Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-24
DETECTIVE ADMITS
LYING TO PRISONER
Baltimore Officer Tells OIL
Threats Made Against
Robertson.
By a staff Correspondent Of The Star.


FREDERICK, Md, October a.
Defense counsel in the Mills murder
trial, entering its third day in Circuit
Court succeeded today in partially dis
crediting the testimony Of a firearms
expert and obtained an admission from
a Baltimore captain of detectives that
he had lied to the defendant, Samuel
T. Robertson and had threatened to
stand him on his head and spin him
like top" while the latter was held
prisoner in Baltimore police station.
The detective captain, Charles H.
Burns, was called to the stand by State
Attorney Robert Peter, jr. He described
briefly the manner in which Robertson
was brought to his office after he had
been arrested for the murder on July Z,
1927, Of Edward L. Mills, prosperous
Montgomery County dairyman.
Capt. Burns said he dictated excerpts
from the note pinned to Mills body by
the slayer to Robertson and that the
latter took this dictation on a type
writer which had been taken from his
home in Bethesda by police subsequent
to his arrest. He said he did not
threaten Robertson at this time.
Defense Attorney Stedman Prescott
interrupted slid asked Burns if he had
used any profane language on this oc-
casion.
II might have said damn once or
twice." he replied, but did not swear
at Robertson"
Admits Lying.
ibid you lie TO him and tell him
the typewriter he was using belonged
to you?" he was asked.
"I did," Burns answered.
Prescott then asked Capt. Burns why
he had threatened to stand Robertson
on his head and spin him.
We'll" the witness answered, when
he was brought into my Office the Sec
ond morning said Good morning,
Sam He answered that he did not
want to talk to me because I had
nearly scalped him the day before. I
felt that this was discourteous to me
and then threatened him."
The detective then described the
manner in which he dictated to Rob-
ertson, explaining that he did not tell
the prisoner of thre abbreviation, punc-
tuation marks, and the capitalization
ing. The prosecution will attempt to
show that Robertson's tipping was
Identical with that of the note, despite
the fact that he had not been given
this information.
Il then asked him if he had killed
Mills" the detective said. He answered,
according to Burns: Il guess I've talked
little too much. won't say did and
| won't say did not until see my at
torney."
The first witness called by the State
was Lieut.. Col Calvin w. Goddard, New
York firearms expert. Col. Goddard
described the manner in which he had
examined and handled the fatal and test
bullets and shells from the two revolverS
which police say were used in the mur-
der.
Testimony of Expert,
He also said on direct examination
that he had had these shells and bull
lets in his own possession ever since they
were turned over to him. On croSS-ex-
animation, however, Attorney Prescott
secured an admission from Goddard that
he had left the shells and bullets with
another man, described as a business
associate, for several days.
While Leroy Rogers of the Montgom-
cry County Police was describing how
he secured the typewriter from Rob-
ertSon's home defense counsel OBJ
jected that he could not hear the wit
ness. Attorney Joseph Cissel for the
State appealed to the judge to instruct
lawyers Of the defense to pay Stricter
attention to the evidence when given
Besides the typewriter. the State has
Continued on Page Q, Column 3.)