Evening star., 1936-01-11
POISON BELIEVED
SWIFTLY effective
Discovery in Apartment Result of
Fall Against Phone by Young
Man-War Fears Hinted.

mothers rooms at the Dupont Circle
Apartments. They were pronounced
dead a few minutes later by an
Emergency Hospital ambulance phy-
sician. Near their bodies was a can
of poison labeled "for use in butterfly
work" and an empty glass.
So swift was the poison which po-
lice assumed the pair had swallowed
that smoke still was wreathing from
a partly smoked cigarette when the
bodies were found.
Fall Signal Switchboard.
Discovery of the double tragedy
was made by Arthur Sherwin, assist
ant manager of the apartment house.
Ashworth, in falling, had knocked
light above No. 927 on the apartment
house switchboard flashed on.
The switchboard operator plugged
In. She heard faint groans humming
over the line. She pulled out the plug.
but the telephone inlet continued to
buzz.
Sherwin was called and went to the
apartment. He summoned an ambu-
lance and police.
Shortly before, Ashworth had come
to the apartment house desk and asked
for an envelope ''to put letter in"
He received several and returned to
his mothers apartment. 1t was in
these that the notes were incloSed.
Both mother and son had left wills,
the Iatter's dated Thursday and sew
eral notes, including a three-page
statement and the following, addressed
to Washington friend:
please send for Victor hope with
him with the details and know you
will be great comfort to him. We
both wish simple funerals. If some
one from the National Council for
Prevention Of War could give talk
on peace it would be just what We
like"
Victor Thought Brother.
This note was signed "Cappy."
Police believed Victor" is. DR.. Victor
Williams of Chattanooga, Tenn, Mrs.
hOlLeS DTOLIleT.
After a study of the messages,
Coroner A Magruder Macdonald said
he was virtually certain" the mother
and son died in suicide pact. He
added, however. that he will not issue
death certificates until after compile
tion of the post-mortems and other
phases of the investigation.
Mrs. Koltes' reference to the Ma
tional Council for Prevention of War,
and mention in another note-not
made public by police-of her opposi-
ton to mothers sacrificing their sons
in wars, suggested she was a pacif1st
of strong convictions, desperately
afraid her son might somehow become
involved in the Italo-Ethiopian war
more than 5000 miles away.
Just last Saturday, according to
Miss Mary Ida Winder of the ma
tional council, Mrs. Koltes visited the
organization headquarters. opposite
the State Department Building, and
purchased two 81 peace bonds.
I'm so interested in peace" Miss
Winder quoted Mrs. Koltes as saying,
'that I'd do anything to keep my son
from going to war"
Not Unusually Agitated.
Mrs. KolteS left hurriedly to join
her son, who was waiting outside in
a car he got for Christmas. She did
not seem unusually agitated or ia
natical, Miss Winder said
On Thursday, Miss Winder received
from Mrs. Koltes coupons which had
been attached to the bonds. One was
an answer to a QUESTIONABLE about
the recipients pacifst convictions.
Mrs. Koltes had replied yes" to all
questions. Others provided for SUBJ
scription to Peace Action, a publica-
tion Of the council. Mrs. Koltes di-
rected that the magazine be sent to
Daniel F. Craig, jr., of 1851 Columbia
road, friend of her son, and to a
Miss Virginia Tucker of Chattanooga.
Craig's mother said today he was to
have dined with Ashworth Sunday.
They were intimate friends, and on
Thursday spent the night together in
AShworth's room at the Dewitt School,
470l Connecticut avenue. Ashworth
was a student there three years ago
and still lived in the dormitory.
Planned Mexico Trip.
The youths were to have lunched
today at the Craig home before
taking in" the society circus at Fort
Myer. They also had been planning
o trip to Mexico next Summer.
Young Craig heard the news Of his
friends death over the radio. His
mother said he believed the recent
death in an automobile accident of a
mutual friend. Russell Kelsey, may
have contributed to Ashworth's de-
spondency
The supposition that Ashworth was
extremely pacifistic is mistaken, Mrs.
Craig said. He believed peace move
ments were somewhat futile, she
added.
Mrs. Craig believed Ashworth may
have felt financially unable to con-
tinuc his studies at George WASH
tngton, where he was a candidate for
the swimming team. He had hoped
to enter the diplomatic service on COM
pletion of his education, she indicated.
"I think his mother was determined
to die, and he was too discouraged to
60 on without her." Mrs. Craig de-
clared. -.
Tells of Conversation.
/ A friend of Ashworth's, member of
his economics class, was reported to-
bay to have told another classmate Of
b conversation she had with him
Thursday. .,
r "What do you think my mother
(Mrs. Koltes) gave me for lunch to-
day?" Ashworth was quoted as saying.
"What?" the friend was said to have
inquired.
"She gave me my will to sign" Ash
worth was reported to have replied.
When the girl expressed anazement,
Ashworth, it was understood, said: