Evening star., 1936-08-10
QUICK TRIAL SEEN.
FOR HALL BOY IN.
CLEVENGER KILLING.
Coed Staying Mystery Is
Cleared by Confession,
Sheriff Declares.
ROBBERY SOLE MOTIVE,
HOTEL WORKER SAYS
Officers Used Fingerprint Ruse to
Trap Colored Youth Not Pre-
viously Suspected.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ASHEVILLE, N. c., August 10.-An
early trial was promised today for
Martin Moore, %, colored hotel en-
ploye who, Sheriff Laurence Brown
said, confessed he killed Helen eleven
ger, blond New York coed, in a mo-
ment of panic when he went to her
room to rifle it.
Solicitor Zeb v. Nettles said the
gangling hall boy at the fashionable
Battery Park Hotel, where the New
York University student was staying,
would be tried at term of court be-
ginning next Monday.
The prisoner, arrested Saturday
night and questioned for hours be-
fore Sheriff Brown said he confessed
he shot and clubbed the 18-year- old
girl to death. was held in the county's
penthouse Jail atop its skyscraper
court house.
Attempted Assault Denied.
Moore denied that he attempted to
assault the girl. Robbery, the sheriff
quoted the confession, was his only
motixe, and he entered the room,
after trying several others, on finding
the door unlocked.
When got in the room" the
sheriff said the confession related,
"she screamed, and that's why shot
her
She screamed some more and started
to run out. I struck her with the gun.
When she fell on the floor struck her
several times more to stop her scream
ing"
Sheriff Brown said he was convinced
that the girl had not been otherwise
assaulted.
The undertaken, the coroner and a
physician said there was evidence of
an attack, but later three physicians
made an examination and could not
agree.
Toward the end Of the investigation
Sheriff Brown and his deputies we're
aided by Walter B. Orr, former Char
lotte, N. c., police chief, and two
members of the New York City homi-
eide squad, Sergt. Thomas J. Martin
RA4A OOl11 H. &SuAAhls
Fingerprint Ruse Effective.
Of1cers disclosed well-known police
ruse-that of telling a prisoner his
flngerprints were found on the scene
of the crime-caused the prisoner to
break" thinking he was trapped.
There were no f1ngerprints in the girls
room of any value.
Eight persons were detained during
the investigation only to be released
later.
They included Marx Wollner, 35
concert violinist known on three conti-
nents; Mildred Ward. 10. his sweet
heart, who substantiated his alibi;
Prof. w. L. Clevenger, the victims
bachelor uncle with whom she was
travelling. and several hotel employees
Daniel H. Gaddy, 28-year-old night
watchman, was detained for three
weeks-almost the whole course of the
investigation-on surmise, the
sheriff said, that he knew something
Although several colored employees
Of the hotel had been detained fol
questioning, Moore's name never had
been brought into the case.
During the "a days between the kill.
ing and his arrest, he worked at the
hotel daily, sweeping the carpets out
side the second floor room in whict
the girl was shot and clubbed.
Information that finally broke the
battling mystery, officers disclosed, was
tip from Banks Taylor, a pantry boy
at the hotel, that Moore owned 8
pistol of the type used in the crime