Have Good AIibi
CONTINUED From First PGse)

Lhat ne knew VINO Cne men were
and had counseled them not to
go through with the hold-up.
She said that she had asked
him who the men were, but that
her husband had refused to re-
veal their identities.
Shortly before he died. Gun
ningham was interviewed by Capt.
Edward j. Kelly and Detective
Sergeant Joseph Waldron for
whom he had worked on num-
ber of occasions as an tnformer.
At no time during the inter
views did Cunningham reveal the
identity of the man who shot
him down.
Same Reply Made s,
When questioned he replied
that he had been shot through
the "guts."
Both Kelly and Waldron asked
him directly:
did Middleton shoot your"
The reply in each instance
was:
'T don't want to get a police
man in trouble"
Cunningham, on number OF
occasions, had expressed fear Of
Middleton, and also his hatred
for the policeman.
According to police records,
Cunningham was So years old,
but on the occasion of his first
arrest, in 1910, when he was con-
victed and served year and a
day in the penitentiary for grand
larceny, he gave his age as 18.
In the intervening years he had
been arrested more than 20 times
for various offenSeS.
Although Cunningham made no
statement in regard to the recent
holdup and assault on the min
lister of the Ell Salvador legation,
police today will take photographs
of both Middleton and Cunning
ham to the victim of the assault
in an effort to identify them as
the men who attacked him.
From descriptions furnished by
the minister, police are of the
opinion that Cunningham may
have had a hand in the affair.
Middleton may be brought before
the minister for Identification.
Harry Hope. IT'S P st. N. W.;
Charles F.. Wilton, 1743 P st. N.
W., and Edwin S. Brockwell, 1417
Mass. Ave N. W., who were held
for investigation, have been re-
+. leased, having established air
tight alibis as to their whereabouts
the night of the shooting,
According to police, taxicab
driver has identified Middleton
as one of the men who employed
= him in the hijacking deal. and,
after viewing the body of Cum
ningham, stated that he was an
other of the men. The third man
In the hijacking is still being
sought.
It was definitely learned that
the liquor and ale we're taken to
Cunningham'S house. where it was
left. The police infOrmer, losing
his nerve, returned the ale and
whisky when Yudelevit demanded
it.
Although the police are still en-
deavoring to link Middleton with
the shooting, following the dying
statement of the racketeer, the po-
liceman is prepared to produce
four witnesses who will Substan-
tiate his alibi.
Was In DeIicateSsen
Middleton said that at the
time of the shooting he was in
a delicatessen store some distance
away and was attracted by the
sound of shots and people run
ming toward an alley in the rear
Of 1410 I st. N. W.. where Gun |
ningham was shot down.
A short time after learning Of
. the shooting, Middleton tele-
phOned the First precinct sta
tiOn. This is borne out by Off |
Cial police records. The four
! witnesses who were interrOgated
: Substantiated the pOliceman's
statement as to his whereabouts.
Cunningham was killed by a
bullet from a .45-caliber pistol.
A search of the apartment oc-
cupied by the policeman failed
to reveal any weapon of that
caliber or any ammunition. The
only shells found were those for
his service revolver, which is a
.38-caliber weapon.
.SS Shell Found
An empty shell from .38-
caliber gun was found in the
alley where Cunningham was
shot and several slugs from the
same size weapon were picked
UP.
It is known definitely that
Cunningham had made a number
of enemies by reason of his habit
of informing on men in. various
rackets when they failed to pay
off"
Members of the First precinct
who had been associated with
Cunningham on various occa-
sions declared that much of his
information was inaccurate and
that on a number of occasions
his personal venom prompted
him to give information for the
purpose of getting men in trouble
when the facts did not war
rant it.