Evening star., 1929-11-17
MCPHERSON LIKELY
TO KNOW FATE BY
END OF THIS WEEK
Grand Jury to Decide Whether
He Shall BE indicted or
Re Set Free.
CONFLICTING TESTIMONY
FoRESTALLS PREDICTION
Street Car Conductor, Who Says
He Saw Him, Yet Is to Appear
Before Probers.

Before Pr0Ders.
Robert A. Mcpherson, jr., in jail on
a technically faulty murder indictment
will know probably by the end of this
week whether he Is to be tried under
new indictment or face the world as
free man.
With testimony-much of it sharply
conflicting-from more than half of the
hundred-odd witnesses still to be pre-
sented to the grand jury, predictions as
to what McPherson's fate will be, varied
widely last night.
This week there will be witnesses at
the grand jury room to testify that the
husband of Virginia Mcpherson, Park
Lane pajama-be victim, was far from
the scene of the tragedy late on the
fatal night, and there will be witnesses
to contend he was not.
Forecast Likely to Err.
Whose testimony is to prevail out of
the confusing assortment of facts OBJ
tanned from the long list of witnesses is
something that no one can forecast
with confidence at this stage of the new
inquiry.
New evidence uncovered by Govern
ment investigators after the first grand
jury proceeding remains to be offered
in the new probe of Washington's
strangest death mystery. How much Of
this evidence. If any. Is damaging to
the husband and how much, If any,
might benefit his case. will become
known to the jurors within the next
few days.
It is known the Department of Justice
will send before the grand jury probably
tomorrow. a recently-discovered witness,
Conductor Joseph H. Lewark of the
Georgia avenue street car line. Lewark
declares he will contradict the testi-
mony of those who claim Mcpherson
was not downtown after midnight of
September 12-on the 13th-when his
wife met her death in the Park Lane
apartments.
Medical Experts to BE Quizzed.
Among other important Government
witnesses yet to be questioned, some Of
whom may appear tomorrow, are med.
ical experts who conducted a second
autopsy on the body of Mrs McPher.
son month ago at China Grove, N. G.
Heading this group Is DR.. James I.
Bullitt, pathologist of the University Of
North Carolina. It is Understood DR..
Bullitt has been subpoenaed to appear
here tomorrow or Tuesday.
Surgical examination of the corpse
failed to verify one physicians opinion
tured, and disclosed no marks of vio-
lence beyond those produced by strar1-
gulation with pajama belt knotted
around the throat
X-rays were taken of the body and a
chemical analysis was made of certain
tissues, but the findings in each of
these examinations have been kept a
secret by the Federal authorities. The
air OF mystery thus thrown around the
supplemental reports has given rise to
rumors that something significant"
was found.
1t Is likely the grand jury will ques-
ton the medical experts closely as to
the ability Of q woman to tie a cord
around her throat and die as did Mrs.
Mcpherson.
Alibi Is Studied by Jury.
The grand jury is spending much
tline in considering the alibi offered by
McPherson and his relatives and friends
This alibi places him In Petworth at an
nour that Conductor Lewark and q
taxicao driver assert they saw him in
the downtown section. The taxicab
driver. Garnett Melvin Frye, testified
Friday, presumably to the effect that
McPherSon hailed him at Fifteenth
street and New York avenue between
! and o'clock on the morning of Gen
temoer Is and rode In his cab To an
aHey In the rear Of the Park Lane
apartments. Frye was quizsed for more
tnan an hour and seemed upset when
ne emerged from the grand Jury room.
SOhoucCor LeWark, short. Stockv
native Of Mrs. McPherson,s home STATE
Nortn Carolina, Is scheduled to be cues
uoned tomorrow. He saws he will tell
the Jurors Mcpherson rode downtown
on his street car between midnirht and
lz:3O o'clock on the night of the
Tragedy: Lewark states he is positive
IN ms Identification because he knows
McPnerson well when he sees him. hav-
ing lived In Petworth In the same
neighborhood with him. There can be
no mistake as to the day. Lewark ex-
plains, because 1t was his birthday. and
he is sure of the hour. because ii was
the only owl trip he had made in
two weeks.
Records Back Conductor.
Records Of the Washington Railway
q Electric Co. support Lewark's state
ment that he was assigned to day duties
at that time, but was on special night
duty on September IL.
Lewark says he will testify Mcpher-
son boarded his car at Upshur street
and Illinois avenue about flve minutes
after midnight and left the car at Ninth
and streets about IS minutes after
IL. The conductor states his passen-
ger wore a gray hat, similar to that de-
scribed by the taxicab driver.
At that hour Mcpherson has said he
was visiting an aunt in Petworth, en-
route to the home of his parents, where
he retired. The aunt and the parents
corroborate the young mans statements.
Before completing its inquiry, the
grand jury may pay visit to the scene
Of the death. 1t is possible they will
have Mcpherson brought from the jail
so that they can hear his story from
his own lips. william Z. Leahy. coun-