Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-21
Sisson and Gallagher May Be
Released as Hunt for Man
Who Sold TimepieCe and
Coat Continues.
QUERTERMOUS DOUBTED
IN NAMING OF SUSPECT
Virginian Who Witnesses Trans
action Near Murder Scene De-
clares Barge Foreman Mistaken.
s, Habeas Writ Held Not Possible
in Crime of Murder.

A gold watch appeared today to
be one of the most important
clues to aid Department of Justice
agents, Washington police and
Arlington County officials in the
solution of the mysterious murder
of Miss Mary Baker.
The trail of the slayer has
grown cold after 10 days of in
tensive investigation during which
the authorities have run down
scores of leads, the majority of
which proved to be utterly use
less, leaving them with the watch
as the only valuable bit of evil
dence to work on at this time.
In the meantime, Arlington County
authorities continue to hold Mervin Sis
son and Julian Gallagher, travelling
statesmen OF Warsaw, Va, while certain
details of their seemingly unshakable
alibis are being checked. Common
wealth Attorney William c. Cloth of
Arlington County indicated, however,
that Gallagher probably would be re-
leased this afternoon. Sisson will be
detained, Cloth said, because Charles
Quertermous identified him yesterday
as the man who sold him the watch
and a gray topcoat about mile from
the scene of the crime on the night
Miss Baker was murdered.
Identity In Question.
If an investigation now underway
shows that SiSson had no connection
with the watch, he also will be released,
unless there are some unexpected de-
velopments in the near future, Cloth
indicated. Cloth, it seems, does not
place much credence in the identifica-
ton of Quertermous, particularly in
view of the fact that Alonzo Lloyd of
Hume Springs, Va, who witnessed the
transaction, said positively after look
ing at Sisson that he was not the man
who sold the watch and overcoat.
QuertermouS is foreman on Gov
ernment dredge operating in the vicinity
of Highway Bridge. He is former
member of the Alexandria, Va, police
force and lives at 500 North Columbus
street in that city.
The topcoat involved in the transac-
ton has thus far been worthless as a
clue. The only mark of identification
it contained was label Of Washing
ton mems clothing store from which 1t
was purchased, but statesmen at the
store were unable to assist the detec-
tives in tracing its owner. Moreover,
the coat is old, and the labal appeared
to have been removed from another
coat and sewed in by an amateur.
The watch, however, Is considered I'M
portant, because detectives believe they
can determine its owner through the
serial numbers.
Other Possibility.
Even If it is determined that Sisson
did not own the watch, police pointed
out today, there Is a possibility that
the man who had the watch may
know something of the crime.
Aside from the watch, the police
have a gray cap, stained with green
paint, which was found early this
morning on the Military road bordering
the Arlington experimental farms Of the
Department of Agriculture, about a
mile from the culvert where Miss
Bakers body was discovered. The cap
was turned over to Sheriff Howard B.
Fields of Arlington County, but it is
not regarded as important evidence,
even though the man who was seen
struggling with the slain woman in her
automobile at Seventeenth and B streets
q few hours before she was killed was
said to have worn a gray cap. Sheriff
Fields thinks the cap was either lost
or thrown away by laborer.
James r. Duncan, an Alexandra at
torney, who has been retained by Mrs.
Sisson, was at the Arlington County
court house this morning making prep
arations for the release of his client on
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