Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-01
Police Probing
Grudge Motive
In Knife Killing
Nd. U. Stoff Quizzed
For Clues in Staying
Of Women Registrar

Of Women Registrar
Detectives today planned to
investigate possible "grudge"
motive in the knife Staying Of
Miss Alma H. Preinkert. registrar
at the University of Maryland.
Miss Preinkert, So. was slain
early yesterday by an intruder in
Pictures and Biographical Story About
Miss Preinkert. Poee B.
her home at 1886 Chaplin street
NV. The killer also slashed and
wounded Miss Preinkert's sister
Alvina, 80, as the latter tried to
stop the struggle.
Capt. Richard j. Felber, head
Of the homicide squad. said his
men will visit the university
campus to talk with friends and
associates of Miss Preinkert.
They will give special attention.
he said. to former employees who
may have been fired.
The slayer. who scaled a stolen
ladder to enter the home about
1:55 am. yesterday. was de-
scribed as medium dark
skinned colored man. between IS
and 40 years old. and of stocky
build.
He fed after the killing. his
dark jacket and checkered trous-
ers spattered with blood. Police
began an immediate roundup of
"Slashers" men with records Of
knife attacks-but homicide de-
tectives said they we're without .
definite suspect this morning.
Detectives asked police in near
by Maryland and Virginia coun-
ties to check their records Of
known criminals 20 weed out
those arrested for knife attacks
in the past
Man Found in Alley.
Police have picked up scores OF
suspects, one of them found loi-
| tering at l0:45 pm. last night
in an alley behind the woman's
home. He was released after
questioning.
! Another man arrested at 2 a m,
asleep in an automobile at Fiji
teenth and v streets NV, was
undergoing intense questioning,
1t. A. B. Hit, head OF. the third
inspection district, said.
He said the man wore rough
work clothes, and had no blood
on him, but tests were being
made to determine if the sus-
pect had any blood washed off.
Later police picked up a So
year-old bowling alley pinboy
walking in the 500 block of
Macarthur boulevard NV. and
took him to headquarters for
questioning
Capt. Felber said. however.
that none were considered good
suspects" although cards were
being made out on each for re-
call if desirable later.
Capt. Otto P. Fuss of the Thir-
tenth precinct, who with 1t.
Hit is in charge of a special
l0-man team of detectives
comblng the neighborhood. said
police are searching also for
six known housebreakers in the
area.
Nothing Taken at House.
Capt. Feloer, head of the
Homicide Squad, who described
the murder as very vicious, 1"
said detectives and plainclothes-
men are now seeking the killer
throughout the city. He said
they are concentrating on sus-
poets who are slightly unbal-
anced. in the habit of using mar
coticS, or likely to housebreak
with the methods used by the
murderer when under the in
f1uence of alcohol.
Although nothing was taken
in the killers haste to flee, purses
and other items were strewn
about the floor of the bedroom
where the attack occurred.
Capt. Felber reconstructed the
crime this way:
The sisters had been out play
ing bridge during the evening.
They returned home about / am.
Nearly an hour later, the killer
stole a Stepladder from the rear
of a rooming house at 1451 Bel
mont street NV, near the
Prelnkert home.
He placed the ladder against
the west side of the yellow clap
board house and climbed to a
window about 10 feet from the
ground. He broke the glass and
reached inside to unfasten the
lock.
Enters Middle Bedroom.
The window leads to the living
room. From there he made his
way to the middle bedroom on
the second floor. where Miss
Alma lay sleeping.
She apparently awakened as
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