New-York tribune., 1922-12-28
Seek Playmate
AS Unwitting
Slayer of Girl
s'oIice Believe Boy With
Christmas Rife Fired Shot
Accidentally, Then Fled
Mccarthy Home in Terror
Murder Theory Dropped
Story of Man in Sailor Hat
Seen Near Shooting Called
Neighborhood Il Gossip

The email ealibsr bullet that pierced
~ heart and killed instantly tsn-yeer-
"a Theresa Mccarthy IN the dining
sesm Of her home, at 562 Morgan Ave
sue. Brooklyn, about noon Tuesday. was
hrsd accidentally BY child, presuma-
bly, a playmate Of Theresa's. the police
we're convinced last night
The murdsE theory apparently has
been rejected By detectives working on
the ease. The Neutrality-suspicious. re-
port was dismissed a. neighborhood
gossip. Captain Daniel J. Carey, in
charge Of the llth Inspection District
detectives. and others made II clear
that they believed the person vho did
the shooting was a boy, and most like
" one living within short distance
OF the narrow stone stoop Of the Nc
Carthy home or IN The neighborhood
from which Theresa recently moved
an Italian section.
The pistol or rife from which the
ballet Sad been fred probably was a
Christmas present, the police believe.
aad was taken 20 the Mccarthy apart
Rent BY a child eager 70 show It TO
Theresa.
Frightened BY Death
Altar the weapon rad been dis
shSrRed and Theresa had fallen. ac.
eording 20 the police theory, the child
holding the pistol or rife. frightened
and excited, left the apartment through
fha door he had entered 1.-THE din
ins room door-stoie down the red
earpeted hallway and reached the
strsst through the front door. The
dinlng room door, which Is a. the rear
of the frst floor hallway and behind
the stairway which leads 20 the sec
and floor, Il equipped with a spring
loek. The door could have been locked
Esrely By closing II. The question OF
Isys 10 the apartment is, therefore,
A no Importance, provided, as the po-
lice believe, that the person who en-
tered the apartment was admitted by
Theresa herself
Captain Carey, IN giving reasons for
Ae belief that Theresa was an acei-
dspt victim, pointed out that the
eourse OF the bullet after piercing the
breast Of the child was horizontal in
hleatinR that Il had been fred BY a
weapon in the hands Of a person about
Rsresa's height L.,
EDWARD Mccarthy father Of the girl,
Oho had been living apart from Mrs.
Mccarthy, but who was attached 70
their daughter, was questioned AZ
length at the GreenpOint Avenue sta
tion By Captain Carey. IL was dem
nitely established that Mccarthy an
srtiiieryman overseas and now en-
pioyed as a painter, was elsewhere
during The entire day. II was. also
dehpitely established that Benjamin
Prenderville, who rooms az the Nc
Carthy home and has one Of the two
kevs 10 n. was not az the apartment
from early morning until evening,
Children Swarm TO StOOp
There was no Jack yesterday OF ehill
dren 20 interrogate. Boys and girls OF
ths neiehborhood, many Of them OF
ThereSa's age. swarmed about the stone
stoop. peered through the doors open
ing on the vestibule and at times ven
tured into the hallway. q,
Scores Of children were gathered
about the stoOp Of b62 when the
body Of Theresa was brought back 70
her home from the Kings County
morgue, where the autopsy was per
formed. The body was placed IN the
front parlor at the spot on which The.
resA's shimmering Christmas tree had
stood until yesterday morning. Chill
dren hled In and out Of the house for
hours last night, the sidewalks re-
rnAined conRested and children stood In
knots on the Meeker Avenue corner,
two doors away.
The pupils OF ST. Ceeilia's Paroehial
School, which Theresa attended, will be
present at a requiem mass Tor her 70
be held tomorrow morning at 10
O'Clock at St. CeciliAs Roman Catholic
Church, Monitor and Richardson
streets, Brooklyn. Pupils from the "a
grade-Theresa's grade-will be pail
Bearers. The intemont will be held
EfterWard.