The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-09-30
Unable Do Identifv Pistol.

I L
on the pistol located by the police in
the secondhand store
Unable To Identify Pistol.
The next pistol witness was Robert p.
Bailey. a street Inspector, Of 2I5 c street
northwest He. too, was called by the
police TO show that the gun in evidence
was Harris
This witness said that he had several
times handled NOrval's pistol. and yet
Re was unable TO say more than that
II looked like the one he had seen He
admitted that the one before him bore
a general resemblance TO many others
he had seen There was no marx, he
said, by which he could possibly identify
the revolver
Mr.. Bailey complicated the pistol in
qulTy q little more by observing that the
holster which he had seen NOrvaI with
greatly mistaken The one put IN evil
dence, which was turned over 70 Nil
bern after his brothers death, and which
was taken from NorvaIs pocket after
his body was found, Is OF tan leather
The efforts Of the police to connect the
pistol in evidence with the death OF Nor
val Harris received a blow when they
placed Bicycle OFFICER Grant. OF the Fourth
precinct on the stand to show that the
weapon had been fired within a Few
hours Of its disposition to the second
hand man. and further that It bore evil
deDCeS when recovered BY them OF
having lain in sand
The dead mans pistol. with which the
police claim he took his own lie, -
supposed 10 have been picked up out OF
this bit OF sand by some unknown per
son who happened along there that
night
30 direct evidence has yet been heard
that Harris had q pistol with him that
night, and the police have thus lar
failed 70 bring forward the man VINO
picked I'D the weapon, II one was mere
According 10 the testimony Of the Of
-rzr-
took the weapon direct from the second
hand shop where ne got II 10 the
Fourth precinCt station, and there he and
Lieutenant Father made an eXdnlna-
ton of its parts In one chamber was
found a black substance resembling
burned powder, also number OF little
granules which he called sand Similar
little granules were extracted from the
barrel These. too, he said were sand
DO not smOkeless powder explosions
leave in the parts little granules resena-
ling SandZ' asked Attorney Lambert
Officer Grant replied No.
Officer Makes Admissions.
In answer to a question designed TO
explain the presence Of the burnt pow
der in the weapon, which was put by
the attorney, Grant admitted that such
traces can be found IN pistol two or
three days after the explosion OF the
cartridge
Grant admitted that ne had carried
the gun loosely in rs rocket without
any protection fTOy-I any dirt that might
have been in the pocket
Dealer Rosenberg was called TO iden-
tify the weapon as the one which he
purchased shortly after the finding OF
tie body. He said the pistol shown
him by the Coroner was the same one
the number. which he Identified He
then repeated the description which he
had already given the police Of the
negro from whom he had bought it
Rosenberg then east some doubt on
where the sand that Grant and the DO
lice found in the gun came from by say
ing that when Grant recovered the gun
at the secondhand store the policeman
inserted a roll or paper IF the barrel Of
the gun, twisted the parer and then only
brought out the blaCE burnt powder
Rosenberg said that no So ad came out
at that time
Both Mnberu Harris and Mr. Bailey
gave evidence tending 70 dispro3e the
theory Of the police that Harris recent
II purchased a gun.
The testimony OF these two witnesses
as well as that Of Mr. and Mrs COIVin. Z
given " Wednesday went 10 show that
NOrval Harris was in the habit OF
carrying pistol long before that date. /
1IIlbeTu SAYS his brother had a pistol
as long ago as three years Mr.. Bailey
ling the one in evidence before last
Christmas Mr. and Mrs COlviu-S
knowledge on this point dates as far
back as last April
Saw Pistol IN Room
Robert z Harris. an uncle, said that
he saw q pistol In his nephew-s room
before that July date
Milbern Harris and Mr.. Bailey also
gave evidence upon other phases Of the
mystery The former said that when
ne was here on a visit about tie middle
Of August, his brother was in his usual
good spirits and that he handed him a l
card bearing the name Of an Italian
cafe in Baltimore saying that II he /
tAlloernb would meet him there ne
would show him . good time
The two made the appointment 10
meet there on September (. which date
was week after NorvaTs death
The police have attempted 20 elicit /
fr0rS several witnesses since the fnvpS-
LEGATION By the jury began statements /
10 the effect that NOrval Harris was
at times Respondent
Ar Bailey was able 20 enIighten the
jury a. TO the mental condition Of H9r-
us on the afternoon Of the dav on
which II IS supposed by the police that |
ne killed himself Mr. Baf1ev testified
tnat ne was N company with NOrvaI /
on Saturday afternoon. August y. be-
tween $50 and O'Clock, and that there
was nothing unusual the matter with
him then
Mr. Bailey admitted, when questioned
b. MT- Lambert, that NUrvaI Harris /
was always of quiet, retiring dfSpo-
SIJlOn- ana he could not positively state
that there was any marked change in /
Just previous TO his death
No Symptoms of Melancholia.
Mr.. jana, a fellow woodman Of Nor |
walls and a member Of the special com
mittee appointed by the Washington /
camp 10 investigate his mysterious /
death told the jury on Wednesday thar
ne saw NOTval on the excursion boat
Saturday night August -. and that he
observed no symptoms Of melanchoI.a /
The testimony Of Robert E Harris /
the uncle with whom Norval lived and
who had authority over him in his i
work, highly praiSinE his nephew 10y
atty and high sense Of duty. in the
opinion of F,any, negatives strongly the 4
theory Of suicide adhered to BY the DO /
lice
The fact, cited by the uncle on the i
stand that on Saturdey =, August =, he 4
gave NOTval s. due another District en-
ploye for work, and that the man never 4
received the money, has already been 4
exploited TO show that NOTVaI did not
take his own life. for il Is insisted that d
he would have either paid the man OF
made some provision for payment be-
fore doing so
SHE officers who have all along MAIN 4
tanned that all the letters in evidence