Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-21
Witnesses Fail to Identify
Prisoner as ASsaiIant
of Murdered Girl.
PALM PRINTS COMPARED
WITH MARKS ON AUTO
Owner Of Death Gun TO Be Re-
called to Confront Suspected
Painter Again.


tarily turned over to police a gun
identified as the one used by the muir
derer of Mary Baker, and Hermann
Henry Barrere, charged with being the
girls slayer, confronted each other to-
day behind closed doors in the office
of Commemorative Attorney william
C. Cloth in the county court house.
The meeting of accuser and accused
did not, as its outset, at least, have
the elements of drama. which authori-
ties had anticipated.
Before the door was closed behind
them, Campbell was seen to go over
to where Barrere was seated and the
two men nodded a greeting and shook
hands. This was a preliminary to
what has been characterized as a
showdown" between the two central
figures in the latest developments Of
the mystery case.
Can't Identify Barrere.
Campbell had been in the prosecu-
tors room with Barrere only moment
or so when Cloth brought in parade
of witnesses in an effort to identify
Barrere as the man seen beating Miss
Baker in her parked car early on the
evening of her death and as the man
seen lettering in the vicinity of her
Office for several days before that.
The witnesses took careful look at
the prisoner, but were unable to iden-
tify him as being anyone they had seen
before, the officers announced.
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh r. Wood and
Francis Rice, who saw a man in "a
gray cap assaulting Miss Baker in
her car at Seventeenth and B street,
were unable to say that Barrere was
that man. Mr.. and Mrs. Wood, on
emerging from the room, said that
they obtained such a fleeting glimpse
of the aSsailant that they believed 1t
would be impossible for them to recog-
nize him again if they met him face
to face.
Others who looked at Barrere and
said they had not seen him before in
cluded Miss Olga Skinner and Miss
Mildred Sperry, friends OF the slain
girl and co-occupants with her of a
house in Lyon Park.
No Chance to Talk.
Park Policeman Frank Hammond
said that Barrere was not the man he
saw hanging around the place where
Miss Baker usually parked her car.
Campbell emerged with the others
after few minutes in the roam and
was told he would be called back in
shortly Campbell said he had no OPP
portunity to talk with Barrere, but that
las a matter of courtesy" he shook
hands with him.
William Ennyart of the Bureau of
Identification at Washington police
headquarters, took the palm prints of
Barreres hands this afternoon to COM
pare them with a blurred palm print
found on the blood-stained car in which
Miss Baker met her death. This COM
parison was expected to be completed
later today. The authorities pinned
little hope on this check-up, however,
in view of the fact that so many persons
were in and about the car after the
murderer parked it half a mile from
the culvert in which he had dumped
the bullet-ridoled body of the Navy
Department clerk.
Miss Edith Heiner, friend of Barrere,
and one of his key witnesses in support
of his alibi, arrived at the county court
house this afternoon and was to meet
Barrere in the prosecutors office. Miss
Heiner displayed to reporters sales slip
from Kann'S Department Store, bearing
the date of April 81, which is the day
Miss Baker was killed, to corroborate
the story told by herself and Barrere
about a trip they made back to Kann'S
shortly after 6 O'Clock that evening,
only to find the store closed. The time
of this trip is regarded as essential to
Barrere's defense, as it was approx
mately O'Clock that Miss Baker was
being attacked in her car near the Navy
Department.
Barrere Was Cordial.
"None of the witnesses brougIN in
this afternoon was able to identify the
prisoner as having any connection with
this case" Prosecutor Cloth announced
at the departure of the witnesses.
Campbell remained outside the prose-
cutors Office, awaiting a call to return
| to the room. While he waited he told
reporters that Barrere was most cordial
! in his greeting when Campbell first
entered the room and that his only
pretty hot, isn't it,
Campbell said that when Barrere
! saw that several women were coming
! into the room, he jumped up and start
! ed to put on his coat, explaining that
/ he didn't like the ladies to see him in
! his shirt sleeves. Barrere looked re-
| freshed and confident and was the
picture OF SArtoflal elegance.
Talks With Reporters.
Campbell talked freely with reporters
| today as he awaited his turn to have
| showdown" with the accused man
| Campbell vigorously denied that he was
| being Swallowed in connection with the
J case and branded as false a published
/ report that he was followed to nearby
/ beach yesterday by Deputy Sheriff
Harry woodward of Arlington County.
81 did not leave my house yester-
day" Campbell asserted, land no one
was watching me- 1 understand that
/ Harry woodward did go to North Beach
| yesterday with his family. but not be-
| cause he thought was there"
Campbell declared he was anxious tC
meet Barrere and to thrash out with
| him statements the latter has made tC
| the officers who brought him back from
| Montreal last week end. Particularly 1:
J Campbell incensed over Barrere's allie.
/ cation that he (CampbelD has harbor-
ed "grudge" against the painter as q
result of some real estate litigation
which Campbell instituted against one
of Barrere's girl friends"
Denies Having Grudge.
II have no grudge against Barrere, .
Campbell declared, and have no reason
to entertain grudge against him. The
litigation he mentioned ended in my