Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-27
MCPHERSON SUICIDE
THEORY is LEFT OPEN
BY FEDERAL AGENTS
Continued From First Page.)

Advocates of the murder hypothesis
have held that the position of Mrs.
McPherson's body against the bedroom
door of her apartment was one Of the
strongest arguments against suicide.
Careful study of THIS phase of the case
is said to have shown this very fact
also may be cited to bolster the suicide
theory.
A point overlooked in this connection
by early investigators is that the bed
room side of this door contained full
length mirror. Before this was taken
note of. it had been claimed that a
prospective suicide would have stood
in front of the bureau mirror and that
in falling her feet could not have
landed against the door in the position
in which the body was found. A per-
son contemplating suicide quite pos
Sibly could have stood before the full
length mirror and fallen naturally into
the position referred to. Furthermore.
first reports that the room was dark
have been diSproved. A table lamp was
burning when the body was found.
1t is reported reliably, moreover, that
the importance of arguments that the
husband indicted himself by admit
ting he had covered his wife's form
with a dress after finding 1t on Sep
TENDER IA has been somewhat dis
counted, in view of facts uncovered by
the Bureau of Investigation.
Held Not discriminating.
It is understood the bureaus agents
have found nothing discriminating in
this admission. having satisfied them
selves that the husband could have
reached his arm around the edge Of
the slightly opened door to toss the
dress on the body. Reports that Nc
Pherson told employees OF the Park
Lane he had been inside the bedroom
and felt the body to see if it were
cold were not corroborated in the in
vestigation.
Much significance previously had
been attached to the reports that Nc
Pherson entered the room, in the light
of declarations by Wilmer C. Ruff
manager Of the apartment house, that
he had to push the body away from
the door in order to thrust his head
and shoulders into the doorway.
Certain significant discoveries made
concerning the physical condition Of
Mrs. Mcpherson when she was treated
for gas poisoning after an alleged at
f-tempt to end her life on June 10, last,
also are said to have been made by the
Federal operatives. Her condition at
that time is said to have Tailed closely
with that which preceded her death
September IL.
If it be true that the Federal in
veStigatorS have received new evidence
to support the suicide theory 1t would
be but natural they would exhaust
every avenue of inquiry suggesting muir
der before filing final report. Failure
to find proof that Mrs Mcpherson was
murdered undoubtedly would subject
the department to criticism from some
~ ie Iafar
mined the report must be so complete
as to stand up under criticism from
proponents of either theory.
Re-Examine Witnesses.
In pursuance of this policy the Jus
tice agents yesterday re-examined sew
eral persons whose statements already
OF recorded testimony. Among these
was taXicab driver who had recalled
taking young man from the Park Lane
apartments to Georgia avenue and Up
shur street on or about the night of
September II, when Mrs. Mcpherson
met her death. This chauffer. it is
understood, at no time was able to iden-
tify his passenger, or even to be sure
the trip was made on the night in queS-
ton. His story first was told to the
local detective bureau and later to the
grand jury He thinks he picked this
passenger up between $3.50 and 845
O'Clock.
Mcpherson, in his accounting of his
movements on the night of the tragedy,
| is reported to have told of calling a
taXicab to take him to Upshur street
after paying a brief visit to his wife'S
apartment about o'clock on the night
of September II.
So far as is known publicly. the De-
partment of Justice has been unable
to find any flaw in McPhersons story
of his movement on that night.
Another person Intercepted yeSter-
day was Eliot H. Thompson, fellow en-
ploye of Mcpherson at local bank and
the man who. in his off time capacity
of minister, united the McPherson's in
marriage. Mr.. and Mrs. Thompson
have told of paying visit to Mrs. Nc
Pherson on the day before she died.
They have been questioned several times
regarding thir knowledge of reported
marital difficulties between the young
couple.