Evening star., 1934-05-21
Footpad Blamed for Staying
of Rice in Anac0Stia
Ravine.
THREE BLOWS ON BACK
OF HEAD CAUSED DEATH
Terminal Employe Found Face
Downward in Park-No
Sign of Struggle.

today and held for questioning in
connection with the murder of A.
Paul Rice, 36-year- old Washington
Terminal employe, who was found
beaten to death yesterday in a ravine
near the Anacostia Golf Course.
No charges were placed against any
of the men, but Detective Sergt
George E. Darnall chief of the homi-
eide squad. said they would be ques-
toned extensively in the hope they
might be able to throw some light
on the Staying.
Rice. whose body was found about
10 am. yesterday. was murdered by
a footpad, who sneaked up behind
him and landed "at least three" pow
erful blows on the back of his head,
Darnall declared.
I'VE are convinced that robbery
was the motive for the Staying" said
Darnall. who is working on the case
with Detective Sergts. Walter S.
Beck, John W. Wise and Jerry
Flaherty. all of the homicide squad.
I'VE doubt that more than S18, or
thereabouts, was involved, however t"
Rice, son of an Alberene, Va,
evangelist. and a boarder in the home
of Mrs. Gertrude Stotler. 302 street
northeast, was found by Howard
Miller, 1902 Branch avenue south
eat. and Charles H Tschop. a special
officer at the Anacostia Golf Course
Found in Rayine.
He was lying face downward in the
ravine. which runs along the tracks
OF the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
south Of Massachusetts, avenue south
east, and east of the lower end of the
golf course. He was pronounced dead
a short time later by DR.. R. W. Mel
son, who accompanied a Casualty
Hospital ambulance to the scene
The body was viewed by DarneIl
and Coroner A. Magruder MacDon-
aid, who agreed the death was "a
plain case of murder" DR.. MacDon-
aid ordered the body removed to the
Morgue, where an autopsy was per-
formed today by Deputy Coroner
Christopher j. Murphy.
The post-mortem disclosed Rice
had been struck three or more times,
instead of two, as was at first sup
posed, and his skull was fractured
over large area.
From Mrs Stotler. Darnall learned
that Rice left home about pm Sat-
urday. with the explanation that he
had to meet somebody" but would
be gone only "a short time" Whom
he was to meet or where the meeting
was to take place. Mrs Stotler was
unable to say, however.
Numbers" Slips Found.
In Rice's pockets the detectives
found several numbers" slips.
During the two weeks that he had
boarded at her home, Mrs Stotler said,
he had played the numbers" fire.
quently, winning several times.
So far as the detectives were able
to learn. however, the most he had
won during the last wee; was Sl8
From present indications" said
Darnall, 1T looks as though somebody
Sneaked up behind him as he was
walking through the ravine. cracked
him on the back of his head several
times, went through his pockets and
fed.
There were no signs of struggle
nothing to indicate Rice had been
given the slightest warning. We don't
know what he was hit with, but. judg-
ing by the appearance of the wounds
on his head. it must have been a
blunt weapon of some kind"
Watch, Rings Left.
In the dead mans pockets. the
detectives also found papers bearing
the names of race horses and race
tracks.
Rice's assailant, or aSSailants,
spurned his watch and several rings,
but his wallet was empty and there
was broken safety pin in the pocket
in which he usually carried it. He
had only cents.
Possibility Rice had taken to the
ravine as short cut to or from the
home of the person with whom he
had said he had an appointment was
considered by the detectives, who de-
clared they expected to clear up this
phase of the case very soon."
Father Is Notified.
Rice's father, Rev. A. B. Rice, was
notified of the tragedy while preach
ing a sermon at on open-air religious
meeting in Alberene. He left for
Washington Immediately. going to the
home of his daughter, Mrs. Blanche
Hogue, 1923 Roosevelt street, Maryland
Park, Md.
THE whole thing was a terrible
shock to my wife and myself" the
father said.
'He was a good boy-never in any
trouble, or anything like that. He had
been in Washington about nine years.
and he often sent money home to his
mother and me. He was disappointed
in love when he was about 20, and
he'd never" been very much interested
in women since then"
Rice's body will be sent to North
Gardens, Va. for burial, his father
said, but definite arrangements will
not be made until the coroner has
completed investigation of the case.
The slain man also is survived by
a brother, o. L. Rice, a Federal build
ing inspector in Leavenworth, Kans.