Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10
Grand Jury to Hear All Who
Formerly Testified and
"Some More Besides"
NO INQUIRY IS PLANNED
INTO CONDUCT OF POLICE
Investigation to Be Expedited by
Special Prosecutor in Session
Beginning Tuesday.

All the witnesses who testified at the
first grand-jury investigation of the
strangling of Virginia Mcpherson. and
some more besides" will be summoned
to appear in the new grand-jury pro-
ceedings to begin Tuesday, 1t was dis
closed last night by John z. Laskey
special assistant to the Attorney Cen
eral.
approximately 10 persons were ques-
toned by the grand jury which handed
down a voidable murder indictment
against Robert A. Mcpherson, jr., hus-
band of the dead nurse. The additional
witnesses, discovered by the Department
Of Justice in six weeks of intensive in
vestigation, include a street car con-
ductor and motorman, whose belated
statements caused Laskey to announce
week ago he would press the murder
charge against the jailed husband.
Among the first group of witnesses
served with subpoenas yesterday were
Robert j. Allen, suspended policeman
and chief murder witness at the first
proceedings, and Wilmer c. Run, man
ager of the Park Lane Apartments, in
which Mrs. McPherson's body was found
with a pajama belt knotted around the
throat. Both were ordered to appear at
the grand jury room in the courthouse
at 10 O'Clock Tuesday morning.
New Witnesses in Case.
The new witnesses, probably to be
called later in the inquiry, include j. H.
Lewark, conductor. and J. T. Green
motorman, of Georgia avenue line
street car which carried certain pas
sengers from Petworth to the downtown
section shortly after midnight of Sep
tember IL, when Mrs. Mcpherson came
to her death.
Conductor Lewark claims to be an
acquaintance of young Mcpherson. He
did not volunteer his testimony to the
Government, and talked only when
Federal agents, ostensibly In quest of
street car employees who might have
seen any one suspicious" on the fatal
night, questioned him at the Four-and-
a-Half street car barn a week ago.
That the Government should summon
grand jury hearings six weeks aeo con-
firms the forecast in yesterdays Star
that the second proceedings are to be
conducted with an open mind toward
all theories surrounding the. strange
death of the pretty wife Of Bob Nc
pherSon.
A number of the persons who were
gave testimony designed to support the
theory of the detective bureau and Of
coronor's jury that the girl committed
suicide. Others were classified in the
press as murder" witnesses. Most of
the latter were summoned at the re-
quest of Policeman Allen, leader Of the
murder theorists in the early days of
the sensational case.
Plan International Probe.
Despite the fact that the special
Government prosecutor has announced
he has sufficient evidence to justify him
in going forward with the prosecution
of Mcpherson, the Government will not
seek to influence the grand jury in any
way. LaSkeys intention is to have
a thorough going, Unconditional hearing
of all facts in the case. just as though
a previous grand jury and Government
investigative forces had not entered
the case.
Every effort will be made, it is said, to
conf1ne the new proceeding to the cir
cumstanceS surrounding the garroting
of the nurse, without excursions into
questions Of alleged police inef1ciency,
curtailed inquest proceedings and other
ramifications of the celebrated mystery.
1t is the contention Of observers that
the present grand jury will regard the
matter of solving a tragedy in which
another life may be at stake as too en-
crossing to permit of diversions.
Prosecutor Laskey and corps Of
Federal agents under Thomas F. Cullen
of the Bureau of Investigation will
move their headquarters from the De-
partment of Justice to the courthouse
Tuesday. Cullen and two other agents,
E. j. Connolly and John Hickey, con-
ferred yesterday. afternoon with United
States Attorney Leo A. Rover regard
ing arrangements for the grand jury
hearings. Rover turned over to the
Government men room adjoining the
grand jury chamber. In this room
Federal officials will hold in readiness
for presentation to the grand jury all
the evidence obtained from more than
800 witnesses during its extraordinary
investigation of the case.
Operatives to Testify.
The force of Federal operatives which
has been working night and day for a
month and a half in an effort to solve
the Park Lane mystery may be sworn
as additional witnesses before the grand
jury. Their testimony will be sought
in connection with developments since
the first grand jury heard evidence In
the case. Among the developments was
the exhumation of the nurses body at
China Grove. N. c., so that q second
autopsy could De performed. surgeons,
roentgenologiSts, who X-rayed the
corpse, and pathologists. who examined
the Viscera and tissues, are expected TO
tell of their findings. The surgeons
already have reported they found no
evidences of violence other than those
produced by strangulation with a pa
jana belt, but the findings Of the
and chemists have
been kept secret.
Whether Bob Mcpherson will be
questioned during the new proceeding
remains in doubt. Technically he is
still under indictment, although the in
dictment Is known to be voidahIe. De-
fenSe counsel has announced its intsn-
ton of seeking McPherson's release
from jail on bond IL it appears the new
investigation Is to be prolonged
LaSkey stated yesterday afternoon
that he will make every effort to ex-
oedite the grand jury hearing. The
first grand jury took about a week to
examine 20 witnesses While more than
that number will be summoned to ap-
pear in the new session, it is possible
that all of them may not be asked to
testify. The grand jury will choose Its
own witnesses from the list subpoenaed
Policeman Allen viii be questioned
Tuesday regarding his declaration that
ne saw a man on a low roof outside
The window of the Mcpherson apart
nent between 2 and 8 o'clock on the
morning Of September 49,
Policeman Lawrence Bolts, partner of