Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-11

man and Shugars thought they would
follow it, They jumped in a machine
and left the others standing in the
lead.
The posse decided to investigate fur
ther. They had reached a vacant
houSe that stands near the Shugars
residence when Melvin said, I'm going
TO get an apple" He jumped the fence
and was leaning over a pile Of fallen
apples when his companions saw him
straighten suddenly and start running
back to the road. Turning he fired
two shots into the woods in the direc-
ton whence he had come.
Sheriff Runyon later said he had
heard no shots except those fired by
Melvin. but others said they heard a
shot which had caused Melvin to look
up and which, evidently, had drawn his
fire in return.
Stevens Is Killed.
At any rate, Melvin joined the group
which had by then formed line facing
the woods. Melvin was standing be-
side his brother, John. All OF them be-
gan firing into the woods. Then there
was a noise on the other side Of the
road. Some Of the men turned and
fired in that direction, and there had
been some 80 shots fired when John
Stevens cried out-"Stop shooting
they've got Melvin!"
In the meantime Sheriff Hermann
and Shugars had heard the shooting
and drove rapidly back to the posse.
Just as they reached the group. some
OF the men were bending over Melvin.
Blood was still streaming from his head
Sheriff Hermann said he was dead
then, and, from the wound. it was be-
lieved that he had died instantanecusly
Sheriff Kirby believes Melvin was
killed accidentally by some member of
the posse as they turned to fire on the
opposite side Of the road. The absence
Of adequate shelter. he says, would
have made it impossible for Melvin to
have been killed by a stranger without
the latter having been seen by other
members of the posse.
This explanation, however, does not
account for the shots on former nights,
which the sheriff says undoubtedly
were fired. Although Sheriff Kirby
has worked hard on the case, he
readily admits he cannot explain this
phase of the mystery.
stevens friends and relatives are
convinced the shots were fired by the
unknown aSsailant but the authorities
who have investigated the case do not
think so.
Some residents of the county be-
lieye these ''shots" were products Of
overwQrked imaginations. but others be-
lieve they were actually fired and ac-
count for them in this manner:
One member of the community, they
say, belongs to a secret organization
and had developed a strong dislike for
colored man living in the vicinity. In
order to arouse sentiment against the
man, they say, he fired some mysterious
shots himself in the hope the Negro
the county. They believe, however,
that he was unable to control the wave
of feeling once it got under way, and
that Melvin's death was the tragic and
unforeseen result.
Sheriff Kirby admitted he had heard
this report and that he was investigat-
ing 1t. He would not, however, say
that he believed 1t to be true.
Commemorative Attorney Wilson
Farr said he believed the shooting was
accidental.
He is making further investigation
and intends to question again the mem
bers of the posse who were with
Stevens.
Meanwhile, the relatives Of the slain
man and his friends are openly at odds
with the authorities concerning the ex-
PLANTATION OF the mystery. They are
convinced the young we'll digger was
murdered by vicious slayer who is
still at large in the neighborhood and
nothing, they say, except a voluntary
confession from some member of the
posse will change their minds.
Members Of the two families are so
frightened that they have closed their
homes.
Mrs. Stevens is staying with relatives
in Arlington County and Shugars has
moved his wife to Washington.