The Washington times., 1931-01-14
NEW ARRESTS
EXPECTED.
TODAY
Robert Merchant, Mentioned
In Murdered Girls Diary,
Denies He Loved Usher
CONTINUED From Page y

that Langdon had not been
cleared and one ventured the
prediction that the policeman
will be bound over to the Grand
Jury by the coroner's jury:
Officials stated that the testi-
niOny given at the cOrOner's in
quest has not resulted in the
clearing Of the policeman from
suspicion In the case.
Found Empty Cartridge
Langdon was taken into Gus
tody after he had discovered"
an empty cartridge shell in a
coffee cup in the kitchen OF the
death house at 18 Nineteenth st.
S. E., and a bullet imbedded in
the floor beneath the cot where
3 the girl was slain.
The bullet and the shell were
Of .25 caliber and the officer was
armed with small pistol OF that
size when he was brought to head
quarters for questioning.
Subsequent examination of this
pistol, together with another OF
the same size found in LangdOn's
: home, revealed that these guns
,r were not used in the killing, Lieut..
John Fowler, police department.
baIIiStics expert, testified.
: Despite this fact, Langdon was
' ordered held after members OF
the Limerick family had revealed
that Beulah was in terror OF the
officer.
Keep Eye on House
-, They stated that she had COM
ulained that Langdon often came
, into her room late at night WhlIe
> he was patroling his beat ana
. attempted to date her up.
LangdOn has denied any such
actions, admitting that he went
there once to warn her against
the. "vile conditions" which ne
claimed he witnessed In the
house. 4
- He declared that he kept a
close surveillance on the house IN
an effort to obtain evidence 1or
q warrant to raid the place Tor
"a disorderly house.
The pOliceman's case was
strengthened yesterday by the
testimony of Martha Bargfrede'
the most intimate friend OF the
slain girl.
MARTHA testified that Beulah
was only afraid of LangdOn be-
cause she feared he was going to
raid the place.
All at Sea, They Admit
Two weeks ago today the life
less body of Beulah Limerick was
found in he dingy room OF her
home at 18 Nineteenth st. 5. E.'
Q bullet in her brains. /
-~ And today, after two weeks OF
intensive search for the slayer OF
the pretty usherette, police aolnl'
they are as much at sea as the
day they were first called INTO
the case.
suspect after suspect has been
picked up and grilled, and still
the mystery is unSOlved.
The cOrOner'S inquest has been
: started and abruptly halted to
allow police time to develop new
evidence, yet detectives who nave
:, been working day and night on
the case frankly admit that SO
,, far they have no solution.
2 Inspector william S. Shelby an
nounced yesterday, however. Lang
don has been definitely eliminated
as q suspect in the case.
Two new suspects were held
and questioned yesterday. One
Of them established perfect
alibi.
Arrested at the Inquest
The two arrested were Martina
@.Bargfrede, most intimate friend
.of the slain girl, and her huS-
band, George Henry Barg1rede'
truck driver of 447 Luray RI.
IN. w. e,--
Martha was arrested as she
stepped from the witness stand
+at the coroner's inquest yester-
&day after giving sensational tes-
stimony concerning the dead girls
sprivate life.
i THE young woman, who was
president of the Sky High
@Whoopee Club, the organization
Of which Beulah was secretary,
was taken to the office of AS
sitant District Attorney William
II. Collins late yesterday, and
subjected to a severe grilling.
Just what he learned from the
girl was not revealed by MIR. Col
Inns, but she was taken from his
office to the house of detention.
/ Police last night again sum-
5moned Robert Merchant, AleXan-
fdria radio entertainer, and grllied
him again for several hours.
Merchants name was often
mentioned in the "love diary"
kept by the slain girl
: He played at dance given by
the ,Whoopee Club just a few
hours before the girl was shot to
death and talked with the girl
for long time during the eve
ming.
Merchant, too, offered an alibi,
saying he left on a late bus for
Alexandria the night of the muir
der.
Denies He Loved Her
Martha Bargfrede told police
that BeuIah was in love with
Merchant. He denied any love
for the girl, and declared that
he was only a friend to her.
Police claim the Limerick fam.
RIy has not been telling the truth