Evening star., 1937-03-02
DOG OWNER HITS .
K|DNAP THEORY
Says BIoodhounds Trailing
Cummins Boy Went Direct
ly to Swamp.
e, a Stat, Correspondent OF The Star.

Ey Stan Correspondent OF The Star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, March a.
| Archie Cleveland, whose bIoodhounds
took up the trail of Luther Cummins
shortly after he disappeared last July
l6, today exploded the latest kidnap-
murder theory in the death of the boy
when he said the hounds did not
follow a trail to Mount Vernon
avenue.
Cleveland, a mechanic at Fort Bel.
voir, Va, who lives at Quaker and
Janneys lanes in Alexandria, declared
the two dogs instantly headed toward
| Hume swamp when they we're given
| the scent of the boy from a pair OF
| trousers.
Il held to the dogs leash all the
time" Cleveland declared, "and as soon
ss they got the scent they struck out
for the swamp. They never went near
Mount Vernon avenue, except when
took them there to get around the
swamp to the other side The dogs led
me through the thick undergrowth OF
the swamp, but after nearing the place
where the skeleton was found 1 cannot
recall having been within less than 80
to so feet of that spot"
Meantime, local police today are
checking on what they described as
the first tangible clue to the solution
of the mysterious disappearance and
death of the George Washington High
School student on the eve of what he
expected to be happy trip to New
York with the Metropolitan Police
Boys Club Band. Capt. John S.
Arnold. chief of Alexandria police.
did not disclose the nature Of the clue.
Capt. Arnold explained that ques-
tioning Of the family has been de-
layed until after the funeral, held
from the George w. Wise funeral
home in Georgetown today, out of
| difference to the bereaved parents.
In an effort to untangls the maze of
clues presented by neighbors, members
Of the family and possemen who Joined
in the search for the boy few hours
after he was last seen by his mother.
local police today were expected to in
I terview number of persons and take
( several written statements.
These statements, it was learned,
will be the basis for deciding whether
the evidence will be presented to a
grand jury or to acting Coroner Will
liam B. Wilkins. Commonwealth At
torney Albert v. Bryan today ex-
planned he will not present the case to
the grand jury unless police have some
one in custody.
Inquest Postponed.
Because Bryan will be out of the city
Friday the inquest has been post
poned until II am. Saturday.
Capt. Arnold and Lieut. Egdar Sims.
| chief of detectives, said today they had
| found no clues which would lead them
to believe that the youth had met
with foul play.
DR.. wilkins said he will go into the
inquest Saturday with an open
mind" He declared he found nothing
in the examination of the body that
would lead him to believe that the boy
had been murdered.
But members of the boys family
clung to their contention that the boy
was slain and that his body was later
taken to the lonely spot in Hume
Swamp. They base their belief on the
fact that they have searched every
foot of that swamp since Luther left
or was taken away"
Franklin D. Cummins, father of
Luther. declares he stood on the ac-
tual spot where the skeleton was
found only few days after his son
disappeared and that he knows the
body was not there at that time.
Police, however. say that if the
boy had been murdered elsewhere, the
murderer would hardly have chosen
the exact spot where the boys of the
neighborhood we're wont to play to
leave the body.
Robert Cunlmins, II, brother of
Luther, who found the skeleton Sat-
urday while passing through the
swamp with his sister, Edna, 19. yes
terday climbed a nearby maple tree
to show reporters where he and
Luther had carved their initials in
the bark last Summer. The maple
tree is only about 20 feet from where
the skeleton was found. and Robert
declared he had been up in it no
later than last Monday.
The spot where the bones were
discovered was screened from all di-
rections by heavy brush and tall
swamp grass-until hundreds of curl
Gus persons flocked to the scene and
trampled the grass into the ground
and broke off the bushes.
Admitting that they are baff1ed by
the many confusing and conflicting
reports given them by members of the
family and neighbors, police today will
go back to the disappearance itself in
an effort to learn if there was a mo-
tive for murder They pointed out
that several neighbors made state
ments to them at the time the boy
disappeared. They will question
these persons.