Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-08
GRAND Jury OPENS
MILLS DEATH PROBE
Montgomery County Panel
Calls Witnesses in Staying
Behind Locked Doors.
Y a STAT corrasponllent Of The Star.

BY a staff Correspondent Of The star.
ROCKVILLE Md, August 8, - Be-
hind carefully guarded doors in the
Montgomery County courthouse a spe-
cial session of the grand jury today
heard testimony In support Of a first
degree murder charge against Samuel
T Robertson. Bethesda, Md, contrac-
tor, who Is being held without bond in
the shooting of Edward l.. Mills, Hunt
ing Hill farmer, July 7, 1927,
Two county policemen and several
court officers kept a small crowd at a
safe distance from the door behind
which the grand jury is conducting its
hearing. Unintelligible questions and
answers came through the open tran
som. but were not distinguishable to
the small crowd, which soon dispersed
Eye Witness Heard.
The first two witnesses called by
Robert Peter. jr.. States attorney for
Montgomery County, we're w. r. Pun
phrey. jr., and DR.. William T. Pratt
Their testimony, it was made known
was entirely of routine nature Pumph-
rey, an undertaken. describing the con-
ditions of the body when it was turned
over to him. DR.. Pratt, county health
officer. told of the number and posi-
ton of the bullet holes.
The only eyewitness to the shooting,
Clarence Miles, 19-year-old employe at
the Mills farm, was the next witness
called Miles was brought from the
State Reformatory near Baltimore by
an armed guard and taken back i'm
mediately after the jury finished ques-
tioning him. Miles said he described
the details of the shooting but told the
jury he could not identify the myStcri-
GUS stranger who fired the shots as be-
ing Robertson
Miles Is understood to have testified
that he was too far away TO get a good
look at Mills assailant and that an
early morning mist obscured his vision
He was followed on the witness stand
by Paul Mills. oldest son of the slain
man. whose testimony was believed to
be much the same:
Saw Man Fleeing.
Mills is understood to have told the
jury he ran from the barn on his
fathers farm after hearing the shots.
only to see the stranger disappearing
over hill He added however. that
the general appearance of the fleeing
man was similar to that OF Robertson.
His mother Mrs. Bertha Mills, was
the next witness called. Her testimony
was believed to be the same as that
she gave at a preliminary hearing.
A. j. Baughman. neighbOring
farmer, was next called by Mr.. Peter
in an attempt to show that Robertson
had been in the vicinity on the morn
ing of the shooting. Baughman was
reported to have told the jury that
Robertson came TO his house about six
hours after the shooting occurred. He
said Robertson gave no evidence OF be-
ing under any undue strain.
90 Witnesses Remain.
About 20 witnesses remained TO be
heard among them two firearms ex-
perts from New York and a typewriter
expert from the Bureau of Standards.
It is not expected that the last OF
these witnesses will have been heard
before tomorrow afternoon.
Robertson was charged with the muir
der of Mills when he surrendered April
I6, after an alleged assault on Wilson
Trout, a farmer living near Potomac,
Md. At the time of his arrest he turn
ed over a revolver to the police, which
he said he had taken away from Trout.
Trout, however. maintained that Rob-
ertson brought the revolver when he
came to his house.
Mr.. Peter, 1t Is expected. will attempt
to show that the revolver taken from
Robertson is similar 10 the one used
in killing Mills. He also contends that
a typewriter found In the Robertson
home is identical with the machine
used in writing a note which was PIN
ned to Mills body after he had been
shot.