Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-05
MAN HELD ON SHIP
IN WOMAN'S DEATH
Mystery Surrounds Finding
of Battered Body in
Clothes Closet.
b. the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES, June 5.--Police today
were confronted with what they termed
a mysterious triangle murder" the VIC
tim being young Titian-haired woman,
whose battered body was found hang
ing in the closet of Union street apart
ment house
Mrs. Virginia Patty. %. comely wife
of a wealthy Portland, Greg, broker,
-2aS beaten to death. Her body vas
found hanging from hook in clothes
closet by Mrs. NJ. w. o. Wilson, owner
Of the apartment.
William Tallman. radio operator and
alleged friend of the slain woman was
under arrest aboard the steamship Ad-
n1iral Benson, which was en- route to-
day from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Chief of Detectives Herman Cline of
Los Angeles sent a radio message to
Capt. Shoft of the Admiral Benson re-
ouesting that Tallman be placed under
arrest.
When informed of the charge. Tall
man was said to have appeared stunned.
He told newspaper men he knew moth
ing about the murder, as he had been
on the ship during its run to San Diego
yesterday at the time Mrs. Patty was
believed to have been slain.
Mrs. Wilson told police the room
where the body was found had been
rented to wv. C. johnson of San Fran
cisco" Mrs Wilson went to change the
linen in the apartment and discovered
Mrs Patty's body. The skull was
crushed and the body was bruised. Two
halves of a brick were found. Strands
of red hair and blood were on one piece
of brick.
Frank E. Patty. the victims husband.
cast suspicion on Tallman after being
informed of his wife's death.
Patty few from Portland to Los An
seles at the request of his attorney,
Clarence Booth, who reported last Sat-
urday that Mrs. Patty was missing from
her suite at an exclusive apartment no.
tel in the Wiltshire district. Attendants
at the hotel told of seeing Tallman and
Mrs. Patty together.
While searching for his wife her body
was discovered. and Patty collapsed
when he learned of her. death
Patty told police that he and his at
torney had made a private investlga
ton and had found his wife and Tall
man had been keeping company"
Diamonds owned by Mrs. Patty were
found in her apartment. together with
railroad reservations which she was to
have used Saturday to join her husband
IN PorJlanO.
When shown a picture of Tallman
Mrs. Wilson said he was the man who
had rented an apartment at her house
under the name of Johnson.
Early Saturday morning screams were
heard by Miss Elaine Upton, private
secretary, whose room is above the one
in which Mrs. Patty's body was found
Miss Upton told police she heard the
screams and the sound of blows between
and am
st heard a woman scream Don't hi
me. Earl!'" Miss Upton stated. -
think it was Earl she said, but it might
have been something else. Then came
a crash like body striking the floor
and then silence"
When the Admiral Benson docks II
San Francisco tonight, police will re-
turn Tallman here to face a murdel
charge.
Mrs. Patty was the daughter of T. P
Scott of Sioux City, Iowa. and she hat
been married previously. Her first hus
band. Arthur J. Wissmath, resides II
Los Angeles with their daughter, Helel
Dorothy, 8.
The woman was said to have me
Tallman, %, several months ago Will
she was a passenger aboard ship Of
which he was radio operator. At Oak
land, Tallman's father. Harry Tallmar
a hotel steward said his son had toll
him Virginia Patty was wealthy an
that he intended to marry her. TIL
elder Tallman said he was sure his sol
did not know Mrs. Patty was married