Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-02
CORONER DENIES
CHARGE OF LAX|TY
IN SUICIDE VERDICT
Says Grand Jury's Report on
Mcpherson Case Contains
False Statement.

Charging that grand jury accusa-
tions, which branded the coroner's in
vestigation into the death of Mrs. Vir-
ginia Mcpherson, as a mere matter Of
form" as false, DIR. J. Ramsey Nevitt
District coroner, today emphatically de-
MED that the inquest was conducted in
perfunctory manner and declared
that the procedure had been proper
and correct.
That several important witnesses
were summoned but did not testify, as
the grand jury alleged, is authentic, DR..
cuSation that they were not given the
opportunity to speak is untrue.
Up to Attorneys.
The opportunity, however, rested with
the Jury itself, member of the District
attorneys Office which was also criti-
cized for its attitude by the grand jury,
and an attorney who represented the
slain womans family, the coroner ex-
planned When these authorities failed
to profess desire to examine the other
witnesses and expressed their satlsfac-
tion at the testimony given. 1t was
UOI up 10 LII. 4NCtAtt ACSloAG0, w
insist upon their taking the stand.
Discovery of Mrs. McPhersons body
was made by her estranged husband
Robert A. Mcpherson, jr., now under in
dictment for her murder, two days after
her demise at q time when DR.. hewitt
was on his vacation and DR.. Joseph
Rogers, was acting coroner.
After viewing the body and making
a slight investigation of conditions, DR..
Rogers was of the opinion that the girl
committed suicide, but decided not to
issue such a certificate until the
coroner's jury had investigated certain
angles three days later, he declared.
Disputes Police Contention.
In this statement he disputed the
contention of Inspector William s. Smell
by and Lieut. Edward j. Kelly that he
was ready to issue certificate OF sui
eide on the spot. DR.: hewitt meanwhile
returned and conducted the inquest.
The coroner's jury of six men, D. G
| Euckett, G. D. Sullivan, Raymond Good
man, A. M. Bnehey, NJ D. McQuade
and W. j. Armstrong, presided over by
DR.. Nevitt, began its formal investiga-
ton by summoning DR.. A. M. McDon-
aid, the physician who performed the
autopsy on the body at the DISTRICT
morgue. He was followed to the stano
DIV OI, SIORSTS, WIlO ICSLAklCd ~
Lieut.. Kelly, then chief Of the honi-
eide SQUAD, took the witness stand to
testify at great length and to tell Of the
domestic difficulties of Mrs. Mcpherson
and her youthful husband, who was
present at the inquest and who listened
to the detective as he related the init
mate details of their married life. The
detective told of the temperamental
moods of the dead girl, at which times
she made declarations to her husband
which aroused him to such and extent
that he struck her, and Of occasions
when she was to have attempted SUI
eide.
Lieut.. Kelly's testimony convinced the
Jury of six so thoroughly that when he
concluded, and DR.. I. Rutkoski OF
Emergency Hospital told of revivine
Mrs. Mcpherson after she had inhaled
Illuminating gas two months before
that they reached their verdict OF sui
eide.
AS the wishes of the jury superseded
all others at an inquest, they were asked
by DR.. Nevitt If they wished to hear
other witnesses. They declared they
| Assistant District Attorney Walter M
Shea, representing the district attorney
and the attorney representing Mrs. Nc
Pherson's parents, in response to
similar question, made by the coroner.
After comforting with Shea, DR.. New
lit said that they agreed as the young
husband was connected with the case he
should not be made to testify, as he
would necessarily be a sworn witness
and thus be put in the position Of testi-
flying against himself If there were fur.
| ther developments. He, however, could
take the stand on his own initiative, but
declined.
Witnesses Passed Up.
The jury retired without hearing the
testimony of such witnesses who had
been summoned as Manager Ruff of the
Park Lane, James Mills, colored janitol
of the Lombardy, next door to the Park
Lane, or Mrs. Lillian Conway, telephone
operator, who was in the Mcpherson
apartment on the night of the young
woman's death. Neither did they hear
the story of DIR. e. H. German, pays
ician at the Park Lane, who was the
first doctor to pronounce the young
woman dead, because he had not been
summoned.
| Deliberating only a few minutes the
| Jury returned with their verdict Of sui
| eide and closed the Mcpherson case of.
ficially until developments reopened IL
and in addition led grand jury to de-
eide the girl had been murdered, indict
her husband for first degree murder and
condemn the coroner's jury for its per-
| functory methods.