Evening star. [volume], September 30, 1929, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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WEATHER. -
(0. 8. Weather Bureau Forecast.)
Cloudy and cooler tonight and tomor
row. probably occasional rain.
Temperatures: Highest. 88. at 3 p.m.
yesterday; lowest. 64. at noon today.
Pull report on page 9.
Closing N. Y. Markets, Pages 14 and 15
y o i IOC
JN O.
M’PHERSON INDICTED
INTENT TO WRECK
GENEVA PARLEY IS
DENIED BY SHEARER
IN SENATE GRILLING
Tells Committee He Went to
Conference Only to Bring
Out America’s Side and
Facts of Naval Armament.
COMPANIES KNEW HIS
PURPOSE, HE DECLARES
Sear Admiral Beeves Testifies That
He Never Entertained or Ex
pressed a Hope That Sessions
Would Fail, in Answer to Pear
son Charge.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
William B. Shearer, charged
with having gone to the Geneva
naval conference in 1927 in the
pay of American shipbuilders to
break up the conference, today
told the Senate investigating
committee that he had not gone
there to break up the conference
nor had he ever claimed that he
did so.
"A fair treaty or no treaty and
the right to build 10,000-ton
cruisers was the strongest state
ment I ever made,” declared
Shearer.
The “base drum” of the Geneva
conference, as Shearer has been
termed, held the center of the
stage at the Senate investigation
this morning. He denied em
phatically that he had ever been a
spy, as has been charged in some
quarters, or that he had been ar
rested or charged with any crime.
He himself repeatedly charged the
Senate committee with treating
him unfairly. Some of his rapid
fire exchanges with the committee
threw the whole committee room
Into bursts of laughter.
Says Companies Knew His Alms.
Shearer told the committee that he
had gone to Geneva to bring out Amer
ica’s side of the controversy over naval
armaments, and that he had brought
out the facts. He said that the three
shipbuilding companies which employed
him knew his purpose In going to
Geneva and his activities there.
He said that he had always been for
a fair agreement on naval limitations i
which would do justice to America. He
declared that he had never done any
thing to fustrate such an agreement.
“My activities never were criticized
by the American delegation at the
Geneva conference in 1927, that I know
of,” said Shearer.
Before Shearer took the stand, Rear
Admiral J. M. Reeves, one of the naval
experts accompanying the American
delegation to the Geneva conference,
testified that he never had entertained
or expressed a hope that the Geneva
conference would not succeed.
Denies Pearson Statement.
Admiral Reeves’ testimony was given
In refutation of a statement made last
week before the committee by Drew
Pearson, a newspaper correspondent,
who said that he had heard Admiral
Reeves, then a captain, in the company
of Shearer, express a hope that the
conference would not succeed.
The testimony of Shearer today took
up the so-called Scotland Yard record
' of Shearer, which also was referred to
by Drew Pearson in his testimony be
fore the committee. Shearer told the
committee he had learned from other
American newspaper correspondents in
* Geneva that Alvin Johnson, corre
apondent for the New York World, had
ahown a copy of this document to sev
eral other newspaper men. Bhearer said
that a few days before the conference
ended, he went to Johnson’s hotel and
demanded the document. Johnson, he
said, handed it to him.
"I told him he should be ashamed of
himself,” said Shearer, “to seek to
Slacken my character when I was work
ing in the interests of America at the
conference.”
Shearer said that he had not
threatened Johnson or laid hands on
him. He said that Johnson had
apologized for using the document par
ticularly as he had been a guest at
Shearer's house.
Johnson admitted to him, Shearer
said, that the alleged Scotland Yard
record had been given Johnson by the
head of the British secret Service at
* (Continued on Page 5, Column 2.)
VATICAN-SOVIET PACT
MOVES ARE REPORTED
9r th« Associated Press.
ROME, September 30 —Tevere, Rome
daily, today said the Vatican was ne
gotiating with the Soviet Union for
resumption of relations, Eugenio Pacelli,
papal nuncio at Berlin, conferring with
Ambassador Krestlnsky.
