Evening star., 1941-10-23
Boy and Two Girls
Held 10 Jury Without
Bail in Staying
Remunded to Jail After
Preliminary Hearing
In Bel Air
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BEL AIR, Nd, Oct. 23.-Two
Alexandria (VaD girls and a boy
companion today were ordered held
without bail for action of the Har-
ford County grand jury on charges
of numbering Granger G.. Brown
ing. 40, on a wild ride that ended
in Portland, Me.
The action, which remanded the
young people to the county jail, was
taken by Magistrate Stanley S.
Spencer at a preliminary hearing
for the trio-Herbert H. Cox, jr., 16;
Ida May Price, Is, and Leona Ellen
Cunningham, IA.
Mr.. Browning's body was found
last Thursday in thicket near
Conowingo after the two girls and
the boy had been taken into custody
in Portland. Me. Mr.. Browning had
been shot in the head.
Tells of Finding Body.
Sheriff Walter E. Bennington, the
first witness, testified today on the
finding Of the body and as to how
he and his wife went to Portland
to bring the defendants back after
they had waived eXtradition.
Robert H. Archer Of Bel Air, who,
with Hanserd K. Presley of Wash
lngton. represent the defendants,
asserted 1--WE can show that as soon
as they got these children they
questioned them throughout the day
and night"
Mr.. Archer said the Cox boy was
so tagged out" that he fell asleep
when counsel tried to question him.
He also contended that any state
ments the three had made to officers
should not be admitted in evidence.
Magistrate Spencer asked Sheriff
Bennington whether Cox admitted
being in Hartford County. whether
he admitted the shooting and
whether the answers were given in
the presence of the sheriff and other
officers. Mr.. Bennington replied
yes to each question.
Shooting Scene in County.
Questioning by States Attorney
D. Paul McNabb showed that Mr..
Bennington and Sergt. j. j. Cassidy
of the State police took the girls to
the Baltimore City line Monday
night, then drove slowly back in an
effort to identify the exact scene of
the shooting.
Mr.. Bennington said that after
crossing over the Baltimore County
line the girls identified a Signboard
and the scene of the shooting was
placed SiX-tenthS of a mile within
Hartford County.
Present at the hearing were par
entS of the defendantS-Mr. and
Mrs. Herbert H. Cox, Mr.. and Mrs.
Arthur M. Price and Mr.. and Mrs.
Lindsay E. Cunningham. Also there
were Wellie w. Browning of Mount
Olive, N. c., and Marion M. Brown
ing OF Cove City, N. c., brothers of
the dead man.
Body Hidden in Woods.
The search for Mr.. Browning's
body was instituted after the Cox
boy told Portland authorities that
he and the two girls had run away
from their home in a trailer camp
near Alexandria October Il with Mr..
Browning, and that he had shot Mr..
Browning while their car was parked
north of Bel Air and later hidden his
body in clump of woods beside
Highway No. l. near the Maryland
Pennsylvania line.
The Cox boy, whose story was
corroborated by the two girls, ac-
cording to Portland police. first said
he had shot Mr.. Browning because
of improper advances" to one of
the girls, but later admitted he
wanted Browning's car to get to
Portland to search for work. He
had formerly lived in Portland and
was staying with an aunt, who be-
came suspicious that the car they
were driving might be stolen. A
search of the car showed bloodstains
in the rear seat.