Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-24
MURDER PROBE HIT
BY MRS. NORTON IN
HEARING At CAPITOL
Representative Says InveSti-
, cation of Baker Death Has
Been Handled ClumSiIy.
SEARCH FOR SLAYER
AT VIRTUAL IMPASSE
Officials Hunt in Vain for New
Clue in Killing of Navy
Worker.

investigator OF the murQer OF Mary
Baker drew criticism from the Capitol
today when Representative Mary T.
Norton of New Jersey charged that the
case had been handled clun1sily and
deplored the fact that in running down
clues those in authority had seen At
to publicly disgrace and ruin the rep
utations of the innocent"
Representative Norton expressed her
opinions at a hearing before the Lam
pert subcommittee Of the House Dis
trict committee today, which was con-
sidering the Romjue bill to provide for
the establishment Of school here to
train policemen.
"In view of the present situation in
the District of Columbia-three fright
full murders have been committed with
in a short time and none have been
solved it seems to me a training
school for policemen and policewomen
is most essential" she declared.
Case Handled CIumsily.
SET mean to be fair to the authorities,
but I do believe the most recently ghast-
" murder committed has been handled
very clumsily to say the least.
ITO find the murderer Is naturally
the one thought in mind and it Is
necessary to run down every clue to try
to solve the problem. In order TO 90
SO. however. It is quite unnecessary to
publicly disgrace and ruin the repuCa-
tons Of the innocent.
think of the great wrong that has
been done to many in this latest
tragedy; not only to the poor victim
through an agonizing death, but even
after death by staining her reputation
when it is purely gueSswork ms
young woman was the daughter OF
respected clergyman, her friends and
co-workers speak of her in the highest
terms. as does the little town In Vir-
ginia where she formerly resided. Exert
every effort to bring this sneaky muir
derer to the bar Of justice, but in so
doing do not publicly hurt the character
of those who are only too willing, at the
risk of their regulations to help the
police in every way in connection with
this tragedy.
Confidence Destroyed.
"True. the so-called suspects have
been cleared in so far as the au-
thorities is concerned; but there Will
ALWAYS remain a doubt in the minds
= of many, through this broadcast OF
misleading evidence, and more than
that. there is an old saying that faith
once lost can never be restored Think
of confidence destroyed in the families
of these men.
Let the newspapers cooperate with
the police to all ends to solve this aw1ui
murder, but in doing so let them not
brand the innocent by broadcastlng
misgivings."
Mrs. Norton said afterwards that she
did not want her remarks to be con-
strued as an attack entirely against the
local department, for she realized after
talking to police officials that they had
been confronted with huge problem
in the case. ANY shortcomings, Sne
said, were equally ascribed to the Viz
ginia authorities and the Department
of Justice.
1t was pointed ont at the District
Building today that Julian Gallagher
and MerVin SisSon, nearby virginia
statesmen, who were brought to Airing
ton County Court House for questioning
in connection with the Baker murder
inquiry, were arrested by the Virginia
authorities at the request OF William Q.
Cloth, Commonwealth attorney OF Ar
lington County. The Washington po-
lice have co-operated in the investiga-
ton, but most of the activity has been
directed from Arlington County, where
the crime appears to have been COM
mitted.
ImpaSse Is Reached.
Investigation of the murder of Miss
Baker reached a definite impasse today
as Washington police, Arlington County
officials and Department OF Justice
agents search in vain for new clue to
nut them on the trail of the slayer.
Every lead that appeared promising
at the outset has been run down and
every possible suspect questioned and
eliminated, leaving the cT-me as deep
a mystery as it was on April IL, when
Miss Bakers body was found in a Gull
vert on the fringe of Arlington Gene
terry. The investigators, however, While
obviously discouraged, refuse to give up
all hope of an ultimate solution.
Two of the principals In the lnVestl-
CATION temp Jrs.rily cast aside al
thoughts Of the Baker case and turned
TO other Commonwealth Attor-
ney Cloth Of Arlington County ano
Inspector william S. Shelby, CHIEF
If Washington's Detective Bureau
Cloth concentrated attention on his
officiaI duties as Arlington County's
prosecutor, announcing that he woulc
devote his time chiefly to cases pending
i'm the Circuit Court unless there are
unexpected developments in the murder
investigation. Inspector Shelby &C.
CONTINUED on Page 2, Column 3D.