The paper understands that the Mos
cow government does not desire to
recognize the Catholic hierarchy offl
* daily or to admit Pious associations of
schools or for public propaganda, but is
willing to return the chufches to the
Roman Catholics.
It was said the Holy See was in
clined to accept the conditions in order
to end jarsacutions
Kntered as second class Irmtter
post office, Washington, D. C.
/OH, HOW \
HURRICANE MOVES
TO NORTH FLORIDA
Storm 75 Miles Southeast
of Pensacola —Nassau’s
Deaths Cut to Six. *
PENSACOLA, Fla., September 30
UP). —Barometric pressure here had
dropped to 29.36 shortly before 9
a.m. today and the weather bureau
rs>orted that the velocity of the
wind was 54 miles an hour and
steadily increasing.
By the Associated Press.
The West Indian hurricane, with
estimates of its intensity lowered by re
vised reports of damage to the Ba
hamas, whirled northwestward across
the Gulf of Mexico today and caused
moderate gale winds to be felt as far
inland as Tallahassee, Florida's capital
city.
The Washington Weather Bureau
placed the storm at 8 a.m. about 75
miles southeast of Pensacola and
warned that indications were that the
disturbance would cross the coast line
near that city this afternoon attended
by winds of hurricane force. Storm
warnings were changed to hurricane
warnings along the Alabama and Missis
sippi coasts.
A wind which attained a maximum
velocity of 53 miles an hour was re
ported at Pensacola at 8 a.m. today,
but the absence of telephone or tele-
I graph communications prevented the
transmission of news regarding condi
tions at Apalachicola, fixed as the east
ern terminus of the hurricane-warned
area In the Weather Bureau’s advisory
of yesterday. Gale winds, however,
were reported at Apalachicola as early
as midnight.
The Miami Daily News announced
the receipt of a wireless dispatch from
Nassau, capital of the Bahamas, say
ing that property damage wrought by
the high winds of last week which were
experienced over a 48-hour period were
not as severe as was first thought and
chat there were only six known deaths
In Nassau, instead of 20 as previous
messages had said. Nassau utilities
again were functioning normally, it
was said.
News of the safe arrival in Nassau of
the motor vessel Isle of June, which
had been unreported since leaving
Miami a week ago, reduced the number
of ships believed to be In distress to the
Italian steamer Sallna, aground off
Manzanillo Reef, and the Danish
steamer Scandia, reported a total wreck
off the Bahamas. At least one tug was
going to the aid of the three members
of the crew of thirty yet aboard the
Domlra. British freighter which founded
in the Bahamas.
SHIPS WRECKED IN STORM.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., September 30
(A I ).—Northwest Florida and the tiny
strip of Alabama coast on the Gulf of
Mexico prepared today for the advent
of the tropical storm which swept
northwestward after rounding the
Florida peninsula from'the Bahama
Islands.
Predictions from the Government
Weather Bureau that the storm would
strike with hurricane intensity some
where between Apalachicola, Fla., and
Mississippi coast caused the populace
to take precautions against possible
danger.
Rising winds and falling barometers
were noticed along the shore line from
Apalachicola to Pensacola and com
munications were disrupted into the
Apalachicola area.
48-Mile Wind Blowing.
Unofficial estimates said a 40-mile
wind was blowing, with occasional rain
squalls.
Meanwhile, distressed shipping, left
in the wake of the Bahaman hurricane,
held a prominent place in the spotlight,
with rescue craft speeding through the
stormy Atlantic. Their destinations
were the Italian steamer Salina, aground
off Manzanillo Reef: the Danish steamer
Scandia, a wreck off the Bahamas, and
the British freighter Domira, which ran
aground off Great Abaco last Tuesday.
There still was no word of the Isle
of June, which left Miami the day
before the hurricane for Nassau.
