Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-03
GRAND Jury OPENS
INQUIRY IN DEATH
OF MRS. DREYFUS
Detective Sergt. DarnaIl,
First Witness, Believes Fall
at Boat Club Accident.
RELATIVES AMONG
35 TO BE HEARD
Coroner hewitt, Who Presided at
Inquest, Second Called, Doubts
Foul Play.

The District Grand jury today COM
menced its investigation of the death OF
Mrs. Aurelia Fischer Dreyfus, who was
killed on October 20 in plunge from a
balcony at the Potomac Boat Club
where she had been attending dance
Detective Sergt. George E. Darnall
the first witness called by Neil Burkin-
shaw, assistant United States attorney
in charge of the case, expressed the be-
lief before entering the grand jury room
That the young woman'S fall was acct
dental. Darnall participated in the po-
lice investigation of the case.
Approximately 35 witnesses were
waiting outside the grand jury room IL
the District Supreme Court Building
this morning when the investigation
was opened Among them were severa
relatives who have submitted affldavits
to United States Attorney Leo Rover ir
which the belief was expressed thai
Mrs. Dreyfus was murdered. The granc
jury probe was ordered after these af-
fidavitS were made.
Coroner Second Witness.
DR.. j. Ramsay hewitt, District cor.
oner. the second witness, presided al
the inquest, which resulted in a verdict
of accidental death DR.. hewitt was
closeted in the grand jury room only q
few minutes. Before leaving the court
house he told newspaper men the evil
dence presented at the inquest con-
vinced him Mrs. Dreyfus had not beer
pushed from the balcony.
The coroner's inquest resulted in the
release of Edmund ]. McBrien. New
xrI1 falr mr.
tody by police after Mrs. Dreyfus died
McBrien escorted Mrs. Dreyfus to the
boat club dance the night of her death.
He convinced police he was not with the
woman when she fell from the balcony,
explaining he had left her shortly be-
fore she fell to go after his hat. He
told police he had been a close friend
of Mrs. Dreyfus for several years.
The affldavits sworn to by relatives of
Mrs Dreyfus directed suspicion at Nc
Brien. The relatives charged he had
threatened to kill the young divorce
because she knew too much" about the
murder of Dot King, Broadway night
club entertainer. McBrien is not ex-
pected to be a witness.
Undertaken to Testify.
George Duvall, an undertaken, was
another witness. He was summoned
to tell of his examination of Mrs. Drey-
fus' body. While Duvall declined to
discuss the case with newspaper men,
he is understood to have stated pre-
viously that he saw no fingerprints on
Mrs. Dreyfus' throat. Aff1davits of rela-
tiveS contended fingerprints were no.
ticeable.
Charles B. Eaton, a member of the
boat club, was the fourth witness. He
told reporters he expected to be cues
TONED about assisting in removing Mrs.
Dreyfus to Emergency Hospital.
Among the other witnesses waiting to
be called before the grand jury were
Miss Freda Fischer of 1905 Olive street
northeast, sister of Mrs. Dreyfus; Will
liam Fischer, brother; Mrs. Ernest
G. Knorr. another sister; Helmuth
Fischer of Washington, another BROTH
er; Mrs. Louise Reinberger of Youngs-
town, Ohio, another sister; Mrs. Jo-
hanna McNamee of Thrifton, Va, sis
ter, and Mrs. Carl Fischer, the mother
Of Mrs. Dreyfus