The Washington times., 1930-06-05
QUESTIONING.
Of SOLDIER
TO WAIT
COnplOnWeaIth Attorney Cloth
And Sheriff Fields Decide to
Let Him Rest for Awhile

Ailu OFleTlII FteIuS UeClue 10
Let Him Rest for Awhile
Howard +. Brewster, private in
rernount section, Quartermaster
Corps, viii be given time to think
II over In the Arlington County
iaii before he IS questioned again
BY Commonwealth Attorney viii
liam q. Cloth and Sheriff Howard
a. Fields about the murder Of
Mary Baker.
For the first time since he
made his confession on the night
Of May IA he began to realize
today the seriousness Of his situa.
tiori. Although he left the guard
house at Eighteenth and G
Streets yesterday with q smile on
his face, d few minutes before
when Capt. A. r. Boiling told
him to get ready to 60 with the
civil authorities on a murder war
rant. he almost broke down.
Confession PuzzIing.
Before he went he left q note
asking Captain Boiling ''in case
anything happens to me, " to take
care Of his few belongings.
BrewSter's confession and later
denial is as pulling to police as
the actual murder. The Army
medical board reported the sol
der sane and t.appreciatiye of
right and wrong with normal
control over his actions" The
medical report also stated that
he had low mentality"
Arlington county and Washing
ton police are not in accord in
their views on the man. Local au
tiiorities are convinced, although
they win not say so, for Dublica-
ton. that Brewster did not Lave
anything to do with the crime.
Cloth Uncertain
4 Commonwealth Attorney Cloth
thinks that this might be the
man However, his action is
seen as q forced move because Of
the criticism that might come If
the man were let go before his
status can be more definitely de-
tefmined. In his confession
] Brewster placed the actual kill.
l ing in Arlington county, which
puts the onsibility on county
officials.
! It is thought Cloth may cali q
Especial grand jury sometime be-
fore fall to clear the soldier
definitely or Justify his being
held and charged with nnuricr
Cloth said he has not thought
of it yet. =
Action by the military authori-
ties awaits the outcome os civil
i11vestigatioY1. If Brewster is
cleared then Captain Boiling viii
name b board Of three Officers to
try him and will charge the
pSeudo-SIayer with possessing
habits and traits Of character
which render him undesirable for
military service"
Complaints by Women
His confession, coming the way
it did, coupled with the fact that
there Is doubt il he can read well
enough to understand what has
been in the papers. has added
some weight to the theory that he
might have been connected with
the murder.
Captain Montgomery. Of the.
Dirk police, called on Captain
solling on May IA and described
s soldier Of the remount division
who had been seen on numerous
occasions lettering near the scene
of the murder. There had been
complaints about his bothering
women, Captain Boiling was told.
The description was so exact that
the headquarters company COM
naander called for Brewster.
/, The conversation started out
more or less casually. When ques.
toned closely, Brewster told Cap
tain Boiling that he had Knocked
q woman in the jaw near Seven
teenth and B Streets. When
asked what day this happened. he
replied:
s'The same day that Mary
Baker was murdered. Z.
He added. however. that 1t was
not Mary Baker.
Captain Boiling stopped the sol
der from talking any more,
locked him up and called the POI
lice. Department 81 Justice
agents and several members Of
the homicide squad, headed by
Lieut.. Edward Kelly. arrived
After several hours Of question.
i1g, Brewster asked to speak To
lieutenant Kelly alone. He con-
fessed to the crime. but could not
remember shooting the girl. AZ
though he said he threw the gun
sway.