Evening star., 1941-10-16
Boy, 10, Held
With Two Girls,
Admits Staying
Victims Body Found
Near Conowineo Dam
After Youths Story
(Picture on Page Az

The story a 16-year-old Alex
andria (VaD boy who ran away Sun
day with two Alexandria high
school girls sobbed out to Portland
(Me) authorities of killing a man
with whom they hitch-hiked a ride
was corroborated today with the
finding of a body in the woods along
U. S. Highway No. near the
Conowingo Md Dam.
Acting on information given Port
land police by the three youngsters,
a reporter for a Baltimore news
paper, accompanying searching
parties of Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania State police, discovered the
BODY or miles south of ConoWingo
In spot described by the boy.
The three youngsters, held without
charge by Portland authorities, are
Herbert H. Cox, jr., 16; Ida Mae
Price, IS, and Leona Ellen Cunning
ham, IA, all of whom lived with
their parents in the Martha WASH
ington Trailer Camp in Alexandria.
Hunt for the body was started
after Cox gave Assistant County
Attorney Richard s. Chapman Of
Portland a description of his trip
With the man who gave him the
ride and the two girls a ride, and
said he Shot the man, a 38-year- old
carpenter, when he made ad-
vances' to one of the girls.
The body is believed to be that of
q. G. Browning, native of Mount
Olive, N. C. Maryland State police
notified Alexandria police to bring
friends of the slain man to head
quarters near Conowingo to make
the identification.
Browning had come here from his
home several weeks ago in search
| Of work on construction projects.
He had been living in the Alexan-
dria trailer camp for the last three
weeks.
His body was discovered in a
thicket surrounded by tall grass and
was lying face down, clothed in
blue trousers and shirt. 1t was COW
cred with blood, particularly around
the right eye. The pockets of the
suit were turned inside out and both
shoes were off One of the shoes
was found about IS feet away.
Boys Story of Staying.
The boys story pieced together by
authorities in Portland ran as fol-
| lows:
Cox and the two girls. students
at George Washington High School
in Alexandria, decided to go TO
| Portland in search of work and
were offered ride "as far as Balti-
more or farther" by a man they
knew as Browning, whom they had
met through friend. When they
got past Baltimore Sunday night or
early Monday, Browning made ad-
vances to the Price girl, seated be-
side him on the front seat. Young
Cox demonstrated, but Browning
paid no heed.
The boy, in the back seat with
the Cunningham girl. who is his
cousin, said he resented the idea
of a man that age getting fresh
with a young girl" and grew angrier
as Browning continued his advances.
Finally he drew an automatic pis-
tol and fired, hardly realizing what
he had done"
Hid Body In Woods.
The boy told Maine authorities he
was so excited. frightened and
| scared he did not know, but thinks"
he might have fired a second shot.
Then he pushed Browning's body
into the rear seat of the 194l model
coach and took the wheel. After he
had driven about 10 miles, he esti-
mated, he stopped. The body was
dragged into clump of woods be-
side the road and covered with
branches. Then the trio continued
on to Portland, arriving there Mon
day night
Both girls were stockingless and
the cherub-faced Leona Cunning
ham wore gray coat, plaid skirt
and pink blouse. The darkroom
pleXioned Price girl wore a gray
dress and toeleSs shoes. The Cox
boy wore short jacket.
The bows aunt, with whom they
were staying in Portland, became
suspicious when they left her home
in the car Tuesday morning, but
came back without it. Fearing it
was stolen, she reported the matter
to police. They found the car on a
lonely wooded road in Falmouth,
near Portland. Investigation showed
the front and rear seats were
stained with blood, some of it still
damp.
Upon questioning by police the boy
(See KILLING, Page Aid