Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-12
Girls Believed to Have Been
Attacked After Escorts
Were Murdered.
TWO MEN STILL HELD;
OTHERS ARE RELEASED
Young Couples Apparently Put Up
Terrific Battle Before Being
Burned.
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
ANN ARBOR. Mich, August H.
With a bloodstained purse and So
caliber bullet as slender clues, authori-
ties today attempted to reconstruct the
Staying early yesterday of four persons
two boys and two girls, on a tree-lined
country road, IL miles southeast of here
Four persons were arrested last night
and today, but two of them were re-
leased after making statements to Sher-
if Jacob B. Andres. The identity of the
two who were released was not revealed
Two others, Paul Keene, 40, and his
brother, Lawrence, 80, still are in Gus
tody, although officials said the new de-
velopments tended to establish their
claims Of innocence.
Movements Traced.
Attempting to trace the movements
OF the four young people between the
time they dropped out of sight in
Ypsilanti and the discovery of their
bodies in the burning automobile,
deputy sheriffs learned the two couples
were in a restaurant at Milan, Is miles
south of Ypsilanti, between 2 and 3
O'Clock Tuesday morning
Norman England, a waiter at the
restaurant, said man was with the
boys and girls.
AS investigators attempted to recon-
struct the slayings, they adopted the
theory that the four victims-Thomas
Wheatley, IS, of near Denton: Harry
Lore. 10, of YpSilanti, and Vivian Gold,
IS, and Anna May Harrison, 16. both
of Cleveland-had been slain by assail-
ants who attacked them as they were
parked in lovers lane" miles from
the place where their bodies were found
in young Wheatley's burned automobile.
Purse Found on Road.
Vivian Colds purse, spattered with
blood. was found on the South River
road, 3 miles from Ypsilanti. The spot
authorities said, is frequented by pet
ting" couples The purse was found
Yesterday morning by salesman who
saw it lying in the road, but he did
not turn It over TO officials until today
Finding Of a .3S-caliber bullet In
the body of young Lore. last might
boys doubtless were slain before the
automobile was set sflre. Authorities
now believe they were slain several
miles from the place where the burned
automobile was found
Had the youth been shot at the place
where the blazing automobile was
found, they said, farmers living nearby
would have heard the gun fire. Lore
an autopsy showed. had been shot at
least twice. One bullet was taken from
his body.
Outlines Police Theory.
z. L. Squires, Washtenaw County
deputy sheriff, revealed the police theory
Of the Staying.
THE assassins killed Lore and at least
oyerpowered young Wheatley at the spot
where the purse was found. in my opin-
ion" he said Then they drove with
Wheatley and Lore and the girls to the
county line road, where the car was
found, and attacked the girls there"
SQuires offered the theory that the
two couples had driven to the spot tr
the Lovers Lane" had parked there
and had been attacked by the slayers
When Lore, who was the larger Of the
two young men. attempted to fight OF
the asailants he was shot. and Wheatley
was beaten into unconsciousness.
No Signs OF Struggle.
A search OF the ditch and road where
the purse was found failed to show ans
signs Of a struggle, indicating. Squire:
said. that the young men were over
powered in their car
It is possible, he said that the Slayers
may have taken Lore'S body from tbs
place in their own car, placing it in
Wheatley's automobile when they spray
ed gasoline over the bodies and the
car several miles away.
The theory of the officials was borne
out by the autopsy performed by Uni
versity Of Michigan pathologists, which
revealed, in addition TO bullet wound:
in Lore's head and chest, the fact thai
| Wheatley and the two young womer
| had been beaten over the head. That
Lore had attempted TO fight was indi.
Gated, the officials said, by the fact he
Continued on Page 2, Column g.