Evening star., 1953-11-01
Curious Case of the Slain Deer
By Jock Jonas

rOOSt in the trees mapped Cnelr
wings noiSily, frightened by the
flashlights the guards carry be-
cause there are no street lights
on the grounds.
At 6 am. last Sunday, the
seven heavy, closely barred gates
were opened and the Zoo began
to prepare for its Sunday crowd.
At 8 am, the three men
on the midnight police shift
checked out.
An hour and half later,
Sidney Johnson, a keeper,
entered the deer barn carrying
grain for his charges.
What he found as he stepped
through the door touched of a
wave of rage from Washington
citizenry and a full-scale police
investigation involving top-f1ight
detectives and technical experts.
Pool of Blood at Door.
A deer, one of the Zoos
friendliest animals, had been
slaughtered in its pen and carted
away.
Mr.. johnson had almos t
stepped in the pool of blood
near the barn door. From there.
a trail of blood led outside across
the deer run to a Seven-foot
fence, placed there to protect
the Zoos deer from the public
as much as to keep them from
Straying. Blood and hair we're
found on the fence.
Mr.. Johnson called Frank
Lowe, the head keeper. and Mr..
Lowe called 9th precinct police
and the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation.
A short time later, this mes
sage was on the police teletype:
Larceny from Government
property. Capt. William James
of the National Geological Park
reports for DR.. William Mann,
superintendent of the National
Geological Park, that a Virginia
deer (doe), 18 months old, tan
in color, 165 pounds, very tame,
was stolen from the deer barn
of the Zoo park between 1:30
pm. 10/24/53 and 8:45 am.
1O/25/53.
Evidence at scene indicates
the deer was killed before being
removed from the enclosure. A
pool of blood in the barn and
drops of blood were found lead
ing from the barn. Also blood
and hair found on seven-foot
fence, which indicated the deer
was pushed over fence. Value of
deer not known. No suspects"
Not Difficult But Rare.
The special crime squad
of the second inspection district,
headed by 1t. George H. Robson,
was assigned to the case. At
police headquarters downtown,
Detectives Frank E. Wright and
Joseph Loughrin of the general
assignment squad, were directed
to aid.
1T was not a difficult crime to
commit" 1t. Robson said, but
it is a rare one"
After a careful investigation of
the scene by the detectives and
technical experts, police had
this theory: The deer was slain
after the gates opened at 6 am.
last Sunday.
THE deer were as tame as
could be-" 1t. Robson pointed
out. "It would be easy to coax
one to stand still. pet it a little,
and then stick a knife in its
neck"
Probably COaxed Inside.
The fact that the blood was
found inside the barn door led
police to their theory that it
was a daylight killing. They
said the intruder apparently
coaxed the deer inside, out of
sight, and then killed it.
"It could have been the work
of one man, but it seems more
likely that two or more in
volved," 1t. Robinson said. The
deer, he added, weighed more
than 100 pounds, and would have
been a little too heavy for one
man to handle.
Guards, who check the Zoo
grounds regularly at 6 pm, 1880
pm, 1915 pm, 1890 am, 3:15
am, and $50 am, neither
heard nor saw anything suSpi-
ciouS.
In Isolated Area.
The deer pens, however, are
in an isolated part of the Zoo.
and are not checked too closely.
Zoo police pointed out that at
this time Of the year. with most
of the leaves still on the trees,
it is not possible for the guards
to see the deer barn from the
closest point at which they pass
Vegetation at the Zoo also
makes it easy for anyone who
wishes to invade the grounds
at night to escape detection. They
recalled that three weeks before,
a man had been seen climbing a
fence at the southwest edge of
the grounds. but that guards who
secured the area were unable
to find him.
The deer pens are close to Rock
Creek, and where the creek cuts
through the Zoo property, there
is no fence Police said that be-
cause of the drought, the creek
was at a low point, and that it
would have been possible to wade
through the creek, carrying the
deer.
They discounted this theory
however. since the trail of blood
ended just outside the deer pen
fence.
On Tuesday, Pvt. Arthur E
Austin of the Zoo police, climbed
the fence at the deer pen to see
if it would hold his weight. As
he reached the top. he spotted q
clue which had been overlooked
in previous investigation.