The Washington times., 1924-03-18
D. c. POLICE.
PROBING
LATEST
CLUE
Baltimore Authorities Furnish
Story Of Convict as ImpIi-
eating Suspect.

Story Of Convict as ImpIi-
eating Suspect.
The murderer of Barney A.
Mcbride, wealthy Oklahoma oil
magnate, whose mutilated body
was found in August, 1922, on a
road near Meadows, Nd, is in the
House of Correction at Jessup,
Md.
Suspect Is Quizzed.
Such is the information furnished
Baltimore police by James ]. For
sythe, serving term for larceny
in the institution. Forsythe has
named the suspect, and this man,
formely a chauffeur for a private
family in Washington, has been
grilled by detectives of the Monu.
mental City.
The information, given Baltimore
police by Forsythe, has been turned
over to Inspector Clifford L. Grant,
chief Of detectives here, and Arthur
Scrivener and Edward Kelly, head
quarters detectives, who worked on
the came in the summer of 1922, have
resumed their investigation into
Barney McBride's mysterious deala.
Forsythe, it became known to-
| day, wrote Baltimore police last
| week telling of a coDVersat'' = ~
heard between two inmates of the
House of Correction. o4., l.
J Forsythe declared. "a
manning an inmate of the institu-
tom killed Barney Mcbride in
Washington.
The letter was sent to Charles
H. Burns, chief OF BALTIMORE ~
tectives. Burns, accompanied by
Detective Charles Kahler, immedi-
| ately visited the Maryland reform
atory and talked with Forsythe.
The latter then pointed out the
two inmates he heard discussing
the Mcbride murder.
Both men. however, denied any
knowledge of the alleged converse
| ton. The detectives then inter
viewed the suspect or man named
by Forsythe. This man admitted
he was in Washington at the time
of the Mcbride murder, but denied
knowledge of the crime.
Captain Burns. in Baltimore to-
day. said he had turned all Of his
information over to Washington
police.
IF it was a Baltimore case.
would most certainly order a rigid
probe of statements of the men in
the House Of Correction" he said,
II cannot say whether the clue Is
q good one, but / will say it ie
certainly worth investigating. I
have turned all of the information
| In my possession over to the Wash
tngton police. We will, Of course.
be glad to aid them all we can in
clearing up the death of Mcbride"
Await Information.
Inspector Grant is sick in bed to-
day. Lieut.. Emmerson, acting chief
said today he had not received any
word from the Baltimore police.
The lieutenant discussed the case
with Detective Scrivener today.
Scrivener said this morning that
he was awaiting word from Balti.
| more and planned to start no in
veStigation of the latest develop
ments in the case until he heard
from the Monumental City.
Barney McBride's death is one OF
the unsolved mysteries Of Wa sh
ington. For two years the police
| have sought to unravel the mySteri
GUS death, but to no avail. Arrests
| have been made and the suspects
released. Clues numbering into the
hundreds have been followed down
| to no success.
On August 9, 1922, McBride's
body was found beneath a culvert
on a State road near Meadows, Md
1 It'll. nn1, SNAr aeS1N
in the back of his neck, made pre-
sumably with a pen knife. His head
had been battered in with club.
His wrists were also severely cut.
It was one Of the most brutal slay-
ings in the history Of all Maryland.
For several days the body re.
manned unidentified. Finally
woman who conducted rooming
house on Third street reported to
the police that Mcbride had been
missing from her house for several
days. She later identified the body.
Mcbride. it developed, came to
Washington from Muskogee, Okla.
He took room in the house on
Third street.
houye. He left early Tuesday
morning. He did not return to the
rooming house. Subsequent inves.
litigation showed that Mcbride visit
ed the Elk's clubhouse on II street
the Tuesday afternoon after he
left the rooming house. He again
visited the club on Wednesday and
was last seen leaving the club
around six o'clock.
Not one single clue to the mys.
Itery-and there were several score
lof them-proved Of value. Robbery
was believed to be the motive for
the killing, as several diamond rings
land some money was missing from
the mans clothing when he was