Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-20
Final Testimony Reported as
Supporting Accused
Mans AIibi.
REPORT OF FINDINGS
EXPECTED LATER TODAY
Deliberations Continued Behind
Closed Doors After Recess of
Body at Noon.

The grand jury investigating the
strangling of Virginia Mcpherson
adjourned at 2:30 o'clock this after
noon without handing down decision
in the case. The jurors left the
courthouse Immediately, presumably
to meet again tomorrow morning.
The adjournment was taken fol-
lowing an hours deliberation behind
closed doors. Questioning of wit
nesses apparently was completed
early this afternoon.
There were indications earlv this aft
ernoon that the grand jury had about
reached the end of its investigation into
the mysterious strangling of Mrs. Vir-
ginia Mcpherson at the Park Lane
Apartments more than two months ago,
At 1:30 o'clock the last of the small
group of witnesses summoned for today
had been questioned and the grand jury
| remained behind closed doors. The
| final testimony had come from a 'sur-
prise" defense witness, Charles Wilson
of 1913 Upshur street, who is under
stood to have declared he saw Robert
A. Mcpherson, jr., on the way to his
home nearby at 1925 o'clock on the
night of Mrs. McPherson's death.
Wilson, a brother of Clivie Wilson, an
| other defense witness, is understood to
have been i'll on the night of September
IL and to have been at his window when
Mcpherson walked by on the way to the
home Of his parents.
Wilson'S testimony supported that of
other "alibi" witnesses, who claim Nc
Pherson walked from the home of his
aunt on Varnum street to the home of
his parents on Upshur street shortly be-
| fore 1890 o'clock on the night in uues-
ton. Testimony conflicting with these
statements was given to the grand Jury
To-Day by Joseph H. Lewark, street car
conductor, who claims he TOOK Nc
emerson downtown at the hour he is
| supposed TO have been in PetWorth.
Lewark, short, blunt-spoken street car
conductor. finally got his long awaited
| chance today to tell the grand lury of
4 poSt-m1dn1ght ride downtown made
on the night of the strangling bv a
young man whom he positively iden-
tined" as Mcpherson, jailed husband of
49, OAA odAAC uuISG.
LeWark's testimony, diametricallv on
posed to that of alibi witnesses for the
oeIenSe, was to have been the Govern
ments eleventh-hour "surpise." but the
story has lost much of the surprise eIe-
ment since its publication in The Star
fortnight ago.
With the conductors testimony re-
celved, the grand jury apparently was
about ready this afternoon to reach q
decision which would either send Me-
Pnerson to trial or release him from
| JAN, free OF the technically faulty in
dlctment preferred by previous grand
! jury.
May Report Today.
The last group of witnesses. sum-
moned to appear today, was not a large
one, but there was a possibility the
proceedings might continue over to-
morrow IN order to hear the testimony
OF belated witness from out of town.
II the grand jury should agree that the
testimony of this witness is not essen
tlai, a decision in the case may be
handed down today
Lewark was the first witness called
this morning and he remained in the
grand jury chamber for about an hour.
Wnen ne emerged he seemed depressed.
He expressed the opinion that the grand
jury would not indict Mcpherson. Asked
for the basis of this belief, the con-
ductor explained he got the impression
during his visit in the grand ,ury room.
Lewark said he told the grand Jury
substantially the same story he had
given heretofore to reporters, but indi-
Gated he was questioned closely as to
his Identification of Mcpherson
There was an unconfirmed report
that Lewark's general description of the
passenger he claimed to be Mcpherson
did not talley. exactly with the actual
appearance OF the accused husband.
The report was strengthened when Le-
wark asked newspaper men after his
session with the grand jurors if
Mcpherson weighed 100 pounds and
also asked their estimate Of the hus-
bands height.
MY Identification was based on nv
memory Of McPherson's face" Lewark
pointed out, adding that sometimes the
countenances Of different people look
alike.
Wilmer c. Ruff, manager OF the
apartment house, was among a handful
of witnesses who testified after Lewark
left the courthouse. Ruff previously
testified as to conditions in the apart
ment when the girls body was found
and his recall today for further ques-
tioning was in the nature of surprise.
Lewark's Story.
Lewark's original story was to the
effect that Mcpherson boarded a street
car at Illinois avenue and UpShur street
about five minutes after midnight and
left the car about 20 minutes later at
Ninth and streets. He said he knew
Mcpherson well, having formerly lived
in the same neighborhood in Petworth.
Lewark said he was wearing gray
hat on the night in question, although
he had never seen him with hat on
before. Lewark said he was sure this
occurred on the night of September IL,
or rather early on the morning of
September 13, as the latter day was his
birthday and he had made remark to
that effect to Motorman j. T.. Green,
just before the "owl" trip began. Furth-
ermore. Lewark explained. it was the
first ''owl" trip he had made in two
weeks.
Lewark's testimony, when first given
to the Department of Justice some
weeks ago, was considered highly i'm
portant by Special Prosecutor Laskey,
in view of the sworn statement of q
taxicab driver, Garnett Melvin Frye,
that he carried Mcpherson from Fiji
teenth street and New York avenue to
the Park Lane Apartments, between
and o'clock that night. 1t was Lew
ark'S belated statement that caused
Laskey TO announce the Government
was ready to proceed with the proSecu-
ton OF the husband. Just previously it