No distress was reported from ships
in the Gulf of Mexico as the storm
center moved up from the tip of Flor
ida. Minor damage was Inflicted to
the lower West Coast as the gale from
the storm center at sea swept a grad-
Jut 2. Column 8J
%\\z lEbming
WASHINGTON,' D. C., MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1929-FIFTY PAGES. ***
Grant Studies Plan
for Fountain to Add
to Tidal Basin Charm
i Lieut. Col. U. S. Grant, 3d.
director of the Office of Public
Buildings and Public Parks, has
under consideration the erection
[ of an electric fountain in the
Tidal Basin, near the boathouse.
His office is engaged in studying
the feasibility of placing appa
ratus at that point to send a jet
of water up from the Tidal Basin,
as another attraction for the
motorists and pedestrians who
frequent that section of the city’s
parks.
Col. T. A. Bingham, the officer
in charge of public buildinga and
public parks at the close of the
last century, suggested the con
struction of such a fountain in
that part of the Tidal Basin,
officials of Col. Grant’s office re
called today.
BOSH IS NAMED
WHITE SOX PILOT
Succeeds “Lena” Blackburne
as Manager of Chicago
American Team.
Br the Associated Press.
CHICAGO. September 30. —Donie
Bush, former manager of the Pittsburgh
Pirates, will pilot the Chicago American
League base ball club next year, the
White Sox management announced
today.
Bush succeeds Russell “Lena” Black
burne, and has signed a two-year con
tract beginnig next year. Blackburne
will finish this season.
Charles A. Comiskey, owner of the
club, did not reveal the terms of the
contract with Bush.
Blackburne has managed the White
Sox almost two years, succeeding Ray
Schalk in the middle of the 1928 sea
son. At that time he was assistant to
Schalk.
Made Debut With Nats.
Donie Bush’s debut as a major league
manager was with the Washington club
in 1923, following his acquisition from
Detroit two years before at the waiver
price. Bush that season landed the
Nationals in fourth place, two notches
higher than they had finished the sea
son before under the guidance of Clyde
Milan; but at the end of his first cam
paign as pilot he was supplanted by
Bucky Harris, who led the team to two
straight pennants.
STUDYCLUBOWNER
FACES DEATH CHARGE
Manslaughter Warrant Is Issued
Against Proprietor of Cabaret
in Which 22 Died.
By the Associated Press.
DETROIT, September 30.—Martin
Cohn, proprietor of the Study Club,
Detroit cabaret, in which 22 persons
lest their lives in a fire 10 days ago,
was charged with manslaughter in a
warrant signed today by Judge Chris
topher E. Stein in Recorder’s Court.
Three downtown Detroit night clubs
were forced to turn away week end j
i patrons as the result of a closing older
Issued by Mayor John C. Lodge. The
clubs affected were Luigi’s, the Club
; Lido and the Kit Kat, all of which
| were paid surprise visits by the mayor.
,! who is making a check-up of the city's
i i amusement places to avoid a repetition
> of the Study Club disaster.
I • Mayor Lodge indicated today that
' the establishments may be reopened
1 if the fire marshal assures him that
i exits at the three clubs are ample to
. permit patrons to escape quickly in
case of a panic. Should the fire mar
shal report that certain Improvements
are necessary to remove the haz
ards, the mayor indicated he would
withhold bis permission to reopen until
these improvements have been made.
Mayor Lodge’s visits were unannounced.
He was accompanied by Inspector Wil
liam T. Doyle ana two officers from
~ central staliffifc
MYSTERY SHOOTING
PROBED BY POLICE
Woman Is Wounded in Arm
at Home—Had Reported
Threats of Another.
By • Staff Correspondent ot Tha Star.
ARLINGTON COUNTY COURT
HOUSE, Va., September 30.—The police
, of Arlington County today were con
ducting an investigation of the mys
terious shooting, at her home in Bon
Air this morning, of Mrs. Susie Smith.
Mrs. Smith was treated by Dr. Stacey
T. Noland for a bullet wound in the
arm. Her condition is not serious.
According to Deputy Sheriff Harry
Woodyard, Mrs. Smith has called him
several times recently to report that her
life was being threatened by another
woman, whose Identity she did not
know. An investigation made several
days ago by Policeman Raymond Crack
brought forth the Information that Mrs.
Smith was being accused by the uni
dentified woman of having stolen the
latter's husband.
This morning, according to Mrs.
Smith, she was out feeding her chick
ens and because of the threats had
placed apistol in a pan containing the
feed. Suddenly, she said, her adversary
appeared and fired two shots at her.
She retaliated with four shots, none of
which she thinks took effect. _
Policeman James D. East, after talk
ing with Mrs. Smith, started an inves
tigation to determine the identity of the
woman’s assailant. All that he had
been able to learn, however, from Mrs.
Smith is that the other woman lives in
Washington.
Police are pinning their hopes of
identlficatio*' upon the statement made
to Crack b> another resident of Bon
Air that leads him to believe that the
identity of Mrs. Smith’s assailant is
known.
CAPTAIN AND CREW SAVED
FROM STORM-DRIVEN SHIP
Br the Associated Press.
NEW ORLEANS, La.. September 30.
—A terse message telling of the rescue
of 29 men. comprising the crew of the
steamship Wisconsin Bridge, the mas
ter of the vessel and the only passen
£er, in the Florida Straits, near Abago
iland. yesterday, was received last night
from the captain of the steamship Carl
ton of New Orleans, by the Tampa-
Interocean Co., owners of the latter
vessel.
The message, sent by Capt. John E.
Fish of the Carlton, told nothing of
the intensity of the hurricane.
The Wisconsin Bridge was last re
ported coaling at Norfolk. Va. She is
out of San Francisco. The Carlton Is
due at New Orleans Wednesday.
, . - ——-ffi ■ ■ . .
Greek Patriarch Diea.
CONSTANTINOPLE, September 30
UP). —Greek Patriarch Vassilos, Pope of
the Eastern Christians, died yesterday
at the age of 79. He was the third to
bear that name and was elevated to
the patriarchy in 1901.
‘Sweet Adeline’ Song
Causes Chicagoan to
Get Bullet in Leg
Br the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, September 30.—1 n
Chicago it has sometimes been
known as suicide to reach for the
hip pocket, even for a handker
! chief. Paul Heller. 22. with a
! bullet In his leg, was thinking
about it today.
Heller was singing “Sweet Ade
line” out Clark street way last
: 1 night and Policeman Albert Rick
ert had no ear for the tune. He
told Heller to move on and shut
up.
Heller’s hand went to his hip
pocket. The officer had an idem
that this was no Idle gesture. He
knew what some times is kept in
hip pockets—guns. He decided to
fire first, and he did. With a
bullet in his leg, Heller dropped,
and when he fell the bottle Os
liquor in his hip pocket was
smashed.
“Such gratitude,” he said, sad
ly. “I was only going to offer you
a drink.”
MRS. GANN’S RIGHTS
WAIVED BY CURTIS
FOR LADY ISABELLA
Wife of British Envoy to Hold
Ranking Position at Pre
mier’s Dinner.
STIMSON ANNOUNCES
VICE PRESIDENT’S ACT
Society Is Reported Aroused to
High Pitch Over His Sister's
Plan* to Return Hera.
Br the Associated Press.
Vice President Curtis has waived the
rights of precedence for his sister and
official hostess, Mrs. Dolly Curtis Gann
at the state dinner to be held at the
White House in honor of Prime Minister
Ramsay MacDonald.
Secretary Stimson in announcing this
today said the Vice President had
graciously waived his sister's precedence
in favor of Lady Isabella Howard, the
wife of the British Ambassador, who
will be the ranking British lady at the
dinner.
Simultaneously Stimson disclosed
that Prime Minister MacDonald had
asked that his daughter Ishbel, who is
’ accompanying him on the trip to visit
President Hoover, not be regarded of
, fleially fA ceremonious functions held
while he is in the United States.
In Next Position.
I Stimson said he assumed that the
arrangement, which he described as
not permanent, would place Mrs-Conn
in the next position to Lady Isabella.
The State Department head described
the Vice President’s action as especially
gracious and appropriate in view of the
fact that Sir Esme Howard together
with the diplomatic corps last April had
made a provisional arrangement where
i by Mrs. Gann at official and ceremon
. ious diplomatic functions would be ac
. corded the position In precedence which
. is normally given a wife of the Vice
President.
The action of the Vice President will
. dispose of the troublesome question of
precedence which arose when Mrs.
, Gann decided she would return to
[ Washington from her home in Topeka,
. Kans., in time for the premier's visit
. to the Capital.
In Higher Position.
Since she will be in Washington at
the time of the ceremonies, she would
; have been accorded a position superior
’ to Lady IsabeUa. No question of her
standing at the dinner to be given at
the British embassy Fill arise, however,
; since Stimson has been invited as the
I ranking guest, the embassy having
, always made it a point never to invite
. any one who would outrank the Secre
tary of State whfle he was a guest at
’ an embassy dinner.
The question of Mrs. Gann's seating
, at the dinner which Stimson will give
. to the prime minister also will be
, avoided, since it will be an informal
“stag” afiair. •
Social Washington was surprised, and
its Interest aroused to a high pitch,
upon learning today that Mrs. Gann
will be in Washington.
Interest in Mrs. Gann's rank as a
guest at official dinners had been on the
wane, in view of expectations that she
would remain in Topeka and that Mrs.
Alice Longworth, wife of the Speaker
of the House, whose rank in relation
to that of the Vice Presidents sister
frequently enters discussion of the sub
ject, also would be out of the city.
Returns Here Saturday.
Mrs. Longworth, whose husband is
not expected to return to Washington
for some time, has disclosed no intention
of coming here during the Prime
Minister's visit. Mrs. Gann, however, is
expected back in her brother's house
hold Saturday, one day after Mr. Mac-
Donald's arrival.
That means she will be seated at the
White House dinner in honor of the
distinguished visitor. Naturally, nothing
has been said about the place she will
be assigned.
Twp of the three other principal social
functions arranged for the Prime Min
ister’s entertainment which involve the
question of precedence will both be
i “stag” affairs.
One will be the luncheon at the Brit
ish embassy Saturday, at which Mr.
Curtis will be the ranking guest. Mr.
MacDonald will be the host. Sir Esme
Howard, the British Ambassador, having
relinguished the privilege of serving as
host in his own residence so that his
chief might have this opportunity to
, repay some of the social obligations he
will incur.
Another “Stag” Affair.
The other “stag” affair will be Sec
retary StimsoiVs dinner to the prime
minister October 9. The decision not to
invite the wives and hostesses of guests
has been explained as dictated by the
Secretary’s desire to relieve Mrs. Stim
son, who has been ill, of the burden of
serving as hostess.
The dinner to be given by the British
Ambassador to Mr. MacDonald October
8 will not be a “stag” affair, but the
question of Mrs. Gann's rank does not
enter Into the seating arrangements.
In accordance with long-established cus
tom for such functions, no guest out
ranking the Secretary of State will be
invited, so he and Mrs. Stimson will be
accorded unquestioned precedence.
The Ambassador, who as dean of the
diplomatic corps attempted to settle
the social controversy over Mrs. Gann's
rank some months ago by announcing
that she would be given the recognition
customarily granted only to a Vice
President’s wife at official diplomatic
dinners, is expected to invite Mr. Cur
tis and his sister to the reception which
will follow his dinner to the prime
minister.
Published suggestions that this ar
rangement involves a slight to Mr.
Curtis and Mrs. Gann are denied by
embassy officials, who point out that
tha Vice President could not properly
.be invited to the dinner because he
ttu» secretary of State.
„
| Faces Murder Charge
- MIR
Jr ~tW
gigSt
Robert a. McPherson.
9 TEXTILE MURDER
CHARGES QUASHED
r
i 13 Workers Still Face Sec
ond-Degree Slaying Trials
in Carolina,
i
By the Associated Presa.
CHARLOTTE, N. C., September 30
Charges against 13 men charged with
murder in connection with the death
of O. F. Aderholt, chief of police of
Gastonia, today were reduced from first
degree to second-degree murder. The
reduction was announced by Solicitor
John G. Carpenter when the special
i term of Mecklenburg Superior Court
i opened to attempt for the third time
to try the case.
| Announcing nolle pressing of the
: murder charges against nine of the
defendants, the solicitor said that Fred
Erwin Beal of Lawrence, Mass., South
ern organizer for the National Textile i
Workers Union; George Carter, Mizpah, j
N. J. t union member and tent colony
i guard; Clarence Miller, New York Com
! munist party worker; Joseph Harrison,
j Passaic, N. J., union organizer, and j
, ! William McGinnis, Louis McLaughlin
j and K. Y. Hendricks, all union mem
! bers of Gastonia would be tried.
May Renew Charges.
The charges were dropped, the solic
j j itor announced, with the reservation
| that they might be renewed later if
' I developments warrant.
.! The nine persons ordered freed of the
, j murder charge are Amy Schechter,
1 1 Vera Buch and Sophie Melvin of New
; j York, and Russel Knight, Delmar
i Hampton, N. F. Gibson. K. O. Byers.
!J. C. Heffner and Robert Allen, all
j Gastonia strikers.
I The solicitor also announced that
;charges of assault preferred against
seven other persons not involved in
the murder case also would be dropped.
Charges of felonious assault preferred
• | against the nine persons released of the
I! murder charge also were nolle prossed.
,! These charges grew out of the wound
. j Lng of A. J. Roach, Thomas Gilbert
i and Charles Ferguson, officers, at the
. I same time Aderholt was shot.
,
FAVORS HIGHER PAY
FOR MILL WORKERS
North Carolina Governor Is Re
ported Urging Change in
Textile System.
■ By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, September 30—The
; New York Times today said that Gov.
. O. Max Gardner of North Carolina, in
i an interview today at Raleigh, urged
higher wages, shorter hours,’ abolition
. of the mill village and company hous
: ing system and closer co-operation be
■ tween capital, labor and the State as
a cure for the ills of the Southern tex
tile Industry.
The governor expressed the opinion
; that in view of the complex nature of
; the problems confronting the Southern
! textile industry, the solution may have
; to be applied by the co-operation of
J the various States concerned. In this
; connection, the Times said, it was un
derstood that the governor may call
a conference of his fellow State ex
ecutives to discuss the question.
The governor denied that there is
, any dislocation of Industry in his State,
. but admitted that it is confronted with
. economic and social readjustment which
| calls for intelligent co-operation of all
factors.
I "Violence, communism and appeal to
class hatred are not going to solve the
problem,” the governor said. "This ap
! plies to all elements responsible for
, violence.”
"Communism, by its violent and ven
' omous propaganda, its obvious attempt
’ to utilize the existing situation for its
own ulterior, subversive revolutionary
j purposes, has served only to bedevil the
; issue, to toment high passion and to
• interfere with an intelligent and dis
, passionate approach to the problem,"
; the governor added.
j FIREMEN’S MULE BALKS.
. CONSTANTINOPLE. September 30
! OP). —Djelalie, in the Province of
. Silivri, a small Black Sea town, de
i pended upon a mule to carry water for
> its Fire Department.
Today, in a period of urgency, the
. mule balked, and so delayed combating
a small blaze that developed into a
’ conflagration and destroyed 62 houses,
; 20 granaries and many cattle,
r»■ ■ -
! Radio Program*—Pa£e 30
The only evening paper
in Washington with the
Associated Press news
service.
UP) Means Associated Presa.
GRAND JURY CHARGES
DELIBERATE MURDER;
HUSBAND ARRESTED
Special* Report Says He Mali
ciously Caused Death of Woman
With Knotted Cord.
