Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-26
BREWSTER TAKEN
TO WALTER REED
Baker Murder Suspect Sub
iected to Another Sanity
Examination.

Howard L. Brewster, the soldier who
alternately confessed and denied having
murdered Mary Baker, was taken to
Walter Reed Hospital today for another
examination by an Army medical board
appointed to inquire into his sanity.
Plans have been made at the hospital
to keep Brewster under close obServa-
ton until tomorrow afternoon. Period
ically he will be questioned by psychia-
tristS and subjected to q series Of scien-
tif1c tests designed to show his mental
condition.
In the meantime Lieut. Edward J.
Kelly, head of the homicide squad Of
the detective bureau, and Department
Of Justice agents will continue to search
Tor the gun used in Staying Miss Baker.
The weapon is regarded as the real key
to the solution of the crime, and until it
is found, the authorities believe little
progress can be made in their investi-
CATION, irrespective of the outcome of
the sanity proceedings.
Confederation Needed.
Despite certain statements made by
Brewster and which he has not denied
the authorities declared they are not in
position to take any action at this
time. Corroborative evidence must be
found, it was said, before charges are
preferred. For this reason the investi-
gators are exerting every effort to locate
the murder gun.
Shortly after Brewster was taken to
Walter Reed, announcement was made
at the detective bureau that the timer
ant painter for whom a search has been
made for the last month, has definitely
been absolved Of any connection with
the crime. The police, it was said,
carefully checked the mans movements
on the day Of the crime on the basis
OF information which came to head
quarters from q reliable source, and
learned that he could not have been
with Miss Baker at the time she was
seen struggling with man in her
car near seventeenth and B streets on
the afternoon of April IL.
The elimination of this man left
Brewster as the sole remaining sus-
pect. The soldier, however, steadfast-
ly clings to his denial that he shot
Miss Baker, although he admits Strik-
ing woman in machine near Seven
tenth and B streets on the afternoon
OF April II, and has identified a pic
ture OF the slain Navy Department
clerk as being that Of the woman he hit.
Allowed to Rest.
After the seven-hour grilling to
which Brewster was subjected Saturday
by Lieut.. Kelly, Department of Justice
agents and Commonwealth Attorney
William @. Cloth of Arlington County.
the investigators permitted him TO rest
over the week end without further
questioning.
The only new information obtained
from the soldier as result of this
examination, it was revealed, was an
admission by him that several weeks
ago he chased two young women around
the Lincoln Memorial rejecting pool.
The names OF the two women are I'M
known, but they reported the incident
to police headquarters In an anonymous
letter, reciting the details Of their en-
counter with a soldier who, they said,
resembled the picture Of Brewster pub
ltshed In the newspapers. The letter
was read to Brewster and he Is said tc
have told detectives he recalled the
incident.
Brewster's admission of having tried
to force his attention on these two un-
known women, coupled with his tden-
tihcation by another woman who
claimed he accosted her in Potomac
Park' ana other stories told the 1nves-
tigatorS, have convinced them that he
spent considerable time In Potomac
Park. Thus they are more inclined to
believe the soldiers story that he struck
woman in an automobile when she
repulsed his attentions.
Clothing UnStained.
While the investigators would like
to believe Brewster's original story
which he recanted of having killed
Miss Baker and thrown her BODY into
the culvert bordering the Cemetery
road, in Arlington County, and close
the investigation of the case, they can
not reconcile the fact that there ia NO
evidence of blood on the soldiers cloth.
ing.
The officials pointed out that it would
nave been virtually impossible for anv
person to have carried Miss Bakers
body from the car and placed 1t in the
culvert without getting his clothing
stained with blood.
Brewsters only suit of civilian clothes
which he Is known to have worn on
April II, has been subjected to a thor
ough microscopic examination and
failed to show any indication of ever
having been blood stained. Neither is
there any evidence that the suit had
been recently cleaned. The clothes are
now IN the possession Of Inspector VIII
liam s. She1hV