Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-14

1 w W. Il ouC W dIlCSCo lCAilaA No AlC lAiadC
regarding certain knowledge of Craw-
ford. One of the remarks reputedly
| was to the effect that he was kin TO
| Crawford. Sergt. Wilson said today,
| however, that Thomas claimed TO have
been drinking when he made the
remarks.
Sergt Wilson, however. decided to
| take Thomas to police headquarters for
| further questioning.
Thomas, whose local address is In the
, 300 block of D street southwest, is
| from Middleburg, Va, Sergt. Wilson
| said. The man, however, Sergt. Wilson
said, denied absolutely having any
knowledge at all of Crawford and as
serted repeatedly that he was no kin
| to him.
DR.. Oscar B. Hunter, George Wash
ington Hospital spathologist, reported to
DR.. John A. Gibson, county coroner, at
| Middleburg today, that an examination
of the bodies of Mrs. Ilsley and her
maid showed conclusively that neither
had been assaulted by their slayer.
Examination Of the fngernails OF
Mrs. Ilsley showed microscopic bits of
| hair and skin, apparently torn from the
aSsailant in struggle before she was
beaten to death.
Sergt Fred Sandberg, fingerprint ex-
pert of the Washington Police Depart
ment, was going over the automobile
belonging to Mrs. Ilsley, in which the
murderer escaped from Middleburg, In
an effort to determine whether finger
prints found on the car were those Of
Crawford. The National Identification
Bureau Of the Department of Justice
has been asked for the chauffeur's
prints, taken when he was sent to prison
several years ago on manslaughter
charge, to make the comparison.
Police have learned that at least two
men, and possibly three, visited the
cottage in which Mrs Ilsley's and her
maids murdered bodies lay before the
crime was discovered by Mrs. Ilsley's
brother
The first was Alex Grayson of Mid
dleburg. employed by Mrs Ilsley who
| came in early yesterday morning and
| attended to the furnace, and the Sec
ond was Aldrich Sutphin, who works on
the 1lsley stock farm, outside of Mid
dleourg, who came to remove garbage.
A third man is believed to have deliv-
cred milk at the cottage after Grayson's
and Aldrich's visits.
Three Held for Questioning.
The Loudoun authorities this after
noon were holding for questioning three
| colored men who say they saw Craw-
lord IN Leesburg Tuesday afternoon or
I evening. These men, it Is believed. may
! be able to give valuable clues as to tina
| whereabouts of Crawford.
demonstrating the brutal dual MUIR
| der today, authorities believed the slay-
ings were committed by only one man.
Police advanced the theory the MUIR
| derer entered the house by smashing a
| pane of glass out of rear door. Mrs.
Buckner, attracted by the noise, was
struck down, according to their theory,
when she arose to investigate.
The intruder then hid In Mrs, Ilsley's
room and attacked her after she re-
| turned to her room, undressed and re-
clined on the bed to read According
to the police, it seems improbable that
the murderer could have entered the
cottage after both women had retired.
then slain one and run across the hall
to kill the other before she could make
outcries
There was some difference of opinion
rnong authorities as to whether the
death weapon actually was the boot
jack. Some police officers hold the
women were hacked to death with an
OK or hatchct. However, DR.. II. A.
| Splitter, family physician and first doc
tor to reach the Ilsley cottage, expressed
the opinion both women were slain with
the bootjack.
Desperate Fight Waged.
| Mrs. Buckner was believed to have
been struck once as she walked toward
| the door of her bed room and again
| after she had fallen back across her
bed. Mrs. Ilsley was hit five times on
the head. Evidence tina she had put
up desperate fight against her assatl-
ant was seen In the wild disorder of the
room.
Police were puzzled over the motive
| for the slayings. Robbery at first was
advanced, due to previous burglaries of
the big house, and for which Mrs, Lsley
| had sworn out warrants for Crawford s
arrest. But when Mrs. Ilsley's body was
| found by her brother her rings we're
still on her fingers, watch was on her
wrist and her purse was living NEARBY.
+ A coat belonging to Mrs. IlSley Is
missing. washington police disclosed to-
| day. They believe the murderer prob
ably took the coat to cover his bloody
| clothing and that he probably discarded
| 1t later.
Revenge Believed Motive.
When it was realized Crawford vas
being sought by Middleburg police On
| the warrant obtained by Mrs, Ilslsy,
authorities switched 20 the revenge
theory. A former convict, who had
been parolsd or pardoned nom long
manSlaughter sentence, Crawford was
said to have dreaded the thought al
returning tn prison
II was after he had been released n
1928 after Saving che life Of Capt. g n
Coleman. q prison camp stlperll ssitcsENEs
that ne started 70 work JOINTLY ter Mrs
D ID krF.fN
physician, who at that time lived ~ the
small cottage on the Ihsleg's Colonial
uranor estate. Ne lett Mrs, Us1ey's en-
plcy last September, simultaneously
with discovery Of the rrst robbery OF
the big house and had noe been seen
around NdidGleaErS until the night De-
fore the murders.
The bodies Of both women were
brought here late yesterday, Mrs is
ley'S being taken to the funeral parsor
Of Joseph Gawler's Sons and that Of
Mrs, Bucsner 70 the Lee undertaking
establishment.
about o'clock this morning when sn
automobile roare6 into the town with
it's horn shriesing, The car pulled up
TO the murder cottage. which was light
ed. and an excited man lesped from the
drivers seat.
Running into the house, the motorist
told Magistrate Roy Seaton, on guard
there, that he had Chased a machine
Of the same type as the one stolen by
the killer all the way from Leesburg
The automobile eventually eluded him,
however, he added.
The volunteer sleuth appeared greatly
disappointed when Magistrate Seaton
informed him the car used by the
slayer had been found some time be-
fore.
Nerves of the townspeople apparently
were on edge last night. many OF ths
women insisting that their husba..-
search their homes with shotguns
ready for action before they would
retire.
WAS NORTH DAKOTA LEADER.
Mrs. Ilxley Was State Home Demon