ACCUSED TAKEN IN CUSTODY
OUTSIDE GRAND JURY ROOMS
Decision Is Reached by Grand Jury Half
Hour After Testimony of Park
Lane Physician Is Heard.
The grand jury, after indicting McPherson, filed a special
report after the McPherson indictment recommending that In
spector William S. Shelby, in charge of the Detective Bureau,
and Lieut. Edward J. Kelly, chief of the homicide squad, be sus
pended from duty until their activity in connection with the
case could be investigated. Both men have insisted that Mrs.
McPherson’s death was suicide.
Robert A. McPherson, youthful husband of Mrs. Virginia Mc-
Pherson, who strangled to death with a pajama cord knotted around
her throat in the Park Lane Apartments two weeks ago, was indicted
for murder by the District grand jury today in ronnection with her
death.
McPherson was immediately placed under arrest.
In a special report to Justice Peyton Gordon of the District Su
preme Court the grand jury charged that McPherson deliberately and
maliciously strangled his wife to death with a strip of cloth fastened
around her neck.
The report declared that the young bank clerk “did kill and mur
der’’ his wife "felonously, willfully, purposely, and of his deliberate
and premeditated malice.”
i McPherson had been in the corridors outside the grand jury room
all day and promptly was taken into custody.
Announcement of McPherson's arrest was made to Justice Gor
don by Assistant District Attorney William H. Collins immediately
upon the presentation of the report by Merritt O. Chance, foreman.
“We, the jurors of the United States of America in and for the
District of Columbia aforesaid, upon their oath, do bring an indict
ment that one Robert A. McPherson, jr., of the District of Columbia,
' on the thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord, 1929,
jin the District of Columbia aforesaid, contriving and intending to
kill one Virginia McPherson, feloniously, willfully, purposely, and of
his deliberate and premeditated malice, in and upon her, the said
Virginia McPherson, then and there being, did make an assault;
and that in making the assault, as aforesaid, he. the said Robert A.
I McPherson, jr., so contriving and intending to kill her, the said Vir
ginia McPherson, feloniously, willfully, purposely, and of his delib
erate and premeditated malice, did put. fasten, and bind, a certain
strip of cloth about the neck of her, the said Virginia McPherson,
and the said Robert A. McPherson, jr., with the certain strip of cloth
aforesaid, by him about the neck of her, the said Virginia McPherson,
so put, fasten and hind, then and there her, the said Virginia Mc-
Pherson, feloniously, willfully, purposely and in deliberate and
premeditated malice, did choke and strangle, 'from which said chok
ing and strangling she, the said Virginia McPherson, on the day and
year aforesaid, and at the District of Columbia aforesaid, did die.
“And so the grand jurors aforesaid upon their oath aforesaid,
say that he, the said Robert A. McPherson, jr., in this manner and
by the means aforesaid, feloniously, willfully, purposely and of his
deliberate and premeditated malice, did kill and murder; against the
form of the statute in such case made and provided and against the
peace and Government of the said United States.
“Signed, Leo A. Rover, attorney of the United States, in and for
the District of Columbia.”
The indictment is indorsed with the list of witnesses that ap
peared in the case.
Dr. Gorman Last Witness.
The decision of the grand jury was
reached within half an hour after it
had received the final testimony taken
in the case from Dr. Edward A. Gor
man. house physician at the Park Lane
Apartments, who pronounced the girl 1
dead and who had bene quoted as de
claring he was sure she had been mur
dered.
The grand jury locked the doois to
its hearing room at 2:30 o’clock and
not long thereafter word was sent to
the marshal to notify Justice Gordon
to get ready to receive the grand jury’s
report.
The jurors unlocked the doors and
began to emerge slowly from their
chambers at 2:45 o’clock, at which
time Justice Gordon entered the
Criminal Court room to receive the
grand jury.
The courtroom quickly v;as filled to
capacity with spectators, including a
large corps of newspaper men, wit
nesses who had testified in the case
and others.
The air in the courtroom was tense.
