Evening star., 1934-05-25
SCHOOL TEACHER
FOUND STRANGLED
Miss Mary E. Sheads, 65,
Discovered on Bed Room
Floor of BaIfour. II
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In a conversation along general lines
as to what would happen should either
fall i'll, Miss Sheads had pointed to
receptacle on the wall near her bed
and remarked that If anything hap
pened to her, instructions would be
found therein. The police found
note requesting communication with
her cousin, John L. Sheads, of 422
Kansas avenue, in case Of any acci-
dent.
Miss Lynina Sheads. his daughter,
today told The Star that she was
speaking over the telephone to Miss
Mary Sheads at o'clock last night,
time which comedies with the hour
when apartment residents heard
screams.
This morning Miss Lynina Sheads
said that the conversation had ended
abruptly and that her cousin had
failed to say goodnight
II waited a little while to hear her
speak again" she said, but she did
not. and 1 finally hung up"
This conversation, apparently the
last one in which the dead woman
engaged, may have been cut short
by the appearance of her assailant.
Fred E. Shirk, a Treasury Depart
ment employe, who lives at apart
ment 5, Immediately adjoining the
bottom section of the fire escape, said
that he distinctly heard the fire
escape working at about $40. He
said he, had just come In a short
time previous from his studies at the
night school of Mckinley High
School. He was one Of the residents
of the apartment who accompanied
Bethea on the second search. and
his version and that OF Bethea tally
exactly.
Robbery Motive Discounted.
1t is believed among tenants Of the
apartment that Miss Sheads never
kept any great sum of money there,
thus serving to discount the robbery
motive. Mrs. Meier, for Instance,
said that only recently another
neighbor, F. J. Schlick. who occupies
an apartment on the sixth floor, had
asked Miss SheadS if she wanted him
to buy a chicken for her when he
went to the country. Her reply was
that she would not have money for
the purchase until after her pay
day." presumably the day on which
she received her check as retired
teacher.
1t is said that Miss Sheads sup
plemented the pension by acting as
representative of Compton's Ency-
clopedia, a full set Of which was
found on the bath room shelf.
On a handicapped table in the
living room, reporters, when they
were admitted to the room this morn
ing, saw the cellophare wrapper and
the band of a cigar. Police said,
however, that this was not there wnen
they first entered the room last night.
Seek CoIored Man.
Police late today began an intensive
search for a colored man sought in
two apartment robbertes.
On April Z last, man described
as a "ight-brown skinned colored
man, % years old, S feet 6 inches
high, 135 pounds" entered the apart
ment of Sarah j. Patterson, 1124
Tenth street, and stole a lady's
wrist watch.
A short time previous there was
report from the woman occupant OF
an apartment at 2400 Sixteenth street,
that a man described as "a dark
skinned man" had also entered
through a screen and had attempted
to assault the occupant.
Miss Sheads was a native OF Gettys-
burg. Pa, and was educated there
and in Washington. She had taught
in various grades in the Force, Ber-
ret and Industrial High Schools, be-
ing appointed principal of the Adams
School in November, 1920. She was
transferred to the Bryan School as
principal in July, 1924, position she
held until her retirement in July,
1929.
Cited for Valor.
She had been cited by the Board
of Education for her valor and keen
Judgment in the efficient and pro-
tecting manner in which she handled
the young pupils of the Bryan School
when that building was struck by
the tornado of 1927, tearing a roof
from one of the portable buildings.
The citation was recorded in the
minutes of the School Board, which
reads as follows:
"A letter reciting the personal cour-
age, bravery, poiSe and keen judgment
in the presence of great danger to
their pupils when the Southeast sec
ton of the city was visited with
destructive tornado was submitted by
Mrs. j. F. Hamaker, president of the
Bryan Parent-Teacher Association.
The two teachers of this school, Miss
Mary E. Sheads, principal. and Miss
Margaret Murray, in the midst of the
storm, which carried away the roof
of a portable. were named as deserv-
ing mention"
She had lived in the apartment for
II wears. Miss Sheads took a keen
interest in the affairs of veterans
of the Grand Army of the Republic.
She was press representative OF the
Ellen Spencer Mussey Tent, No. !.
Daughters Of Union Veterans. Only
three weeks ago she staged banquet
for G. A. r. veterans at Meridian
Mansions, 2l00 Sixteenth street.