Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-29
Army Officials Take Steps to
Release Suspect From
Service.
CIVIL AUTHORITIES MEET
10 CONSIDER NEW ACTION
Soldiers Confession and Later De-
NAL Not Yet Linked With
Baker Death.

preparations today to take into custod!
Pvt. Howard L. Brewster, stable hostlel
IN the Quartermaster Corps as Army
officials took steps to release him from
the service via the blue discharge
route.
Plans for the continued detention o.
Brewster were discussed at q conference
between Commonwealth Attorney Will
liam G. Cloth of Arlington County, De-
partment Of Justice agents and Lieut.
Edward ]. Kelly, chief of the homicide
squad Of the Washington Detective Blu
Ieau.
Capt. A. r. Boiling Of the head.
quarters company, said that neither
Cloth nor any of the other civil authori-
ties had discussed with him plans fol
taking Brewster into custody Until
Brewster Is oficially released from the
Army. Capt. Boiling declared, he could
not turn the soldier over to the civil
authorities unless a warrant is issued.
Although BrewSter's alternate con-
9ession and denial of the Staying of Miss
Baker have confounded the investiga-
tors they have been unable to find any
evidence that would link him with the
crime, but Cloth believes that he should
not be released as q suspect at this time
Ia view Of his knowledge Of the details
Of the case.
While Lieut. Kelly, Cloth and the
Department of Justice agents were in
conference, Headquarters Detective John
Flaherty began checking up on the
movements Of q new suspect who was
questioned last night as a result of re-
ports which reached police headQuar-
tiers that the man had been overheard
to make a statement that he had killed
Q woman. Detectives released him
after talking with him for several hours,
confident that he had no connection
with the crime. The man also denied
that he had made such statement.
Girls Name Cleared.
Representative Bland of Virginia de-
elared that he has been able to clear
the character of Miss Baker by official
letters from those who have been in
closest touch with the investigation of
the recent murder Of Miss Baker.
These letters In exoneration Of the
character of Miss Baker" he said,
speak for themselves. Her life has
been subjected to the closest scrutiny"
Commemorative Attorney Cloth said
that Sin the investigation of Miss
Bakers death her every action for sew
eral years past has been carefully
scrutinized From all the facts that I
have In my possession, I am convinced
that Miss Baker was a virtuous girl,
and that her character was beyond re-
proach."
w. s. Shelby, acting major and SUI
perintendent of police of the District,
said that "our investigations in this
case have developed nothing which
would indicate that Miss Baker was
other than girl Of the purest char
acter."
Commissioner Crosby in his letter
said: st have been informed by Mai.
Henry @. Pratt, superintendent of po-
lice that the members of the depart
nent who had the actual handling Of
this case have found nothing to indi-
cate any wrongdoing on the part of
the unfortunate young lady"
The release Of Brewster from the
military service, it was said, has been
he has attracted. A blue discharge"
Is dismissal without honor. Brewster
once before was discharged from the
Army for "inepitude" and for failure
TO adapt himself to the drill and
methods Of the Infantry.
Brewster Changed Story.
That Brewster has been taking In
Vestigators of the Department Of Justice
and police of Washington and Arlington
County 'for a ride" during the lengthy
interrogations which he has undergone
since his arrest, May II, Is well under
stood by the inquisitors. He has alter
nately admitted and denied details Of
the assault on Miss Baker in fashion
something life this:
Brewster served at Camp Holabird,
Nd, near Baltimore, in 1921, with a
motor repair outfit and while there
drove all types of automobiles, includ-
ing trucks. But when he was asked to
drive a small car of the type which
Mary Baker drove, he expressed COM
plete astonishment when he put the
car In high gear and with the brake on,
found 1t would not move. He later
demonstrated conclusively his thorough
familiarity with gear shift cars and
nonchalantly drove a car of this type
through traffic. He profesSed to be
unable to switch on the lights, and
his officers, showed how it could be
done.
While detectives had hin near Sew
enteenth and B streets attempting to
place his knowledge of the exact loca-
ton Of the Baker car, he first led them
10 the EllipSe. An officer sharply rep
rinanded MIN for his depression from
his confession, and he is said to have
replied, We'll, I don't want to take
them to the spot He later walked
with the officer to the precise spot
where Mary Bakers car was parked.
Was Trapped Often.
Many times during the fortnight OF
grilling Brewster has been driven into
corner from which there appeared nc
hope for escape. On some of these &C.
casions he has leveled his finger at one
Of the inquisitors and said, May
speak with you privately?" The others
then left the room. and with only one
man present he has been able to work
his way out of the dilemma.
Never has Brewster denied having
what he calls IAN argument" with a
woman at Seventeenth and B streets
on the afternoon of April IL, but he
steadfaStly denies shooting a woman in
an automobile.
Throughout the entire period from
the original confession" of Brewster
with details Of how he knocked her un-
conscious in her car, drove her through
Georgetown, assaulted her and dropped
her In the culvert, Brewster has led in
vestigatorS along many roads which
they thought would bring a clear cut
picture of the actual occurrences or
April IL. Each time, however, wher
they thought they had him so trapped
that a real confession" would come, he
has extricated himself, by use of the
old II don't remember" method or BY
repudiating details leading up to thi'
point. His knowledge of details of the
murder and assault which were known
only to police before Brewster became
involved in the case, has convinced au.
thoritisz that he knows too much about
the crime to be entirely innocent.