Evening star., 1955-06-28
Trees Searched
For Weapon in
Park Sayings
Fort Meade Troops
Intensity Hunt for
Gun Thot Killed Girls

Fort Meade troops were
climbing every tree in Northwest
Branch Park today that hasn't
ALREADY been searched closely for
the rifle that killed two teen-age
girls there two weeks ago.
Twenty-six Signal Corps SOL
ldiers were the men who climbed,
Capt. Roland Sweitzer of the
Prince Georges County police
said this was the first in-
ltensive search of every tree in
the area. @
Mine detector crews also re-
turned for another electronic
I'1ook' at the grounds and park
stream.
Capt. Sweitzer said a few trees
were searched the day after the
Staying. They were in the i'm
mediate area where the bodies
were found.
Since then, detectives have
been able to inspect some trees
from the ground, he said. To-
days search will cover every tree
that men on the ground have not
definitely eliminated as a hiding
place for the weapon, he said.
Ground Scanned Again
Uniformed police walked oyei'
1.-THE ground again today, hoping
to uncover something not spotted
by the dozens of searchers who
have already covered the site.
One of the party came across
a piece of cardboard in a thicket.
lIt contained holes that might
have been made by bullets. Mine
ldetectors were to go over the
area where it was found. not far
from where the girls bodies were
discovered.
A drain opening in the field,
ALREADY explored once. was being
investigated again.
Police said the soldiers would
press the hunt all day. This
iafternoon the men were to move
to a thickly wooded region on
the west side of the stream.
"villa" Still Sought
Meanwhile. nothing new was
reported today on a tip that a
l"Pancho Villa" suspect was seen
lentering an apartment basement
near the scene the day Nancy
Marie Shomette. Is, and Michael
Ann Ryan. IA, died in a fusillade
of 90 slugs.
The "Pancho Villa" tip came
from a woman who said she
saw such q person enter an
apartment building near the
park the morning of the shoot
ling. She said he carried a rife
and wore the bandoliers which
lied police to dub him by the
I"Pancho" nickname.
Capt. Sweitzer was in charge
of the tree hunt. The Army sent
II men from the seth Signal
Battalion, and Is from the 578th
Signal Co.
The flrearm they're after has
definitely been established as a
90 Marlin, possibly semi i-auto-
matte.
II Weapons Tested
Seventeen .22s have already
been put through ballistics tests
by the Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation. Capt. Vincent Free, as
sistant superintendent of the
county police. said cruiser off,
GERS today were returning the
weapons already cleared.
At the scene, Capt. Sweitzer
lsaid he doubted detectives would
stage a re-enactment Of the
shooting today. With all the
activity in the trees, complicated
Iby the mine detector hunt
there would be too much con-
fusion to- set the scene of the
tragedy. he said.
Five teen-age boys, discovered
at the scene last night, were
questioned until police were
satisfied they were merely curl
Gus over the crime.
/ Nothing new has been re-
ported from police in Baltimore,
Connecticut, Philadelphia and
Wilmington, N. c. Those de-
partments we're asked to help
find a College Park man de-
scr;bed as a mental case. Police
said he has been sought three
weeks on a non-support charge.
IRfh Armored Div;e;or