Evening star., 1936-06-08
POLICE CLAIM PAIR
CONFESS Staying
OF BETHESDA MAN
Footprint Trail Leads to Ar
rest of One as
Suspect.
CARPENTER WAS KILLED
FOR s36, OFFICERS SAY
Fireman and Friend Accused Of
Beating William F. Ford,
62, to Death.
By Stan Correspondent of The Star.

By stan Correspondent OF The Star.
ROCKVILLE, Md, June 8.-An
informer's "tip" and footprint cast
in plaster Of paris linking them to
the Staying of william F. Ford, 81
year-old Bethesda carpenter, two al
legedly self-confessed murderers were
being held In the county jail here
today.
Police said the prisoners, John Dove,
colored, 36, fireman at the Bethesda
post Office, and William H. Parr, %,
who shared Ford's quarters in
model home at Chevy Chase, admitted
yesterday they killed the carpenter
for his money late Saturday night.
Ford's body was discovered several
hours after the Staying by his nephew.
Riley Evers, a contractor, who lives
in the 1900 block of Hampden lane,
Chevy Chase. Evers, aware Ford had
been sleeping in the house during its
construction, noticed light burning
in the structure and decided to in
vestigate.
ChOked to Death.
The carpenters head and face were
badly battered, but Dove declared no
weapon was used in the attack. He
said he struck Ford several times
with his fist and then choked him,
according to police.
Dove broke" police said after an
eight-hour grilling by States Attor-
ney James H. Pugh and Montgomery
County officers and told how he had
slain Ford and stolen $50 when the
latter refused to loan him money.
He said that Parr had taken him to
the house to ask the carpenter for a
loan.
The colored man, confronted later
with PARIS story they had plotted
the killing two weeks before, changed
his story and admitted he had lain in
wait behind door at the model home
on Leland street and attacked Ford
when he entered the structure.
Arrested Second Time.
Dove was arrested short time after
the murder and released when police
failed to connect him with the case.
He was taken into custody a second
| time, however. when officers found
several footprints leading from the
murder scene, made plaster of paris
impression and found they matched
the firemap's shoes.
The comparison was made by De-
tective Sergt. Theodore Vollten. head
of the Identification Bureau, after an
informer tipped off" Police Sergt.
LIE Roy Rodgers that he had seen sew
eral spots of blood on a pair of shoes
at the colored mans home.
In their stories the two men said
the money had been divided with Dove
receiving SIG and Parr, who came here
short time ago from Charlottesville,
Va, getting $40. Dove said he spent
his money in a beer parlor, while
Parr declared he took two other men
and three girls on party at a near
by tavern.
The plot to murder Ford, whose
wife and two children reside at Har-
risonburg, Va, was conceived and
supervised by Parr, according to the
stories said to have been told Sergts.
James s. McAuliff. Earle H. Burdine,
Rodgers, Vollten and States Attorney
Pugh during the grilling at the Be-
thesda station yesterday.
Parr told Dove two weeks ago Ford
would be "easy pickings." the officers
declared, and arranged to place Dove
in the house so he could murder and
rob the carpenter, according to the
alleged confession. On Saturday
night Parr drove Ford into Bethesda
to allow Dove to secret himself inside
the house, and then brought the car
penter back, it continued.
Parr let Ford out Of the car after
borrowing S. until next Saturday"
and then drove of to meet Dove at
an appointed spot on Bradley boule-
ward. The men divided the money
and separated when the fireman
Joined Parr after the Staying, police
said.
Although the grand jury was in
special session here today, States At
torney Pugh will not present the mur-
der charges lodged against the men
until the regular jury term in Novem-
ber, it was said.