The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-26
ARRESTS NEAR
IN HAMMER
At TACK
Police Tap Woman as As
saiIant Of Mrs. o'Brien-Ac-
ton on Husbands Return.

Continued from First Page)
dent for q big insurance company in
Washington, received Geographic
word from Mr.. O'Brien Of his return
today. and his eleven-year-old daugh-
ter. Mildred. also received tele.
gram from her father to this effect.
Mr.. O'Brien requested his daughter
to meet him tonight at the Union
Station.
Mildred, as far as can be asceE.
tanned. has no bad effects from the
narrowing experience Of last night.
She is staying at the home OF a
neighbor, Mrs. T. q. Boyce.
Miss Levy told the detectives of
the woman. who has freQuented Mr..
O'Brien's office for a year and how
the description tallies with that of
Mrs. O'Brien's assailant. The de.
tectives have visited the woman.
A theory that Mrs. O'Brien's as
sailant might have been q man dis.
guised as q woman was exploded by
detectives working on the case to-
day.
After Mrs. O'Brien had been felled
with the first blow of the claw
hammer, the woman who attacked
her endeavored to effect a second
blow but missed her mark ana the
claw-hamn1er hung in her thick
hair.
Seeing the aasailant crouching at
the foot of the bed, Mrs. O'Brien
rushed for the window screaming for
help. The assailant apparently ex.
tricated the hammer, and struck q
third blow which felIed Mrs. O'Brfen
with the hammer hanging in her
hair again.
An eleven year old daughter, Nil.
dred O'Brien, was asleep In an ad.
joining room when the attack was
made. She was awakened by the
cries Of her mother.
1t is the belief Of the police that
the woman who sought Mrs.
O'Brien's life must have been ac-
quainted with both Mr.. and Mrs.
O'Brien and that she must have
known Of O'Brien's absence.
This supports the clue in hand
that a client Of O'Brien's can clear
up the brutal attempt to murder.
Mabel Holloway, 2024 Thirteenth
street northwest, q maid at the
O'Brien home, who was sought and
questioned in connection with the
claw-hammering, has satisfied the
authorities that she is In no way i'm.
plicated in the affair.
Her Condition Uncertain.
An x-ray will be taken today of
portions Of Mrs. O'Brien's injured
body by DR.. Barnhart. The physi.
clan, who is attending Mrs. O'Brien
at Emergency Hospital says that the
woman's condition is uncertain .
but reasonably fair" He said that
only the developments Of q couple of
days will determine whether or not
the wounds will prove fatal.
II found her body blood from head
to heels" DIR. Barnhart said today.
Il am hoping that no blood clote
will FORM" DR.. Barnhart 10 q per.
sonal friend Of Mr.. O'Brien.
Four men saw Mrs. O'Brien's as
sailant leave the Euclid street
home and walk east. At the time
lawyers wife's screams that they
did not think of OBTAINING them.
They are William Fl. Wooding,
1914 Euclid street: William r,
Schaefer, Paul Waters and III. v.
| Harvey, Vincent Leverett, all OF
1880 Euclid street. just across the
| street.
They all agree that the woman
was about five feet six inches, and
wore a turban hat. She was of
plump build and about thirty-eight
years old: She wore black shoes
and stockings.
Mrs. O'Brien said at the hospital
| today that she retired about 10
O'Clock last night and thought she
had locked all Of the doors and
windows. She said that she was
awakened about 1890 o'clock this
morning with the ''claw hammer
specter" lowering at the foot of her
bed.
Mrs. O'Brien's maiden name was
Elizabeth Maloney. She married
O'Brien in 1894.
OBrien has been a. prominent
member OF the bar for years. He
opened his present law practice in
the District in 1908 and was the
counsel for the late Mrs. Carrie
Nation, prohibition advocate, when
she demolished the barroom in the
Union Station in 1909. He has been
attorney for numerous local milk
dealers In District courts and be-
fore Congressional committees.
He is a member of the Board of
Trade the Columbia Historical So.
ctety, Yale Alumni Association. Ma.
sonic Order, Odd Fellows. His office
1s at 400 Fifth street northwest.