Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-22
TWO FACE CHARGES
IN DEATH Of NURM|
Alleged Drinking Companions
Accused After Inquest Hits
Suicide Theory.


across the strest In search Of tele.
phone. The first house did not con.
tain one and they tried next door. but
without success. Mcguire ran TO the
drug store at the corner of Carroll
avenue and Grant avenue and tele-
phoned the police. From that time on
he could remember nothing until Id
found himself in cell at Bethesda.
Sergt. Burdine said McCuife's state
nent cofresponded with O'Brien's with
the exception that the latter said he
knew nothing Of any shots being fired
and never saw the gun.
there were four scratches on the dead
mans shoulder, such as could possibly
have been inflicted during struggle.
franticAily shouted, Il didn't shoot
himl I didn't shoot himl" while
at the Washington Sanitarium, where
the body was taken, Constable. Theo-
dore Raines Of TAkoma Park testi-
fed. Raines said that Mcclure went
with him and several other men TO the
hospital with Nurmi's body. Mcclure
accompanied him into the emergency
room and rushed to the body, excitedly
calling Nurmi's name. Raines said Il
was necessary to escort him out of the
room. A few minutes later, Raines
testified, before MCGUIRE had been in
formed that the man was shot, he
commenced shouting ott denials that
he had killed him.
Both MCGUIRE and O'Briefl we're pres
ent at the hearing this morning.
The fact that Nurmi's shoulder was
scratched was brought out for the first
time this morning. Both O'Brien and
MCGUIRE have denied that there was
any struggle.
house was In the utmost disorder. He
said there was d broken LIQUOR bottle
on the floor, the bed In q room AdjoiI-
ing the LIVING room was I1lJissed, and
remnants Of food were on the table.
The story told by both MCGUIRE and
O'Bfien was that they supposed Ntif1ni
had fallen from q secorid-st0ry window.
Neishbor heard Loud Report.
Evidence tending to FIX the time
Nurmi died was given by Mrs. John
Cfone, 108 Grant avenue. neighbor
who said she heard loud report about
o'clock. Raines testified that Nc
CURE te1ephoned the police station be-
tween 9:40 and GAS o'clock saying that
some one had fallen from O window.
The story told by RaineS Of finding
Nurmi follows:
after receiving a telephone call
Oscar ScheAfger, q town bAilif. and
| jumped in my automobile and left thu
| station. At the corner Of Carroll Arc
| Grant avenues d man, whom latei
learned was Mcclure, stopped Us af1t
told US that the injured man was yinl
| in the yard Of q house about two blockl
down Grant avenue. He jumped on thl
running board Of the ear and We drove
to the place. There were d crowd Of
men around the body, which was lyint
the steps which lead to the porch.
II picked up Nurmi's feet, and Davi(
Bird, who lives In TAkoma Park
grabbed his shoulders, and we put hin
In the car and drove to the hospital"
Testify Two Under Rum influence.
RAines, Leo b. Moffett, d town Of,cer
| and Scnearger testified that both Ne
CURE and O'Brien were under the in
fiuence Of liquor. O'Bfitn was tn
calmer Of the two, It was s:,I said ID, re re-
hospital, RAines declared, while Ne
dufre accompanied the body into tn
emergency room.
Police investigation Of the death con.
tif1ued last night, but no additional wit
nesses were found, according to 1efgt
Earl H. Burdine, Montgomery C0tflt,
force, except Mrs. Crofe. Sergt. Bur.
dine said that authorities are no
searching for another suspect.
The inquest this morning was beinI
| held In the Rockville Courthouse befUr'
| Justice Of the Peace John jones', 7
| was ordered by States Attorney Pete
due to lack Of conclusive evidence o
either murder or suicide. Attorney
Joseph Cissel, former States attorney
and Kenneth LyddAre represented Nc
Ouife. while Attorney H. Stanley Stin
Of washington represented O'Brien
Mcguire and C'Bfien have been KEEP
separated by police and even in tn
court room this morning they werl
placed more than 30 feet apart AMI
not allowed to converse with each other
Suicide Held Physically Possible.
Yesterday DR.. Pratt performed see
ond operation on Nurmi's body to de-
termine whether the mans right arm
which was crippled, could have rAiset
q gun TO his head. Immediately fol
lowing the operation he said that Their
! was evidence Of an old fracture of tn,
bone just above the right elbow which
resulted in restricted movement of tn,
Joint It would have been possible, n
declared, for Nurmi to have placed |
gun against his head.
Mr.. and MRS. Andrew q. Nurmi
parents Of the dead man, arrived II
washington yesterday from Rochester
NJ Y, where the elder Nurmi Is EN-
ployed Is o carpenter. Mr.. Nurmi on
pressed the belief that his son wa
murdered In drunken brawl" an,
steadfastly refused 70 consider tn
theory Of suicide.
One Suspect Released.
Funeral services viii be held thi
afternoon at O'Clock at Fort Lincoli
Cemetery, with Rev. O. Z. Lenski, paste
Of the Grace Lutheran Church, ON
ciatine Arthur N Murphy Of the v0I
block Of o street, who was taken int
custody yesterday afternoon by wash
ington police for questioning by Mary
land authorities, was released early las
evening. After being eloseted with tn
man, Seret. Burdine and Chief Of Po
lice ALIVE A. Moxley said they wert
convinced Murphy knew nothing OF thu
manner OF Nurmfs death. They quotaS
him as saying that ne had been drink.
Ing with Nurmi and OBrien "wednesday
afternoon, but that he left them earl
in the evening and went TO his home
Police say his alibi Is iron-clad.