Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-13
REVIEW IS HEARD
OF NURSES DEATH
Grand Jury Calls Witnesses
Whose Stories Led to First
Suicide Verdict.
CONTINUED From First Page1


suicidal tendencies. During her resi-
/ dence at the High View Mrs. McPher-
son is said to have contemplated Jump
| ing from the roof Of the apartment
building and on another occasion to
have beaten her head against wall in
state of hysteria.
Physician Is witness.
DIR. Frank A. Hornaday, who was as
sociated with Mrs. Mcpherson on a
medical case shortly before her death,
was one of the early witnesses today.
It was supposed the physician told the
grand jury that Mrs. McPherson's
statements in q letter to her parents,
to the effect that he had treated her
for bruises inflicted by her husband,
were without foundation in fact.
The letter had been regarded as high
ly significant when first brought to
light, but DIR. Hornaday's denial that
Mrs. Mcpherson had ever come to him
for medical treatment cast another
light on the matter.
Deputy Coroner Heard.
Another physician examined today
was DR.. Joseph d. Rogers, deputy cor
oner. who presided over the first autopsy
performed on the nurses body. DR..
Rogers was one of three witnesses who
testified before the coroner's jury, which
declared that Mrs Mcpherson ended
her own life by drawing a pajama belt
tightly around her neck and knotting
il on the side.
DR.. Rogers reported to the coroner'S
jury that the nurse came to her death
from strangulation caused by the pa
jana belt. He found no other evidences
of violence. Several weeks later, how
ever, Mrs. McPherSon'S body was ex-
humed in China Grove, N. c., to check
on physicians opinion that Mrs. Nc
PherSon might have suffered fractured
skull. The second autopsy failed to find
any such evidences.
On leaving the grand jury chamber,
DR.. Rogers said that he merely re-
peated previous testimony he has given
and added that his ideas" about the
case never had changed. The deputy
coroner Is reported to have held to
the belief that Mrs. Mcpherson was
a suicide.
Detective Sergt. Dennis Cullinane,
who worked on the police investigation
of the tragedy under Lieut.. Edward J..
Kelly, former head of the homicide
squad, followed the physicians into the
jury room. The Detective Bureau came
to the belief that Mrs. Mcpherson end
ed her own life after many friends
and acquaintance of the girl had been
questioned.
Allen Back Again.
Robert j. Allen, former policeman,
and arch advocate of the murder theory,
appeared again today at the court
house In the grease-stained dungarees
of his job as an employe Of a fllling
station. Allen waited fruitlessly to be
called yesterday afternoon and spent
CAUaRnV hn1JE0
his vigil.
Among other witnesses summoned to
testify today were Miss Eleanor Shop
pard, last person to talk with Mrs Nc
PhersOn before her death; Miss Martha
Berry, another friend of the dead nurse :;
Mrs. LILLIAN Conway, telephone operator
at the Park Lane, who overheard a
conversation between Miss Sheppard and
Mrs. Mcpherson about 8 o'clock on the
night of the tragedy: Mrs. Sue Thomp-
son, desk clerk in the apartment house,
to whom Bob Mcpherson broke the
news ef his wife's death. and Mai.
Albert Walker, one OF the last persons
to employ Mrs. Mcpherson in her
capacity as nurse.
Mrs. Thompson, on leaving the grand
jury room, denied reports that she
ever had said Mcpherson told her he
had felt the body of his wife to deter
mine II she were dead Mrs. Thompson
said she vold the grand jury that to
the best Of her recollection Mcpherson
made some remark about the body be-
ing cold. but she was sure he had not
SAID dennlately he actually touched the
body.
1t was the testimony Of Mrs. Thomp-
son as to what Mcpherson said an
nouncing discovery of the tragedy that
originally gave rise to reports that the
husband had been inside the room prior
to notifying the apartment MANAGEMENT
of the gruesome find.
Wilmer G. Ruff, manager Of the
apartment house, gained the impression
from Mcpherson that he had been in
side the bedroom and therefore was
quite surprised to find he had to shove
the door of the bedroom open in order
TO peer inside.' He found the body was
lying against the door in such a posi-
ton that he doubted that any one
could have been inside the room preYi-
ouSly.
IncOherent and SObbing.
Miss Sheppard called Mrs. Mcpherson
on the telephone on the fatal night and
was greeted with hysterical Sobs and an
incoherent explanation from MRS. Nc
PheTson that she could not talk at that
time and would have TO hang up at
once.
Mrs. Conway, deeply aroused by what
she heard, rang the Mcpherson apart
ment back several times, but got no
response. She said her curiosity was
so aroused that she secured a pass key
and went to the apartment.
Receiving no acknowledgement Of her
knock, she entered the apartment, turn
ed on the living room light and saw
black evening dress in the middle of the
floor. No signs Of life were visible or
audible, So thinking Mrs. Mcpherson
had retired or gone out, she left the
apartment.
Miss Berry was one of Mrs. McPher-
sons closest friends. Miss Berry is said
to have received from Mrs. Mcpherson q
detailed account of her enhancement
from Mcpherson. Mabel Chenareet, an
other telephone operator at the Park
Lane, also was called this afternoon