Evening star., 1929-11-15
Declares He viii Tell Jury
Youth Was Passenger
on "0WI" Car.
SURE OF HIS IDENTITY
AND TIME, HE ASSERTS
States That Husband of Nurse Left
Trolley at Ninth and Around
1880 O'Clock.

While a group of relatives, friends
and associates Of Robert A. Mcpherson,
jr, appeared at the grand jury room
today to corroborate the indicted hus-
bands alibi in the Park Lane strangling
case, Conductor Joseph H. Lewark, the
j Governments surprise" witness, de-
! clared he would testify Mcpherson rode
down town on an "owl" street car late
on the night Mrs. Virginia McPher-
son met her death.
Lewark asserted he would swear he
had known Mcpherson for a long time
and that his car carried him from Pet
worth to Ninth and streets early On
the morning of September 10.
IT could not have been mistaken in
nv identification, Lewark stated, be
cause I know Mcpherson as member
of a group of boys with whom I was
associated when I used to live in Pet
worth.
Lewark did not get to testify today,
owing to the number of other witnesses,
and after waiting for some time to be
called. was excused until 10 am. Mon
day.
Left Car at Ninth and 1 Streets.
Mcpherson was wearing a gray felt
hat. It was the first time I ever saw
him wearing one. He got on my car
at Illinois avenue near his home, ABOUT
or 10 minutes after midnight, and
got off at Ninth and / streets, little
before 1890 o'clock. I did not speak
to him. He seemed in deep thought"
Lewarks statements to Federal agents
at the Department of Justice recently
led to an announcement by John E.
I,askey. special assistant to the Attorney
General. that the Government had
SUFFICIENT evidence to proceed with the
prosecution of Mcpherson. Just prior
to Lewark's appearance at the apart
ment it was indicated the Government
would not press the murder charge
against the husband for scarcity OF
evidence.
Lewark's story apparently conflicts
with that of the witnesses who have
testified Mcpherson paid a brief visit
to the home of his aunt, on Varnum
street, about 1890 o'clock that night
and went direct from there to the home
of his parents, in Upshur street, where
he retired.
The conductors declaration was i'm
portant because of its connection with
the sworn statement of taxicab driver
that he carried a passenger whom ne
identified" as Mcpherson from Fiji
teenth street and New York avenue to
the Park Lane Apartments between /
and o'clock on the tragic night.
The taxi driver, Garnett Melvin Frye,
also awaited an opportunity today to
repeat his story to the grand jury. Frye
: said his passenger was wearing a gray
felt hat He says he discharged him
at an alley in the rear of the Park
Lane In an AFFIDAVIT sworn to during
the first grand jury hearing Frye de-
clared he paid visit to McPherson's
home and positively satisfied himself
that Mcpherson was his passenger.
Explains Delayed Testimony.
Conductor Lewark said he did not VOL
lInteer his testimony earlier because he
had not been reading the papers and
was unaware that McPherson's alleged
presence on his street car that night
would be considered important by the
Government investigators. He said he
first was questioned about the matter
by two Federal agents who interviewed
him at the Four-and-a-half street car
barn two weeks ago. He gave a de-
tailed statement later at the Depart
ment of Justice in the presence Of
Prosecutor Laskey and Thomas F. Cul-
len, inspector in charge of the Federal
investigation.
Railway records show that Lewarks
car left the Soldiers Home terminal at
four minutes after midnight and ar
rived at Ninth street and New York
avenue. transfer point. at 1928 O'Clock
in the morning. The destination of the
car was the War College. Ten fares
were collected during the trip.
Government investigators obtained
Lewark's statement in the course of
questioning conductors and motormen
of all "owl" cars, operating between
Petworth and the downtown section on
the night of Mrs. McPhsrson's death.
They had about decided that the
particular line Of inquiry they were
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