Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-16
Langdon, Paddy, Reed and
Vernon Limerick Face
Grand Jury Action.
INQUEST PUTS BLAME
ON UNKNOWN PERSON
Indictments Charging Murder in
First Degree Will Be Asked
by Collins.

The murder of Beulah Limerick re-
manned an unsolved mystery today, al
though coroner's Jury last night or
dered four men held for the grand jury
in connection with her death.
Those held are Policeman Robert F.
Langdon, the cop on the beat" where
the girl was shot to death; Vernon Linn
erick, her brother, and William Paddy
and Richard Reed, her intimate friends.
The verdict read: I'VE, the coroner's
jury, find that Beulah Limerick, 10,
came to her death on the morning of
December 81 as the result of a gunshot
wound from pistol in the hands of
some person unknown to this jury.
I'VE believe that Vernon Limerick,
Richard Reed, William Paddy and Rob-
ert F. Langdon have sufficient guilty
knowledge to warrant us in recommend
ing that they be held for action of the
grand jury"
Big Crowd at Hearing.
A large crowd attended the hearing
yesterday, and virtually all remained
for. the verdict, which came in at 1:15
o'clock this morning. The decision was
received in absolute silence by the spec
tators and principals.
A few minutes later Policeman Lang
don recovered from the shock and
turned to friend. What do you think
of that?" he asked To reporters he
said: IAN can say is that I'm sorry
this happened, but am confident of
proving my innocence"
AS the tension became eaSed Vernon
Limerick laughed and asked what the
verdict meant. Paddy and Reed re-
manned silent.
After the inquest room at the District
Building had been cleared of spectators
the four men held were loaded into
the first precinct patrol wagon and
taken to the District Jail, where they
were locked in separate cells.
Counsel for the four went before
United States Attorney Leo A. Rover
in an effort to secure their clients
release on bond. Their request was
denied.
Movements Of Five Traced.
The movements of the slain girl and
the four men held in connection with
shooting, as chronicled at the coroner's
inquest, we're:
Early in the evening Beulah, Mrs.
Martha Bargfrede, William Paddy and
Vernon Limerick left the death house
at 10 Nineteenth street southeast to at
tend dance. At 1890 O'Clock Richard
Reed came in from work, fooled
around" for an hour and went to bed.
At / o'clock Paddy, Vernon and
Beulah returned home. They had al
ready taken Mrs. Bargfrede home. The
three sat down for few minutes and
discussed the dance. Then Vernon went
Paddy left. On the way out he was
seen by Langdon, on duty in the neigh
borhood. The policeman followed Paddy
to a lunch room. where the latter
stopped to buy cigarettes. Langdon
questioned the proprietor about him
and then resumed his tour of duty.
About o'clock he passed by the
death house and threw his fiashlight
into the room where the girl died. He
said he saw her lying on the bed, facing
the wall, with her legs partly uncovered.
Langdon went on.
Reeds Call Unanswered.
At 4:45 O'Clock Reed arose and pre-
pared to 90 to work. Coming down.
stairs, he saw Beulah in bed, with her
face still to the wall. He called to her.
but received no answer and went on to
work. At ABOUT $3.50 O'Clock Vernon
got up and came downstairs. At o
o'clock he called Beulah twice.
He says she was lying on her back at
this time.
When she didn't answer him he
walked over to the bed and shook her
Then he saw something was wrong. He
walked to his mothers home, at .116
North Carolina avenue southeast, and