Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-14
SHELBY Is sKEPTICAL.
Says AlIard Inquiry Began with Letter
November I.

e.
Inspector william s. Shelby, follow
ing the receipt of q telegram from De-
tective Ssrgt. John Flaherty, stated this
afternoon that the investigation Of AL
lard,s purported confession has been
conducted since November /, when he
received q letter from Leo White Of
l Earl street, Worcester, Mass.
{ In his communication White ex-
planned that Allard had told Whites
wife that he murdered a man named
Nagal at Darien, Ca, and that later he
had killed Mary Baker because she was
the only one who knew of the crime and
was threatening him with exposure.
Shelby, however, is not inclined to place
any credence in Allard's confession or
the letter he received from White.
The confession Of the Baker murder
does not 1T some Of the established
facts and police are inclined TO scout
the confession made by Allard.
I'm my opinion, Allard Is another Of
those fellows with q peculiar complex
that compels them to get in the lime
light In connection with crime" In
spector Shelby said this afternoon.
A short while before he had received
a telegram from Eergt. Flaherty, chief
yesterday for Schenectady to talk With
id murder investigation.
The telegram from Flaherty read:
"Allard admits Baker murder. Facts
and statement do not At in detail with
murder. win continue investigation
and advise"
Both the Rev. Thomas p. Baker Of
Oak Grove, Va, father of Miss Baker,
and Miss Mildred Sperry, one of the
young women with whom Miss Baker
lived before the murder, today were en-
phatlc In their view that Harry Allard,
under arrest in Schenectady, N. X, Is
not telling the truth about his alleged
Staying Of Miss Baker.
TT all sounds like lies to me" DR.,
Baker declared today. II have read the
newspaper and listened to the radio ac-
counts Of the mans confessions and !
don't believe word Of them. My
daughter never took trip TO Georgia
and she has no cousin In Scotia, near
Schenectady.
Said Miss Sperry:.
~ am positive that Mary Baker did
not know any such man, and the state
ment that she went TO Georgia, or that
she was there at any time, Is absolutely
untrue" - y
Authorities Uninpressed.
Arlington County authorities today
refused TO evirce any interest in AL
lard's arrest.
Commonwealth Attorney William G.
Cloth left his home early this morning
to go duck hunting, intending to remain
the entire day.
When questioned as to what he in
tended to do about Allard, Sheriff
Howard B. Fields said: mot q thing
IN the world" He expressed the opinion
that Allard's entire story was based
upon desire to be taken from Science
serve time IN connection with the theft
Of an automobile. He thinks, Field said
that Allard was prompted also by a
desire for publicity, thinking that this
would be forthcoming In q large degree
in he were brought back to Washington
or to Arlington County for trial.
NageI Disappearance Reopened.
Allard's confession" Of the slaying
of Frank Nagel, washington painter, IN
Georgia in 1928, given Schenectady
police for the second time yesterday,
reopens the unsolved mystery Of the
disappearance Of the Capital youth
from his home on Jekyn Island, near
Darien, Ga.
THE first news that came to WASH
ington Of foul play In the Nagel case
was in the form Of q telegram 20 James
Na9el, brother Of Frank, who lived in
st. Marys County, Nd. IN the latter
part Of December, 1928, when the tele-
gram was sent James Nagel received
the following wire:
sBrother frank dead Communicate
sheriff, Mcintosh County, Darien, Ca,
at once Brown, foreman. painterg
| Upon receipt Of the telegram James
said he communicated with the sheriff
ut Darien and requested his brothers
!. burial. Then he communicated with q