The Washington times., 1930-11-22
PARENTSH
DETAILS Of
TRAGEDY
Constable Raines Declares
Henry Mcclure Suddenly
Cried, "a Didn't Shoot Him"
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fail and held for $1,000 bond.
Neither of the two men was
called to the witness stand.
Sergeant Burdine was the prin.
cipal witness for the State. He
testified to conflicting stories told
by Mcguire and O'Brien, follow
ing the shooting.
Tells of Bad Arm
Andrew Nurni, father Of the
dead boy, was called as witness.
He declared it would have been
impossible for his son to have
shot himself, as the boy had a
stiff right arm as the result Of
an accident in 1914, and was un-
able to use his arm.
Sergeant Burdine told Of find
ing three pools Of blood, where
Nurmi's body has lain in the
doorway alongside his home.
This would indicate, he said,
that the body had been moved
several times following the shoot
ing. He declared that he care
fully investigated the story told
by MCGUIRE that Nurmi had fired
the gun twice in the kitchen and
once in the cellar of the house.
The officer said that he had
found two empty pistol shells IN
the kitchen, but had been unable
to find any bullet holes.
A lead slug from the pistol was
found in the cellar.
Sergeant Burdine declared that
both men had been drinking. He
added that MCGUIRE was unable
to give a clear account of what
had happened after TAO o'clock,
The shooting, it is believed, took
place about 8.
The first witness called after
the Jury had gone to the under
taking parlors and seen young
Nurni's body. was Theodore
Raines, Takoma Park constable.
He related receiving a telephone
call Wednesday night that a man
had fallen out of the window at
the Nurmi home at l02 Grant
Avenue.
Accompanied by Leo Moffett
and Oscar Schuerger, Constable
Raines started for the Nurmi
home. about a block from the
house. A man, who later proved
to be MCGUIRE, jumped out in the
road and held up his hand to stop
the car.
Showed Nurmi Home
MCGUIRE explained that a man
had fallen from the: second floor
at the house and, leaping on the
running board, showed the officer
the Nurmi home. Arrived there,
Constable Raines said he saw the
figure of a man stretched out in
a driveway. He and MCGUIRE
picked the man up, put him in
the: machine and started for
Emergency Hospital.
At the hospital. Constable
Raines said. MCGUIRE suddenly
shouted out:
II didn't shoot him. l didn't
shoot him."
Constable Raines said that up
to this moment it had not beer
disclosed that Nurmi had beer
shot. When it was discovered
that he was the victim Of a gun
shot wound and was dead, ConSta'
bel Raines returned to the house.
Here. he said. he found every
thing in confusion.
A bottle had been smashed
against the wall and from the ap-
pearance of the furniture he
thought that possibly there had
been a fight. Some place IN the
house. he does not remember
where, he picked up an empty .25+
caliber pistol shell.
Found Death Pistol
Mr.. Schuerger. who had re-
malned on guard at the house,
found the pistol in the driveway
near where Nurml's body was
found. He turned the veal On
over to Constable Raines.
Mrs. Lucy Crone, a neighbor,
testified that she heard a noise,
which she thought at the time
was either a backfire or a tire
blowout, about 9 o'clock.
DR.. William T. Pratt. county
coroner, testified that the autopsy
showed four red marks that re-
sembled scratches on Nurmi's
shoulder and a bullet wound
through the head originating