The’ grand jurors filed into the room
and formed a semi-circle in front of
the bench. The justice was handed sev
eral large packages of documents, pre
sumably containing routine indictments.
Justice Gordon skimmed over these
hastily and then Inquired if the grand
jury had anything further to report.
Foreman Chance took a step forward
and announced he had a special report
to give the court. He handed to the
judge a typewritten paper. .
McPherson Is Recalled.
Witnesses recalled today Included
McPherson, who spent the bet
ter part of the morning in the
corridors outside the grand jury
room, awaiting a call to enter.
With him were his mother and
father, and aunt and several boy
friends. McPherson was not
formally subpoenaed, but was told
to be on hand today if the jury de
cided to question him. The young
man disclosed that he was sitting
on a bench in Judiciary Square in
the rear of the courthouse all day
Saturday while reporters were
searching for him vainly in other
parts of the city.
Physician Summoned.
The new witness, Dr. Edward A. Gor
man, house physician of the Park Lane
Apartments, scene of the tragedy, was
summoned today as a result of dis
closure In The star yesterday that he
was the physician who pronounced
Mrs. McPherson dead and that he sub
sequently is reported to have told friends
it was his opinion the girl was not a
suicide.
Assistant District Attorney William
H. Collins, aiding the grand jury in its
dramatic inquiry, appeared surprised
that Dr. Gorman's name was not previ
ously Included in the list of grand Jury
mj that tha jbystrtan was
Saturday’s Circulation, 102,704
Sunday’s Circulation, 112,192
not called to testify before the coroner’s
jury at the inquest.
The grand jury proceeded rapidly
with its re-examination of witnesses
whose names already have been identi
fied with the investigation.
Policeman Robert J. Allen, whose
i murder theories and charges precipitat
ed the grand jury's extraordinary probe,
told at the courthouse today of a
telegraphic request he had received
from a sister of Mrs. McPherson that
he investigate the alleged disappearance
of a diamond ring which Mrs. Mc-
Pherson usually wore.
McPherson today declared that he
had taken money from his wife’s purse
after discovering her body and before
he summoned police. The report was
that he told police he found s4l in the
purse and removed it when, in the
company of Wilmer Ruff, manager of
the apartment house, he was looking
through Mrs. McPherson's effects for
possible notes. McPherson told to
The Star today that he removed the
money saying he had told the manager
he thought he had better keep It and
that the manager had agreed.
The telegram to Policeman Allen
from Mrs. V. C. Blackwelder of Chester,
S. C., read as follows:
“Investigate whereabouts of Mrs.
McPherson's diamond ring not found
on body. We wonder how it could be
removed with body in swollen condi
iton.”
"Lieut. Kelly told us the apartment
was in perfect order when the body was
found and Inspector Shelby reprimand
ed me when I triea to question It*
suicide theory."
The first witnesses examined this
morning were questioned relative to
the screams heard on the highj ihsi
Mrs. McPherson choked to death with a
pajama cord knotted around her neck.
Another witness was asked about the
report that a man was seen to leave
the McPherson apartment late In the
night, and still another witness was
questioned as to what the young hus
band said when first he reported to
th < apartment staff the discovery of his
wife’s body.
The witnesses questioned about the
screams were C. H. Lowe, and N. H.
Kent, occupants of apartments near
that in which Mrs. McPherson came to
her death. Each was In the jury room
but a few moments. Lowe declined
to discuss the nature of his testimony
and Kent declared upon leaving the
grand jury chamber that the "sum total
testimony I gave them amounted to
zero.”
Miss E. Chatfield, who had been re
ported as claiming she saw some one
climbing from the McPherson apart
ment on the fatal night as she looked
from the window of her apartment In
the Lombardy next door to the Park
Lane, denied having made any such
claim when questioned by reporters this
morning. Miss Chatfleld’s testimony re
garding the man would have supported
the statement of Policeman Allen that
he saw the figure of a man slinking
across a one-story roof outside the
McPherson apartment on the night the
young nurse died there.
TWO CENTS.