The Washington times., 1929-09-25
McPhersOn's Mother
Quizzed at d. c. Jury
Nurse Investigation
Continued from First Page)


eral important witnesses.
Among these were Mr.. and Mrs.
Mcpherson, sr., father and mother
in-Iaw of the dead nurse. They
entered the grand jury room while
their young son and husband of the
dead woman, stood outside awaiting
his turn to testify.
Mrs Mcpherson is supposed to
have had luncheon with her daugh-
ter-in.law on the Thursday preceding
her" death. She is also supposed to
have been one of the last persons
to talk to the young nurse over the
. telephone on Thursday night when
she attempted to bring about a recon.
ciliation between her SON and his
wife. !.
Refused to Make Up
The senior Mrs. Mcpherson has
quoted her daughterin-law as
having said in this conversation,
''Robert has been here, but will .lot
make up
Miss Martha Berry, a nurse, and
komrade of the dead girl, was the
first witness called this morning.
Miss Berry had previously declared
that Mrs. Mcpherson was always
of bright and sunny disposition
and that she knew of no reason
why. the other nurse should take
her own life.
Mrs. Aileen Saville, manager Of
the High View Apartments where
the young McPhersons lived 1prio-
to their moving to the Park Lane,
was heard by the Grand Jury. She
is believed to have been questioned
f1 Irn inn
occurred at the High View Apart
ments in which Mrs. Mcpherson
was overcome by gas.
Accident Is Charged
Those who, believe that Mrs. Nc
Pherson was the victim of a mur-
derer assert that on this occasion the
young nurse was the victim of an
accident. Those who cling to the
theory that she strangled herself to
death say that it was merely a
previous attempt to commit suicide.
S. NJ. Perkins, janitor of the High
View Apartments. was another wit
ness at the morning session. and ne
also is believed to have testified in
regard to the gassing incident.
Mcpherson, with the build OF
football player, surmOunted by a
shock of blonde curly hair, is
expected to go over his entire
married life when he takes the
stand.
: He will relate how he conducted
a whirlwind courtship of the
: pretty young nurse who, when he
began his wooing was engaged to
a doctor now engaged in practice
i'm New York; how he won the
young woman; how short time
after their marriage they began
having trouble which caused him
to SLAP her couple Of times;
how i'm June he returned to their
apartment to find her overcome
by gas Gn suicide attempt, ac-
cording to the police, but acci-
dentally according to her rela.
ter quarrel early this month; how
he left her, and then the climax
of his return to their apartment
September IA to find her body
ION the fleor with pajama cord
kn0tted around the neck.
12 Witnesses Called
Twelve witnesses We're heard yes
ferday in the lengthy deliberations |
which extended until o'clock last |
night. Among the important wit.
nesses heard yesterday were Lieu
tenant Kelly and Robert j. Allen,
suspended policeman of the Third |
precinct.
1t was the independent investiga- |
ton conducted by Allen into the
case which was largely responsible
for the Grand Jury probe of the
tragedy after the matter had been
officially closed by the coroner's /
verdict. Senator Lee Overman hal |
enough confidence in the theory Of
Allen and the testimony which he
offered to ask District Attorney
Leo A. Rover to reopen the case.
Allen Is Discouraged
Allen. however, is about dis.
couraged with the case because he
maintains he is at disadvantage !
in having to present his evidence
to the Grand Jury without being |
allowed to be present to question
his witnesses.
Nevertheless he admits that the |
District Attorneys office has gone
as far as it can to cooperate, with |
him in allowing him the privilege
OF suggesting questions to the at
tache of that office to be asked of
witnesses as they are called.
The scores of witnesses waiting
to Law their evidence before the
Grand Jury find 1t tedious busi-
ness idling about. There aren't
enough seats in the ante-roonis of
the hearing room to allow them all
to sit down, with the result that
many stand about the corridors of
the courthouse, or sit on the win
dow sills.
Most of the witnesses ~are
young, for this is essentially a
tragedy OF the younger age. They
are all irked at sitting in the
stuffy courthouse, although most
of them are getting thrill out
of the experience.
One of the most popular means
Of amusement for the waiting
witnesses it to attempt to repro.
duce the means by which Nir.
ginia met her death.
Cords or ribbons are produced
and many of the girls try to
knot them around their neck i'm
the manner I'm which the pajama
cord was found tied around that
Of the Young nurse. Thus far
none of the witnesses indulging
in this grim entertainment has
been able to produce anything
like strangulatiOn.
Policeman Allen carries a genuine
pajama cord around in his pocket
and he freely offers II to newspaper
reporters covering the case with the
suggestion that they try TO kill them
s~ives by tieing II around their