Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-22
Husband Breaks Down as
Inquest Is Held Into
Two DroWnings.
FOUR MARRIAGES LAID
TO INSURANCE .PLOTTER
Crowder, Taken to Scene Of In
tended Sayings, Ampi6es
Confession.

After hearing testimony for several
hours, the coroner's jury ordered
both Harry c. Wimbley and John
Crowder held for action Of the grand
jury.
A coroner's inquest into the Inysteri-
Gus drowning Thursday of Mrs. Eliza
beth Traylor Wimbley, %, and her
daughter, Wilma Traylor, 8, was begun
today, shortly after Harry C. Wimbley,
the woman's husband, broke down at
police headquarters and sobbed inter-
mittently for two hours.
Wimbley broke down and cried just
before a dramatic meeting between him
and John Crowder, "a, his companion
on the tragic birthday outing, in the
office of Capt. Edward j. Kelly, assist
ant chief of detectives.
Crowder's 14-page confession, in
which he admitted plot to murder
Wimbley's wife, her baby and her par
ents, was read to Wimbley. Through
out the meeting he sat with his head
in his hands, and sobbed audibly, &C
cording to Capt. Kelly.
He did not admit anything, however,
and refused to make any statement,
Kelly said.
When that part of the confession CIV
ing an account of what happened at the
scene of the drowning was read, VIM
bley appeared more than usually af-
fected.
When Crowder, pointing accusingly at
Wimbley, recalled how Wimbley took
him UP the canal alone, and said,
canoe over?" the tears streamed down
Wimbley's face, but he refused to say
a word.
Fourth Marriage Seen
Meanwhile police headquarters Is
tracing through Oklahoma authorities
possible fourth marriage of the
much welded Wimbley, man of many
aliases. Charles F.. Gerber. soldier
VINO at one time lived with Wimbley
in an apartment at the Clifton Terrace
apartments, furnished police with in
formation relative to the fourth woman
who Is believed to be teaching school
at Hanna, Okla.
Gerber said Wimbley had been
friendly with the woman, who was en-
ployed in the Census Bureau here for
several months last Spring, and had
talked of marrying her. Police said 1t
probably was she whom Wimbley went
to see in Oklahoma early in the Sum-
mer, when he admitted burning his
automobile and collecting $1,000 mSur-
ance
He also confessed an attempt to coll
lect q similar amount from another
company with which he had insured
the car, which he reported stolen from
Seventh and F streets.
Tried to Get Insurance.
Detective Sergt. George Darnell dis
covered yesterday, according to police,
that Wimbley appeared at an insurance
company here and attempted to buy
"the limit of insurance on his wife
life. He was told the maximum he
could buy would be $4,000 of straight
life"
He returned to the insurance COM
pany office two weeks later with an
application and was told to bring his
wife to the company physician for
examination. When he failed to do
this, no policy was issued, according
to police.
On July 81, however, he told police
he bought a $4,000 accident policy oil
his wife and admitted forging her sig
nature to the application The policy
was in force when she drowned.
Police said Gerber also told how VIM
bley blackmailed an elderly woman OF
So 900 early this year by having hel
photographed in a compromising posi-
ton with him He also offered to take
detectives to investment firms here
where he said Wimbley had sold some
of the $4,000 in bonds which he had OBJ
tanned from the drowned woman.
Only eight witnesses were called al
the inquest to testify concerning the
salient points of the double drowning
They were:
Two harbor precinct policemen. who
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