Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-06
Governments "Best Brains"
Go Over Evidence Before
Other Investigators in
Search for Murder Solution.
TAXICAB DRIVER TELLS
OF IDENTIFYING FARE
Policeman Whose Probe Caused In
dictment Is Assigned to Duty in
Eighth Precinct-Turns Over to
U. S. Men His Findings in Death
Case.

Full resources of the Govern
ment's agencies for detection and
prosecution of crime were at play
until late last night in an un-
paralleled effort to solve the
Weirdest mystery in local crime
annals-the garroting Of Virginia
Mcpherson.
With the young husband of the
Strangled nurse back in a cell at
the District Jail after pleading
not guilty to an indictment charg-
ing willful and premediated
murder, the "best brains" of the
Governments corps of crime ex-
perts sought to answer the ques-
ton:
Who placed a paiama cord
around the neck of the wife of
Robert A. Mcpherson. jr., knotted
it at the front and back and
choked the young matron to death
in her bedroom at the Park Lane
Apartments?"
In the hope of throwing light on the
baffling problem the Federal agents
delved first into the maze of conflict
ing evidence accumulated as the case
careened its way through the official
channels of the local detective bureau.
the coroner's jury, the District attorneys
office and the grand jury and into un-
official paths charted by a lone patrol
man and newspaper reporters.
Policeman on Duty.
The lone policeman, at first suspended
for conducting an unauthorized" in
veStigation, is back on duty in a diff
/ ferent precinct today as result of the
! upholding Of his sensational murder
/ theories by the grand jury. He is Pvt.
/ Robert j. Allen, once of the third
| precinct. in which Mrs. Mcpherson met
her death, but now of the eighth pre-
! cinct, far removed from the scene.
| Meanwhile, it became apparent that
the municipal inquiry into grand jury
J condemnation of the Police Depart
| ments authorized" investigators was
| about to collapse for want Of witnesses.
| The so-called Bride-Davidson commit
| tee probing accusations Of ineficiency
against Inspector Shelby and Lieut..
Kelly. deposed detective chiefs, was eX-
pected to terminate its proceedings
! abruptly tomorrow with an "important"
/ announcement
Evidence uncovered by the unofficial
! investigators. as result of which the
grand jury was induced to overturn the
| suicide verdict adhered to by the detec-
tive bureau and rendered by the cor
oners jury. played a major role in the
Governments first moves to urravel the
death tangle.
Frye Is Questioned.
Having received from Policeman Allen
| an elaborate account of his independ-
ent probe and resultant findings and
| conclusions. the Department Of Justice
probers yesterday afternoon and last
night were in conference with other
key" witnesses, including Garnett Mel
| win Frye, taXicab driver, VINO had
! identified" Mcpherson as the passenger
he discharged in the rear of the Park
| Lane Apartments late on the night OF
his wife's death.
Frye's testimony, supported by an
affidavit sworn to before an assistant
district attorney. helped the grand jury
form its opinion that Mcpherson was
wife-murderer. Frye was closeted for
some time in the office of Thomas j.
Cullen, a special agent under j. Edgar
Hoover. chief of the Federal Bureau of
! Investigation.
Among others questioned last night
by Hoover's men were Rex Collier and
John Snure of The Star staff. Capt.
Stott, commanding the third precinct
and two members OF his command, De-
tective William F. Burke, who con-
Quoted the initial police investigation.
| and Policeman Lawrence Bolts, form
erly a precinct partner" of Policeman
Allen. Bolts is the officer whom Allen
named as being with him when, on the
night of the tragedy, he allegedly saw
| man moving on roof outside the
| Mcpherson windows.
While Cullen and his colleagues were
querying persons who might have in
formation bearing on the case. other
agents in an outer Office pored over
columns of newspaper stories published
in connection with the remarkable
| progress of the mystery. 1t was an
nounced that not bit of information,
not a clue of any kind. not even the
widest rumor, would be overlooked in
the Governments intensive investi-
cation.
Case Stands Out.
Veterans in criminal prosecution de-
clared yesterday the Mcpherson case
noted murder cases in the history of
the District of Columbia. Never be-
fore in the memory of some officials
long connected with public life in this
city has the Federal Government been
called upon to take over not only the
whole investigation but also the prose-
cution of Q murder case. Assistance
may nave DSen TeNQeTeO III any nuHlDef
of cases in the past, but this case is
said to stand out by itself
John E. Laskey. veteran former dis
trict attorney. long experienced In
criminal prosecutions, and now drafted
by the Attorney General as special
prosecutor in the trial of young Nc
Pherson, has laid down a set of prin-
ciples by which the whole case is to be
guided.
AS a special assistant to the Attor-
ney General, Laskey has broad powers
as prosecutor, and is backed up by an
array of investigative talent from Fed
eral ranks such as never before was
focused on the solution of local mur.
der mystery.
Laskey has established himself at the
Department of Justice in a suite Of
rooms set aside for him and the experts
of the Bureau Of Investigation.
Our first purpose" declared Mr..
Laskey. "is to develop tn; facts pointing
to solution Of the crime We shall
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