The Washington times., 1934-05-26
POLICE HOLDING
To THEORY Of .
ROBBERY
"VHH
Flesh Found Under Nails of
Slain Teacher Tested;
Know Result Monday
(COntinusd from Page ~

They were tragic reminders of the
brief struggle for her hfe with the
unknown assailant, who is be
leved to be a colored burglar.
Police were temporarily handi
capped in their use Of this clue
when it became known today that
analysis of the flesh, which will
show whether the slayer was
white or colored, will not be avail
able until late today or Monday
morning.
DR.. E. r. Donaldson, District
microanalyst in charge of the
skin tests, was reticent in ad'
vancing any information as to the
possible findings Of his research
He stated, however, that the sci.
entific work would require at
least the greater part of q day,
Whole City COmbed
Meanwhile, every officer OF
the District Police Department
was cooperating in a city.wide
drive to Smoke out" the un.
known assailant, whose powerful
fingers strangled Miss Sheads
after she had been hit on the
head and face with a fist.
While her body lay in an un-
dertaking establishment here,
prepatory to funeral services and
eventual burial in Gettysburg,
Pa, her home town, the Homi-
eide Squad led a grim search
through several sections Of the
city, acting on belief that the
murderer was a young colored
burglar.
The man who strangled the
teacher in her apartment in the
Balfour, 1000 Sixteenth st. N. w.,
is believed by police to have been
connected with at least two rob-
berries here recently.
Description Broadcast
Late yesterday police broadcast
q description of colored man,
thought to reside not far from the
scene of the crime. He Is said to
be light brown skinned. % years
old, 5 feet 6 inches high, 1875
pounds"
At the end Of the broadcast the
word murder" was added.
Later this was changed to
''housebreaking." The correction,
If such it was, is regarded as sig
nificant. It is believed that police
suddenly realized they may have
''let the cat oNt Of the bag"
a. Recall Watch Theft
The man sought is said to have
been connected with the theft Of
a wrist watch from Mrs. Sara J..
Patterson, 100 block Tenth st.,
N. w., on April 7, and in one
other similar burglary.
Robbery as a motive for the
crime seemed to offer the only
solution today. Although no val
uables were kept by Miss sheads
in her apartment, according to
friends and relatives, and though
the apartment was not ransacked,
the crime bore every evidence Of
being an intended burglary, police
say.
Miss Sheads had not been at
tackled, and she had no known
enemies.
Other Clues Hopeless
Other clues-such as an inter
rupted telephone call shortly be-
fore the crime, screams heard by
other residents in the Balfour. and
a note left by the murdered
woman directing inquirers to get
in touch with a second cousin
here-haye proven to be Of little
value in the slayer hunt.
The telephone call was made to
Miss Lynina Sheads, daughter Of
John L. Sheads, 1900 block Kan
SaS Ave-, N. w., manager Of a Nc
Crory store here and a second
cousin of the dead teacher, at
about $50 on the night Of the
crime.
Checkup Phone Calls
Statements by Miss Lynina
Sheads that the unimportant con-
verSation was terminated abrupt
ly by the slain woman, who hung
up without saying good-by, were
regarded as strategic in set
ting the time of the arrival of
the slayer until it was found that
the victim had telephoned to her
physician, DR.. Mary Parsons,
about 20 minutes later.
Tenants in the Balfour who
heard screams at about 9:45 p. m.
have agreed that the sound came
from below the fifth floor, where
Miss Sheads' apartment is loca-
ted.
Hunt Roof PrOwler
Efforts were being made today
to link the killing to a colored
man seen on two occasions last
night Sinking on a roof of a
garage adjoining 2400 Sixteenth
St., fashionable apartment not
far from the ultra.respectable Bal
four.
Meanwhile, funeral services for
the dead woman were being ar.
ranged for 8 o'clock tonight in
the undertaking establishment of
S. H. Hines Company, 1900 block
Fourteenth st. N. w.
The body was claimed at the
morgue late yesterday by John l.
Sheads, ST., of Gettysburg, first
cousing of the slain teacher, and
his son, John L. Sheads, jr.' OF