The Washington times., 1929-09-21
NEG[ l3ENCE
|SlA|I) TO
POLICE

Policeman Robert J. Allen,
81 the Third precinct, facing
departmental trial as the re-
suit Of his one-man ihvestiga-
tion of the mysterious death of
Mrs. Virginia Mcpherson, to-
day demanded that the score
or more of witnesses in the
case be given a chance to tell
what they know.
OF all the witnesses called to the
inquest in the Mcpherson death
Allen declared, only one-Lieut. Ed
ward Kelly, chief OF the homicide
souad~-was permitted to make a
statement. The rest were not heard.
and the coroner's jury brought IN a
verdict of suicide.
Mrs. Mcpherson, q pretty nurse,
was found last Saturday IN her
apartment at the Park ,Lan9.
stransled to death with pajarna
cord.
Il do not understand why the de.
partment is so anxious to drop this
case" Allen declared today. THESE
I charges they want to bring against
me DO not frighten me. All ask
. is that action against me be delayed
until a thorough investigation is
made Of all the evidence. am sure
that such an inquiry will satisfy ali
concerned that a murder was COM
mitted.
Il think the department. and the
hcmicide squad will have enough
to explain. after hearing this evil
: dence, without trying to sidetrack
>the case by bringing charges
against me-"
Talks To Witnesses
: Allen charged that he had talked
TO many Of the witnesses in the
tragedy. most Of whom were close
TO the scene Of the crime, ana de.
clared they were certain Mrs. Nc
Pherson's death was due not to sui.
eide, but to murder.
"The police and the District At
torney's office owe duty to the
public" Allen said. "and the public
certainly must wonder why the
witnesses at the inquest were not
given q chance to be heard. 4
Let US open up this case, and
clear this girls death. Let an i'm.
partial jury hear all the facts, and
determine whether q murder was
committed" -
Allen said that fair inquiry
would bring out answers to three
: pertinent questions:
"Whv did Assistant District At
torney w. II. Collins, who was IN
!, vestisating the case, promise me
thnF0nUh ne
uuiry, and just a few hours later
remove from the door of the murder
apartment Policeman d. A. Guriey'
of the Third Precinct who had been
placed there as guard!
"Why did / find Collins closeted
at police headquarters with the
, homicide squad, after had told him
oe nv suspicious that an attempt
was being made to make the case
look like suicide?
"Why did Lieutenant Kelly, re"
hours after he learned OF the III
formation had, go to the McPher.
SON apartment and order 1t cleaned
up Of suspicious blQpdstains, dis.
placed furniture and the like? And
why was the bathroom floor, with
its bloodstains, chiseled up?
Suicide Held Impossible
Allen contended that 1t would
have been impossible for Mrs. Nc
Pherson to have tied pajama cord
around her neck so tightly as to
cause death. The physician who
examined the body, he declared, said
the neck was cut in five places.
Allen said he even obtained a pa
jana cord similar to the one which
caused death, and offered two girls
SIS IL they could tie the cord around
their necks so tightly as to prevent
them from speaking. Neither sue
ceeded. he said.
Aliens absorption in the McPher.
son case. is said to have made him
SO.minutes late for duty last Tues
day night, ana his precinct com.
mander, Capt. William G. Stott, has
reported him to Major Henry G.
Pratt.