Evening star., 1920-09-14
KUEHL|NG CLEARED
WHEN GRAND Jury
THROWS OUT CASE
Husband of River Victim Re-
leased From Custody
This Afternoon.
OFFICIALS BELlTTLE
= ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE
Prisoner Pried Panel From Door
Just to Show He Could
Do IT,

The federal grand jury this afternoon,
following an investigation of several
hours. OF the drowning of Mrs. Gertrude
Viger kuehling from a, canoe in the
Potomac river Wednssday.hight, ignored
the case. Roy-Aafper kuehling, her
husband. who was being held at the
tenth TFeeinct police station following
his exOnefation by coroner's jury yes
FteRday afternoon of responsibility for her
death. was released from custody this
afternoon.
Assistant United States Attorney
Archer decided to submit the matter to
thqp grand jury this morning, as an
nounced exclusively in The Star yester-
day.
The story Of an attempt by Kueh-
ling to escape from the tenth precinct
last night was not narrated to the
grand jury. it IS understood. The
police report that kuehling retained
a spoon with which he pried off the
molding around one of the panels of
the door Of the witness room, where
he was detained.
1t was not shown that he tried to
crawl through the opening and whe n
interrogated by the police is reported
to have said that he merely meant
ito show how easily he could have
escaped"
Action Laid to Nerves,
The action of the prisoner was due
it is thought. to his highly nervous
condition, caused by his detention aft
er being exonerated by the coroner's
jury. Attorney Darlington. who Wis
tied him last night. reported that he
was greatly excited and nervous.
1t was about o'clock yesterday
afternoon when kuehling reached the
tenth precinct police station. follow
Ing the reporting of a verdict of ac-
cfdental death by coroner's jury at
an inquest held at the morgue. He had
been more than satisfied that such a
verdict would be reached. and. ii is
stated. felt certain he would be given
his freedom. and when he was re-
turned to the police station he dis
played signs of restlessness.
Members or Capt. Judges tenth
precinct command thought his rest
lessness might have some significance
they said. and careful watch WAS
kept over, him during the night. He
was in a witness room and not a cell.
but after his early morning escapade
the police consigned him to a cell to
be kept there until the grand jury
INVESTIGATION is finished and report
submitted.
The witness room was used as
place for the detention of prisoners of
international repute during the war.
and, IT is stated, it's furnishings com-
pare favorably with those of second
class hotels. kuehling paced the floor
during the early hours of the evening
ana retired some time before midnight
but just when he arose and dressed is
not known. He was fully dressed,
however. when Sergt. Boyle and Police
men Jones and Adcock discovered he
had made an apparent effort to escape
Removes Tacks With spoon.
Pieces of broken tablespoon. sent
him with his meals. had been used. the
police believe. to draw tacks and re-
move panel from the door, making
an opening large enough for an ordi-
nary person to squeeze through. Police
found the prisoner also had torn the
wire screen partly from the window.
Removal of the screen meant nothing
to the occupant of the room. however,
for outside were strong iron bars Sc
curely fastened to the window frame.
tkuehhng; displaying signs of nerv-
BUSINESS and smarting under the strain
caused by his detention after receiving
an exoneration. had but little to say
when the police removed him from the
witness room to the cell.
He made no attempt to crawl
through the opening after he removed
the panel" said Capt Judge land
about all he had to say was that he
could have gotten out Of the room if
he had SO desired, but he did NOT
want to CO."
Kuehling was represented at the
inquest by Attorney Edmund Car
rington, while the government was
Attorney James B. Archer. Attorney
James S. Easby-Smith. representing
Mrs. Felice Ryan, sister of Mrs.
Kuehling. in the matter of the in
terests Of Mrs. Kuehling's five-year-
old child, also was in attendance.
duced by the police had been taken
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