Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05
KELLY DESCRIBES
MCPHERSON PROBE
Accused Officer Holds Board
SpelIbound With Remark
able Power of Memory.
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Continued From First Page)
to the Detective Bureau and reported
to Inspector Shelby that the case
locked bad to him, but it had the ele-
ments Of suicide. Tomorrow he will
begin at this point and recount his
subsequent investigation.
Briefly Sketches Service.
Kelly, at the very outset of his testi-
mony, Sketched briefly his service on
the police force, which has covered a
period of % years and four months,
and parenthetically pointed out that
during his career he had investigated
every conceivable type OF case from tine
stealing of O bird cage to the highest
crime that can be committed"
He then commenced his remarkably
detailed description of the part he
played in the Mcpherson case.
He told of going to the apartment.
where he met Capt. William c.. Stout
of the third precinct, who said to him:
There's a girl dead in the bedroom
and there are some suspicious circum-
stances"
When went to the bedroom door,"
he said, IT found there was some OBJ
struction against it. so I squeezed in
sideways. Inside I found the body
stretched out on the floor. There was a
streak of blood down her face and her
head was lying in pool of dried blood
The pajama belt was wrapped and
knotted around the neck
Il was angered at first when I saw
the black dress over the body, thinking
some policeman had placed 1t there in
violation of instructions never to touch
anything at death scene. Going to
the door, stuck my head out and
IN In hal
dress over this woman's body?' Bob
Mcpherson replied, I did, officer
didn't want the public to see my wifes
body in such condition
Summoned McPhersOn.
II told him to come in the bed room.
that wanted to talk to him. He cam
and pointing to his wife's body,
asked him, What is that around her
neck?'
HE leaned down, examined it in
tently, and then said in a calm voice.
'Of1cer, that looks like her pajama
belt
las Mcpherson was leaning over his
wife's body 1 watched him closely but
he exhibited no emotion or nervousness
from which I might determine guilt"
Kelly then told the board of finding
in bureau drawer three letters, the
contents of the last of which he re-
cited from memory. He said it was
and that the Salutation was Hello,
Sweet" Kelly recited the letter In
substance as follows:
Gee I've missed you and I've been
terribly lonesome without you. I'd
about given up all hope that we'd ever
meet again. See you Monday at
o'clock. Call me at Bryan 2l00."
The detective said the bottom OF
the letter was torn off as though a
postscript had been removed.
Describes Marks on Mirror.
Marks on the mirror in the bath
room, which looked like fingerprints
were described by Kelly, who said they
were 90 indistinct they could not be
copied by the Police Departments ex-
pert. He took direct issue with the
grand jury at this point by declaring
that thorough search had been made
for fingerprints, but that none could
be found.
Differing from the testimony of
Deputy Coroner Joseph d. Rodgers.
Kelly said the physician cut the belt
away from Mrs. McPherSon's neck With
carving knife obtained in the kitchen.
and that when 1t had been removed
blood started to flow again. Rodgers
had testified that he had severed the
belt with his pocketknife.
Kelly said the deputy coroner ex-
pressed his belief while in the apart
ment that Mrs. Mcpherson was a sui
eide and offered to issue a certificate to
that effect at once. Kelly said he sug-
sested that they hold off for q while
and that Rodgers agreed to do so, or
dering the body removed to the morgue
Tor an autopsy. Rodgers denied this
conversation when he was testifying.
BOmbsheII Proves q bud.
Kelly tossed bombshell, which later
turned out to be dud, into the press
section when he told of visit to the
Mcpherson apartment on the night the
young nurse met her death Of a man
and woman who arrived shortly after
8 O'Clock and stayed until near mid
night. All the known evidence in the
case had indicated there was no one in
the apartment that night with Mrs.
Mcpherson after she refused to answer
q telephone call at about 500 pm.
The. detective testified tenant
named Wisebender, living across the
hall from the McPhersons, had related
to him story to the effect that the
couple came to the apartment Thursday
night, knocked on the door and that
Mrs. Mcpherson, on answering the
knock, said, Hello, Dot come on in"
According to Kelly, however, subsequent