Evening star., 1941-11-26
Tests on Hat Reveal
Aqe Of Man Present
At LoveIess Killing
Womon's Gloves, Found
At Death Scene, Also Give
Clues in Virginia Murder

New information which may help
solve the mysterious murder of Ward
Loveless, Washington attorney, at
his country home in Loudoun
County, Va, sometime Sunday night,
was reported obtained today in tests
at the District Morgue Of a mans
brown felt hat and a woman's gloves
found in his wildly disordered
breakfast room.
While the nature and results of
the tests were not announced, it was
indicated that investigators had
learned from the Morgue laboratory
the approximate age of the man who
wore the hat and the type and con-
dition of his hair.
Mr.. Loveless' own hat was found
on the lawn of the estate, where
apparently it had been discarded by
one of the slayers. who had picked
it up by mistake as they fled after
beating the lawyer brutally, riddling
him with bullets and stuffing his
body into a china closet.
A report on the tests was sent to
Charles Harrison, Loudoun County
commemorative attorney.
Prowler Theory Favored.
At the same time 1t was revealed
that District detectives. called into
the case at the request of Virginia
authorities, have come definitely to
the opinion that Mr.. Loveless was
killed by prowlers whom he sur
priSed on his return home from a
dinner party in Washington Sunday
night.
Mr.. Harrison and his investigators
at Leesburg clung to an opposite
theory. They continued to feel that
robbery was not the motive. The
evidence, they said, pointed to some
other motive, though what it might
be remained a puzzle.
Virginia authorities lnveStiga ting
the murder conferred for more than
an hour here this afternoon with
1t. Jeremiah T. Flaherty, chief of
the homicide squad, and other
Washington detectives. Questioned
by reporters later. the Virginia in
veStigators-Mr. Harrison. Sheriff
L. P. Alexander and State Trooper
E. D. Helm-said they had nothing
new to report.
They said they had merely come
here to recheck evidence III the case
and to have their own fngerprin,s
taken so that they may be eliml-
mated from prints takec at the Love-
less home.
Do Not See Richey.
The investigators declared they
had not talked with Lawrence
Richey, former secretary to former
President Hoover, who attended a
dinner party with Mr.. Loveless Sum-
day night. 1t had been reported
earlier that they would interview
Mr.. Richey during their visit here.
After the conference with local
detectives the Virginia officials left
10 return to LeeSburg.
Police said 1t. Albert Carr of
Edgewood Arsenal, son-in-law of Mr..
Loveless, told them he had left a
.32-caliber revolver at the Loveless
home quite long time ago." but
indicating it was within the last
year This weapon is missing.
Recovered from the body and i'm
bedded in the walls we're bullets
from guns of two calibers-a 80 and
a .25 caliber. The smaller caliber
was of foreign make, according to
ballistics experts, and ammunition
for such pistol now is scarce in
this country
The Virginia authorities expressed
belief that chip, apparently from
the butt of a revolver, found at
the scene was not from the weapon
left by 1t. Carr, because that was
pearl-handled. and the chip was
from plastic material. Apparent
(see LOVELESs, Page 2-X)