Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-21
Arthur {. Murphy Admits Be.
ing in Party Preceding
Shooting of Nurmi.
VICTIMS CRIPPLED ARM
BACKS MURDER THEORY
Could Not Have Shot Himself, Pc.
lice Believe-0ne Prisoner
Kept Secreted.

With the arrest of a third man ir
Washington, Montgomery County, Md.
police continued their investigation to-
day of the mysterious death of Aarvi
Nurni, 26-year-old Census Bureau
clerk, who was found shot to death
Wednesday night on the lawn Of his
Takoma Park home.
The man is Arthur N. Murphy, q
years old, oil o street. Murphy readily
admitted that he was a member Of the
drinking party which preceded Nurmi's
death, but apparently proved to the
satisfaction of the police that he was
at his home when the shooting took
place.
He told the police that he was under
Nurmis supervision al the Census Bu-
reau and that the two of them took
Wednesday afternoon off and went to
a bootlegger to buy liquor. Later, he
said, they went to the home of John j.
O'Brien, held by the Maryland authori-
ties for investigation in the case, where
they had some drinks.
Went To Nurmi's Home.
The three Of them then went to MUIR
mis- home in Takoma Park, he said,
and continued drinking. BY pm. he
said he passed out" and other mem
bers of the party took him home. His
landlady told the police that he was
at home in bed at 10 pm. when Nurmi
Is believed to have been shot.
Murphy, who Is being questioned at
police headquarters here this afternoon
BY Sergt. Earl Burdine of Montgomery
country, said that Nurmi had threat
ened to shoot himself several times pre-
viously with the pearl handled re-
volver which was found by his side.
Nurmi had a crippled right arm, which
would have prevented him raising a
gun to his head and shooting himself,
it was disclosed today by the Mont
somery County police investigating the
case.
Wound on Right side.
The muscles of the arm were 90
drawn that 1t could not be raised above
his head. the autopsy performed yes
terday disclosed. The bullet wound was
on the right side Of the head, / inch
above and / inch behind the ear. To
have held the muzzle Of q pistol against
this spot would have been an awkward
task even for q man with q sound
arm, authorities say.
Based on the fact Of the crippled
arm and the condition of the wound
In Nurmi's head, Montgomery County
authorities are proceeding on the theory
that the man was murdered.
Secrecy in Case Noted.
Every effort was being made today
to conceal the whereabouts of John j.
O'Brien, rs years old, of the 140O block
OF Chaplin street. who, with Henry w.
Mcclure, 20 years, a CLERK at the
Census Bureau, Of the 1400 block Of
Columbia road, is being held by police.
The two men were Nurmi's companions
on drinking party Wednesday night
which eliminated in Nurmi's death.
MCGUIRE was booked openly at police
headquarters In Rockville last night.
but the movements of O'Brlen were
shrcuded by police in q veil Of secrecy
1t was learned, however, hat he Is
being held at the Bethesda substation.
Both Chief Of Police ALIVE A. Monkey
and Sergt. Earl H. Burdine, who Is
directing the investigation CT the case,
refused to explain the secrecy.
NurTni was the second cousin Of
the famous Finnish runner, Paavo
Nurmi, MCGUIRE said today. He
was born in New York City not
long after his parents migrated here
from Finland. He was reared in Wash
ington. Last December he began work
In the Census Bureau.
This morning MCGUIRE told q Star
reporter that he believed that Nurmi
committed suicide. He said that the
man had often spoken Of killing him.
self when intoxicated, and that he was
moody and pesimistic in his philosophy
Of life
1.-THE three Of us visited bootlegger
about o'clock Wednesday evening"
1Cnntinned on Page q. Column 81