The Washington times., 1935-01-22
POLICE SILENT
I ON QU|ZZ|NG
+. Of GROUP
Conductor and Discharged
EmpIoye Are Reported
Among Those Held

Washington, Baltimore and
Montgomery county police, join
ing in the hunt for the holdup-
Slayers of two Capital Transit
Company employees in the Chevy
Chase (MdO car barn yesterday,
today had four men and
woman in custody for investiga-
tlon.
Three of the men and the
woman were held in Washington,
the other man in Montgomery
county, but police were reticent
concerning their questioning of
the five and what information
they may have wrung from them.
Study Crime Scenes
A careful scrutiny of the crime
scenes was slated as the next
step in the chase. Detective Sergt.
Frank o. Brass, of Washington;
Montgomery county officials, in
cluding States Attorney James
Fl. Pugh, and Baltimore detec-
tive planned to visit the car
barn, where James M. Mitchell,
SO. of the 1900 block of Thirtieth
st. S. E., was found shot to
DEATH and later go to the spot
in Kensington. Md, where the
body of Emory Smith, 40, of
Bethesda, was found floating in
a stream after the two gunmen
had fled with the transit COM
pany's receipts amounting to
nearly $4,000.
One of the men held is said
to be a conductor on the COM
pany's lines, another a man who
was discharged from the company
several days ago, and a third is
said to be a waiter. The woman
was believed to be a friend of
the discharged employe.
Inside" knowledge
AS the hunt progressed Mont
gomery County police held to the
theory that the robbery and
double murder was committed by
persons with inside knowledge
of the working routine at the car
terminal, They believe the vic
TINS were killed because they
knew their aSSallantS.
Announcement of $1,000 reward
for the capture of the slayers was
made today by John H. Hanna,
president of the Capital Transit
Company. Both victims, James M.
Mitchell, So, of the 2200 block of
Thirtieth st. S. E.. and Emory
Smith, 40, of Bethesda, Nd, were
veteran employees.
Seven shots were fired into Mr..
Mitchell's body in the terminal
office, it was revealed by an au-
topsy at the Reuben Pumphrey
Funeral Home in Rockville yeSter-
day. Four slugs were removed
from his body.
Shot Four Times
The body of Mr.. Smith, who
was kidnapped and thrown into
Rock Creek near Kensington, Md,
after being shot, was found float.
ing in the stream several hours
after the robbery. He had been
shot four times.
Political ramifications of the
slayings appeared today as the
board of directors of the Be-
thesda Chamber of Commerce
urged that the impending shake
up of the Montgomery county
police force be delayed until after
the crime is solved.
Leading the investigation for
the county is Chief j. William
Garrett and States Attorney
Pugh. They are aided by Detec-
tive Sergt. Frank Brass and De-
tective Sergt. Robert Barrett, of
the Washington force, and De-
tective Sergt. Stewart Deal, of
Baltimore.
Relief for Families
Families of the two slain en-
ployes will not be left destitute.
It was stated by officials of the
Capital Transit Company today
that the cases undoubtedly come
under the District compensation
law.
The dependents in that event
would receive a total of $500 in
monthly payments over a period
both men were members of the
company's relief association and
were likewise insured under its
group insurance plan.
The relief and insurance pay
ments will amount to $500 each
IN both cases, it was said, giving
each family $1,000 immediately
before the compensation payments
begin.
Montgomery county board of
commissioners today posted a
$500 reward for information lead.
ing to the arrest and conviction
OF the perpetrator or perpetrators
OF the double murder. The reso.
luton was passed by unanimous
vote.
AufO Croch Ends