Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-22
TWO FACE CHARGES
OF MANSLAUGHTER
in DEATH OF NUR|MI
Alleged Drinking Companions
Accused After Coroner's
Inquest Today.
VERDICT HELD TO BLAST
SUICIDE EXPLANATION
Suspects Declare They Thought
Victim Fell From windOw-0ne
Man Frantic at Hospital.

Charges Of granddaughter today were
placed against Henry w. Mcclure, 40
years old, 1400 block of Columbia road.
and John j. o'Brien, rs years old, lAoo
block Of Chaplin street, companions Of
Aaru Nurni, 24-year-old Census HUI
reau clerk, at an alleged drinking
party at Nurmi's home wednesday
night, when he was shot to death. The
charges were filed at direction OF states
Attorney Robert B. Peter Of Montgom-
cry County, following an inquest at
A coroner's jury decided that Nuruni
was slain by "a person or persons url-
known to the jury"
Denies ExoneratiOn.
States Attorney Peter interpreted thu
verdict as . definite decision that
Nurmi did not commit suicide, but not
as generating either Mcclure or
OBrlen, The charges Of manslauahter
were preferred, he said, rather than
murder, because OF evidence that Nurnni
was killed during drunken party. and
lack OF anything to indicate that the
shooting was premeditated
: The verdict was returned after evi.
dence had been introduced showing
that two shells found in Nurmi,s home
were of different makes and that thew
were marked differently by the pIunger
Of the gun.
Sergt- Earl II. Burdine, who has been
directing the investigation, said he was
convinced the shells were DISCHARGED by
dinexept guns. The two shells were
found In the kitchen, where q fun
cartridge also was located, he testi-
ned. A lead slug was found in the
cenar. while another was taken from
Nurmi's skull.
Stresses Different Markings,
Considerable stress was laid by Mr..
Peter and Stedman Prescott. StatA,s
attorney elect, who assisted him. on
the oinerent markings of the shells and
the TACT that the bullets were not located
IN the same room as the '4ells.
Nurmis body was fouE ! jfitig In thu
driveway on the same side Il the hnuse
where the Kitchen Is lncated' when po-
lice arrived. There were khtee pools Of
blood, indicating, 9ernk Burdine testi-
ned, that Nurnaps head had been moved
three times. The rs ealiher, automatic
pistol with which hk Is thought to have
been killed was lying on the edge Of one
OF the bloody spots. There ives blood
stain on the front steps Of the porch.
about 10 feet away from. the body.
Characterization of witnesses hv
Attorneys Joseph Cissel and Kenneth
Lyddane, representing MCCLURE, at
tempted to show that Nurmi could have
leaped out Of aecond-stDry window
without being injured. This was to
support the statement Of Mcclure, testi-
ned to by Sergt. Burdine, that he did
not see Nurni come down the stairs
from the second floor, where he had
gone to retire.
No evidence was introduced, however.
which pointed definitely to the con-
tentton OF the defense counsel.
Father Describes Crippled Arm.
Andrew @. Nurmi, father of the slain
man, told the jury that his sons arm
was crippled and could not be raised
higher than hts chest He said the
arm was broken just above the elbow
on Good Friday, In 1914, and that
since then the elbow joint was stiff.
Mrs. Nurmi was present at the inquest.
Twice she appeared overcome by emo
ton and left the room.
DR., William 7. Pratt, Montgomery
County health officer, and Warner
Humphrey, Rockville undertaken, who
assisted the physician perform an
autopsy, testified that Nurmi's arm
was crippled They said there was
restricted motion in the elbow which
would have made 1t possible for him
to raised the gun to his head, but
would have rendered the movement an
awkward one.
said there were no powder marks on the
head II the shot had been fired from
within 10 inches of Nurmi's head, he
declared, the flesh would have been
burned by the flare from the muzzle
Of the gun.
Burdine Gives Mcclure Story.
Sergt. Burdine related to the Jury the
contents Of statement he took from
Mcclure, which follow:
MCGUIRE, Nurmi and O'Brien left the
Of bootlegger in South
west Washington "Wednesday evening
and drove 70 Nurmi's home, at 1O2
Grant avenue, Takoma Park, Nd, In q
taxicab. They had already been drink
ing heavily.
After taking several drinks In the
home, OBrien went into a bed room on
the first floor and went to sleep. Nurmi
and Mcclure went to the kitchen,
where Nurmi showed his companion
the automatic pistol which was found
beside his body, and fired two shots
They went to the cellar, where Nurmi
discharged the weapon again and then
hid it behind pile Of papers.
Seeing that MCGUIRE had noticed the
hiding place, he said he would put It
somewhere else. That was the last Me-
CURE saw of the pistol. He heard no
shot outside the house.
Nurmi Went Upstairs.
After eating, Nurmi announced he
was going to bed and went upstairs. A
few minutes later, O'Brien woke up.
procured q drink, and went upstairs 70
search for Nurmt. Twenty minutes lat
er they found him In the driveway
groaning. They tried to pick him up
but could not.
Returning TO the house, they hid
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