Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-02
ALLEN IS CHEERED
IN EXPOSE" TALK
Predicts Third Jury Probe
Conducted by Himself
in Mcpherson Case.

Having been prevented from making
a speech on the Mcpherson case to the
present grand jury, Robert j. Allen,
discharged policeman, delivered it last
night before a sympathetic audience
of more than 5000 men and women
women willing to pay for the oppor-
tunity
Taking as his subject "The Inside
of the Mcpherson Case" the former
policeman disclosed to his mixed pub
lie" all the lurid details of the mys-
terious strangling of Virginia McPher-
son, attacked the Police Department
and the District attorneys Office and
predicted there would be third grand
jury investigation of the Park Lane
tragedy, conducted by himself.
The address was delivered from the
stage of the Washington auditorium,
the main floor of which contained some
1000 persons and the balcony of which
had more than a thousand others, all
of whom had paid from IS cents to 81
for the privilege of hearing Aliens lex
pose"
Tells of Visit to Scene.
AS a matter of fact, there was little
Allen told his audience that was not
already generally known, except the
disclosures that he expects to conduct
another grand jury inquiry and that he
visited the Mcpherson apartment short
ly after discovery of the body of the
nurse. The latter was something he
had not previously made known to
many persons connected with the case.
There's going to be a third grand
case" Allen declared, land I'm going
to conduct 1t. And John E. Laskey
won't get in there, either!" The state
ment, like many another one he made
during the evening, was applauded
roundly.
Allen was applauded when he con-
demned the police repeatedly for al
legged brutality, parking light drives
and for activities of Inspector William
S. Shelby and Lieut.. Edward j. Kelly
in the Mcpherson case. Mention of the
name of Guy E. Burlingame, former po-
lice captain, brought Kisses from parts
of the hall.
Points Out StenOgrapher.
At one point Allen interrupted his
discourse to call attention to the pres
ence of a stenographer at table in
front of the platform. When he re-
ferred to this stenographer as repre-
sentative of the Police Department and
said he thought the police were tax
ing the record for use against him
later, there were cries of throw him
out" from the gallery.
Allen declared he had heard report
that a high Government official by
whom the mother of Mcpherson was
employed" had called Inspector Shelby
and induced him to order McPherson's
release from the third precinct, where
ne was taken for a brief period after
discovery of Mrs. McPherson's body
He said Lieut. Kelly had protested
against McPherson's release. Allen let
1t be known for the first time last
night that he was sitting in a restau-
rant in the Park Lane Building, of
duty. at the time the tragedy was dis
covered, on the afternoon of September
IA. He said he went upstairs to the
apartment, but left promptly when he
saw his precinct captain and other Off
GERS In the apartment. He said their
packs were turned, and he departed
hurriedly because his superiors would
nave SAID he had no business there.
he gave his own version of how Mrs
McFherson came to her death, leaving
out none of the revolving details. He
reiterated his charges that the nurse
was murdered, leaving no doubt in the
mlnoS OF those present as to the person
ne oeileves committed the act, although
ne avoided direct use of the name.
Opinion Of Death.
IN beginning his theory, Allen said:
II is not my purpose to convince YOU
mat Mcpherson committed the murder
just want to state the facts. How
ever, nave the same opinion as all OF
! you here tonight as to who did it.
won't rest until that individual il
brought to justice 1 don't claim my
evidence would convict him in court, but
DO say that the evidence should have
| gone to trial and left to the Judgment OF
| a jury of H."
He criticized Laskey's handling of the
case before the second grand iury
which freed Mcpherson. He said he
couldn't expect friend of the police tc
| prosecute the police, as, he claimed
would have been the case had McPher.
son been indicted He expressed the
opinion that Laskey had done "all In
his power to free Mcpherson. rathe,
than prosecute him.
In freeing Mcpherson. he said ths
grand jury had to believe that II Mrs
Heavrin, Conductor Lewark the iani.
tor and all Others who testified arainst
him" would perjure themselves.
He concluded with the statement thu,
it would be "a long time before til.
District of Columbia will forget litfI,
Virginia MCPHERSON"