Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-13
MELTED GUN FOUND.
IN LIMERICK STOVE.
Martha Bargfrede, First to
Mention Weapon, Placed
Under Arrest.
CONTINUED From FIRST page9

from the room and was on her way. Il
police headquarters. She was being
erilled this afternoon behind the CLOSED
doors of the homicide squad room
Detective Talley took the woman into
custody after talking this morning with
her husband. who is being held at the
tenth precinct. While Mrs. Bargfrede
was still on the stand, Talley came in
and held a whispered conversation with
Capt. Edward j. Kelly, chief investi-
gator. Kelly in turn, conferred with
Assistant United States Attorney Will
liam H. Collins. Coroner j. Ramsay
hewitt was then called down from the
bench and entered into the discussion
Talley then graSped Mrs. Bargfrede's
arm and hurried her from the room
before the startled spectators realized
what was taking place.
When first placed on the stand this
morning, Mrs. Bargfrede told the cor
oner's jury that Beulah's brother,
David Limerick, on one occasion last
Summer beat his sister so violently
that she was unconscious for several
hours afterward. She said Beulah was
very much in fear Of him from that
time.
Hardly Knew Beulah.
Collins fired repeated questions at
Mrs. Bargfrede in an effort to secure
admission from her that her husband
was angry at the dead girl because OF
the friendship between his wife and
her. Mrs. Bargfrede insisted, however,
that her husband harbored no Ill VIII
toward Beulah.
why. he hardly knew Beulah," she
declared. He didn't object to my
going with her and he and I never
Quarreled on this point"
1af however under
persistent questioning by Collins, she
changed this statement and admitted
that she and her husband quarreled
about a month ago because she had
spent the night with Beulah.
On that occasion, she said, she went
to Beulah's home at No. 18 Nineteenth
street southeast and stayed all night.
About S o'clock the following afternoon,
she testified. her husband came for her
She said they quarreled, but Insisted
the real reason for the dispute was the
fact that she had not told him in adj
vance that she was going to spend the
night away from home.
Told to Stay Away.
Did you ever tell your husband that
David Limerick had assaulted you?"
Collins asked.
yes"
well, what did he say about that?"
Mrs. Bargfrede hesitated for a min
ute and then quoted her husband as
saying, well, why don't you stay away
from there them"
Collins next questions were designed
to find out from Mrs. Bargfrede where
-. til. - ~
cember 80, when Beulah met her death.
The witness said she left her home
at o'clock in the evening to attend a
dance with Beulah and some other
friends
Her husband was home at that time,
she said. She then testified that he was
also home when she returned that night
about 1890 o'clock She said she stayed
home with him the rest of the night.
At this point Collins asked her If she
was afraid to tell all she knew.
Laughingly, Mrs. Bargfrede replied
that a policeman named Clyde Rouse
had told one of her friends she might
be bumped of because she knew too
much about this case"
She said that she did not go home
last night, preferring to stay with her
mother because the latter lived nearer
TO the District Bui1iing, where the in
quest is being held. She denied that
she was afraid to stay at home.
Relations Were Unhappy.
Mrs. Bargfrede told the jury that
Beulahs association with her own fam
lily was most unhappy.
Her mother, Mrs. Dora Limerick,
frequently quarreled with Beulah," the
Beulah having dates at home and she
also fused with her for bringing me
there. Her brother David also made
her life miserable, On one occasion last
Summer he struck her and 1t took them
hours to revive her She once told me
that she couldn't live with her mother
as long as David was there She also
said once that David had threatened to
beat me if ever came to the house
again"
Mrs. Bargfrede quoted Mrs. Limerick
as saying that she did not know of
any enemies who might have killed
her daughter.
Mrs. Bargfrede said she first saw
Marion Ashford, one of Beulah's male
acquaintance. who testified yesterday
while she and her friend were waiting
for a street car at Seventh and z
streets some time ago.
Not Now on Good Terms.
The witness said that she was not
on good terms now with the members
Of the Limerick family She said that
Mrs Limerick has not spoken to her
since the occasion when she requested
her not to say anything about a gun
which had been found in a stove in
the house where the girl died.
George Bargfrede was arrested after
police had searched a trunk belonging
to Beulah. They found 19 letters in the
trunk, all in the same handwriting
addressed to Mrs. Beulah Limerick"
Cosmetics and wearing apparel were
also found in the trunk.
Mrs. Bargfrede, at one point in her
testimony, said Beulah had told her
she was afraid of Policeman Robert F..
Langdon, who is under arrest in con-
nection with the case She declared,
however, that she was not personally
afraid Of Langdon, but feared him be-
cause she thought ne was trying to
arrest her brother on liquor charge.
Questioned About Gun.
When Mrs. Bargfrede was asked by
James O'Shea. defense counsel, to state
the name of the woman who, she said,
told her a policeman had advised her
TO be careful or she might be bumped
OF, the witness replied
Mrs. Rose Payne of 305 Massa-
chusetts avenue"
At this point Attorney O'Shea abrupt
~ changed his line of questioning when
he asked IL it were positively true that
Mrs. Ethel Limerick had warned her
not to say anything about a gun said
TO have been found in the stove at the
murder house
Yes, ii is true" replied the witness
81 asked her what kind OF gun Il
was" Mrs. Bargfrede volunteered.
Why did you ask that?" asked
O'Shea.
Because had seen two guns at the
house before" said Mrs. Bargfrede.