Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-20
CHANGE SAYS SHELBY TOLD
Jury HE BUNCLED DEATH PR ODE

| HlCiLF dShCu AIhlIiS.
| L did not refer to members OF this
board" Allen said. II had reference
to Others"
Did you feel that this board was
| unable to conduct an impartial trial
of this caSe?"
mo" Allen answered with emphasis.
Did you feel the members of the
board already had their minds made up
in this case?"
Allen said he did not think that.
II desire to retract the published
statement in SO far as 1t applies to the
three members of the trial board"
Allen said.
Have you any information in con-
nection with the Mcpherson case bear
ing on the charges against Inspector
Shelby and Lieut.. Kelly?" Atkins asked
the witness.
Before Allen could reply Attorney
OShea jumped up and argued that
Allen be confined to yes or no answer
and that he be prevented from making
"a speech"
Promises to Give Evidence.
EYES," the witness said, Il think !
have some information" Then, turning
to O'Shea, he added, ''and I will abide
by the rules of evidence and the objec-
tions of counsel"
You will obey the board" O'Shea
snapped.
Proceeding to the case the chairman
asked Allen If he had received letter
from the prosecution inquiring as to in
formation he might be able to give in
the event he were called as a witness
for the prosecution. Allen said he had
received such letter and had replied
to it. He was interrupted as he began
to explain what was in his reply, and
the letter itself vas offered in evidence
by Prosecutor Fowler and read by the
chairman. In it Allen said that he
would disclose all the information he
had on the subject in speech at the
Washington Auditorium. and that the
prosecutor could judge from the speech
whether Allen had testimony OF value.
O'Shea broke in at this point to ask
if Allen would not be forced by the
board to apologize for his contempt
uous" actions yesterday. Atkins eX-
planned that he considered Allen had
done so when he retracted the published
statement as 1t affected the trial board.
II only retracted as much of it as con-
cerned the three members of this trial
board" Allen emphasized. II don't re-
tract it as far as other people are con-
cerned."
Prosecutor Fowler agreed to take up
the questioning of the witness.
Insists He Saw Man.
In response to a rapid succession OF
questions Allen detailed his story of
having been with Policeman Bolts across
from the Park Lane apartments about
2:I5 O'Clock on the night that Virginia
Mcpherson met her death and OF haV-
ing seen g man climb out of the window
of the Mcpherson apartment. Despite
Bolts sworn denial yesterday, Allen in
sisted that he told Bolts to watch at
the front of the apartment house While
he (Allen) ran to the rear to cut OF
the mans escape. He said he failed to
find the man and the incident passed
OFF at that time without any report
being made to the precinct. Allen ad-
mitted he had told no one except
Bolts of the occurrence until after the
corOner's inquest.
IT told Inspector Shelby about the
man OH the roof on the Monday follow
ing the inquest. I wouldn't have told
Shelby then If could have helped II"
Allen testified
O'Shea Immediately objected to this
statement and with the consent OF the
prosecution it was stricken from the
record.
Allen said he visited the Mcpherson
apartment four times before the cor
oner's inquest and he told in grueSome
details of the conditions he found in the
apartment. He said he happened to be
eating lunch at the Park Lane on the
afternoon that Mrs. McPherson's body
was found and that he went to the
apartment and looked in the door but
did not stay when he saw Capt. Stott
and number of other persons con-
Quoting an investigation.
Articles Are Described.
Allen described numerous articles he
saw in the apartment and told OF the
bloodstainS in the bathroom. He related
a later visit to the apartment in COM
pany with representatives OF The Star,
and subsequent visit on the same aft
ernoon in company with Assistant Dis
trict Attorney William H. Collins. After
these visits Allen said he went to the
precinct station house, and when Stott
asked him where he had been he told
him he had been to the Park Lane with
the assistant district attorney and had
discovered lots of evidence in oppoSi-
ton TO the verdict of the coroner'S jury"
He said he refused to tell his captain
the nature of the evidence or the names
OF witnesses, and pleaded with Stott not
to tell Inspector Shelby or Lieut.. Kelly
about his. investigation.
Allen said that on the following day
he learned from Manager Ruff of the
Park Lane that a police guard stationed
there by District Attorney Collins had
been removed by order of Lieut.. Kelly.
He said the apartment had been cleaned
up by 1.-The McPherSonS"
Allen gave graphic account of his
interview with Inspector Shelby at the
latter's Office on the Monday following
the inquest. He said when Shelby ask
ed him if he had discovered any evil
RI tn INn h Id
he had. but declined to divulge it.
Shelby asked him If published reports
quoting him as saying he had witnesses
who saw man escape over roof at
the Park Lane were correct, and he
told Shelby the article quoted him cor
rectly. Refusing to give the names of
these witnesses when Shelby first re-
quested them, Allen declared the latter
threatened him with arrest and there
upon he told the inspector that the
witnesses were himself and Policeman
Bolts.
Tells of Visit 10 Office.
Much Of the conversation during that
visit to Shelby'S Office Allen said was |
difficult TO remember. but he said one
thing stood out in his mind.
SHELBY said If you produce evidence
that will convince the grand jury that
Mrs Mcpherson was murdered, you are
the kind of a man want around here
and I'll make you a detective sergeant"
Allen told the board. IF you don't
produce that evidence your goose is
cooked"
Clashes Are Frequent.
Allen spent lively half hour under
cross-examination, frequently inter-
rupted with personal clashes with coun-
sci and bandinage. Attorney Quinn,
who is defending Inspector Shelby, did
most of the questioning.
Allen said that Lieut. Kelly had left |
out a number of facts including the
pool of blood in the bathroom, in his
testimony at the inquest, His recollec-