Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24
BAKER GAR LOOMS
ASDEFENSE LINK
IN MURDER CASE
CampbelI's Counsel Moves to
Block Removal by Slain
Girls Father.
BEL IEVE EXHIBIT MAY
REBUFF GRAVE CHARGES
One of Indictment Counts Is That
Fatal Shot Was Fired
in Auto.

About to be discarded by the prose-
cution, the blood -spattered automobile
Ia which Mary Baker rode to her death
on April IL last doomed yesterday as
an important piece Of evidence in the
defense Of Herbert M. Campbell, charged
with her murder.
Counsel for Campbell, hearing of eff
forts of the slain girls father to obtain
possession Of the car, moved quickly
yesterday to Illustrate release Of the
grim exhibit on the ground that its
mute story may tend to rebuilt the grave
charges brought against the Arlington
County realty dealer.
One Of the counts in the double
barreled indictment returned against
Campbell by the District grand jury
Is that he shot the girl after strangiins
her in her automobile. The charge re-
suited from the findings Of ballistic ex-
perts that. Campbeli's revolver fired the
bullets removed from Miss Bakers
corpse.
Insists Experts Mistaken.
Campbell insists the experts were mis-
taken in their common verdict, and
now his attorneys viii seek to show
that absence OF bullet marks in the
car, together with other circumstances,
tends to refute the charge that Camp
bell shot the girl In the car, as claimed
by investigators.
Herbert 8. ward, special advocate as
signed by the Veterans Of Foreign Wars
to assist Charles Henry Smith, defense
lawyer. yesterday registered protests
against release of the car with United
States Attorney Leo "A. Rover, Common
wealth's Attorney william C. Cloth Of
Arlington County, in whose Jurisdiction
the car now Is retained, and United
States Commissioner j. Barton Phillips
In Alexandra, who ruled recently that
Campbell should be transferred to the
District of Columbia from the Alex
ward first telephoned Cloth and was
referred to the United States attorneys
once here The attorney then PAID Q
visit to Rover's Office and received as
s,,rance that no move would be made
until Monday to turn the car over to
DIR. Thomas r. Baker, father OF the
dead girl. A conference also was had
with the commissioner.
Orders Car Held.
DIR. Baker announced in letters TO
Cloth and Arthur M. Dawson OF Lyon
Village, In whose garage the car mas
heen stored. that he had obtained per-
mission OF Assistant United States At
torney william II. Collins to take pos,
session Of the car. The clergyman sac
ne would come for the machine early
ehis week. Dawson asked for ADVICE
from Cloth and the district attorneys
ONCE. and was told to allow no one Y
touch It until he had received Al
ofEicial order. ~,
case, is out of town on vacation. Before
he left It was understood he would no
onnnse return of the car to the Baker
family after 1t had been careIun!
photographed.
Miss Bakers automobile. sedan O
yon,ilar make, was the scene OF pre-
firninary attack by an assanant wn'
struggled with the girl In II neal
Seventeenth and 3 streets iate on VI,
afternoon Of April IL. The attack wa
{ witnessed by three persons, who re
ported it to police after the man nat
Apparently beaten the girl into uncon
scioIisness and then driven the car norti
an Seventeenth street. One OF tn
witnesses reported hearing several snot'
rs the car disappeared.
The Government charges that the as
sailant was Campbell and that the giI
was choked and shot IN the Distric'
Campbell's attorneys contend the Coy
eminent Is without proof TO sustain It
charges and have fought efforts to re
move their client TO this city for trial
on the ground that venue has not beef
established. They point to recovery
the car on the Military road, nea
Arlington Cemetery and finding Of tn
body in q culvert alongside the Sheridan
gate as indicating the crime was com
nnitted in Virginia.
Campbell must remain in the Alex
andria iail at least until Federal Judg
D, Lawrence Groner in Norfolk can &C
on the recommendation of Commissions
Phillips that the prisoner be turned owe
to the District. It will be several week
before the court acts, 1t is understood