Evening star., 1932-01-03
WOMAN WITNESS
IN NM'CARTHY BOYS
DEATH IS SOUGHT
Inquest Postponed When Dis
appearance Is Revealed
After 13 Testify.
INCIDENTS PRECEDING
TRAGEDY DESCRIBED
Alleged Confession of Young Boy
to Be Read at Hearing by
Coroner's Jury,

The star witness in the death Of Ed
ward Mccarthy, Is, killed in free
for-all fight, which started when he
and four other boys attempted 10
crash" New Year party at 635 Fifth
street northeast, was still missing early
today despite an intensive search by
headquarters detectives.
The witness, woman who is said to
have watched the battle from a parked
automobile, disappeared from the
Morgue yesterday while Coroner Joseph
D. Rogers. presiding at an inquest into
Mccarthy stdeath, was preparing to call
upon her to testify.
Her testimony was expected to clear
up the mystery surrounding the man
ner in which Mccarthy received frac-
tured skull, the injury which resulted
in his DEATH
Along with about 25 other witnesses,
she went to the Morgue in response to
a subpoena and seated herself in the
crowded witness room. After more than
a dozen of the others had testified,
however, an attendant discovered she
was missing.
Search Immediately Begun.
Under the direction of Detective
Sergt John Flaherty, acting chief of
the homicide squad, a search for her
was begun Immediately. A detective
was assigned to watch her home, located
in the 600 block of Fifth street north
east, while other members of the squad
sought her in other parts of the city.
Following the woman's disappearance,
the inquest was continued until 1890
am. tomorrow to give the detectives an
opportunity to locate her.
ENOprc after ference
with Assistant United States Attorney
Irwin Goldstein, released Edward M.
Benjamin, 19, who is said to have ad
mitted pushing Mccarthy, in the Gus
tody Of his attorney, James Reilly. The
youth was arrested early yesterday and
booked at headquarters.
When the inquest is resumed, state
ment signed by Benjamin, in which he
is reported to have confessed pushing
Mccarthy, causing him to fall and
strike his head, will be read to the jury.
Benjamin, who lives at ll04 Trinidad
avenue northeast, probably will take the
stand then and give detailed descrtp-
ton of the affair.
I3 Witnesses Heard.
The witnesses who testified at the
FIRST session Of the inquiry are Thomas
M Walker. l8, of 42l7 Fourth street.
OdLlAEl Vail. JA.t OOO -OA ANo dNCL4oS
northeast: Francis x. Clearey, 1910 K
street northeast; Gerald Cush, l9. of
20l S street southeast; Joseph Gull
linane, l9, of 46ll Massachusetts ave-
nue.; Vincent Kane, 16, at whose home
the party was given his sister, Mar
garet Kane; Rita Hughes, 1923 Eighth
street northeast; Margaret Nolan, 400
K street northeast; Margaret Clore,
1l03 Florida avenue northeast; Cath
crime Quill, IL K street northeast;
George E Eppard, II, Of 2llS Fourth
street northeast, and Richard 2. Hall,
IT, Of the 100 block Of Carroll street
southeast.
The girls were unable to give detailed
accounts, their testimony being con-
fined chiefly to the events leading up
To the tragedy.
Nor were any Of the boys able to tell
exactly how Mccarthy, whose home
was at IT'S Allison street, was injured.
The gist Of their testimony was that
Mccarthy Walker, Cush, Cullinane
and Francis J. Slattery, IT,, of 3l73
Eighteenth street, learned Of the party
while visiting an H street northeast
dancing establishment and decided TO
"crash" 1t.
Cullinane and Slattery entered the
house via the rear door, going into the
kitchen, where they were met by Ben
jamin. Told they could not remain,
they asked permission to go through
the house and leave by way of the front
door.
Others Refused Admittance.
Meanwhile, Mccarthy Walker and
Cush went to the front door, but were
refused admittance. Cleary and George
Kane, %, returning after eScorting two
girls home found the unlimited guests
on the porch.
Walker attempted TO follow Kane
and Cleary into the house, but the door
was slammed on his foot. He pushed
it open, found himself confronted by
Vincent Kane and slapped him. The
guests sWarmed from the house and the
fight became freefOr-all, it was said.
When it was over Mccarthy was
found lying on the sidewalk his face
covered with blood. He was taken to
Sibley Hospital, where he was pro-
nounced dead
Nearly 20 witnesses are expected to
be called TO the stand when the inquest
Is resumed. Among them will be Vim
cent Kane, who broke down after being
sworn in yesterday and vas excused.
Mccarthy will be buried in Mount
Olivet Cemetery Tuesday. following a
requiem mass in st. Gabriels Catholic
Church, at o'clock
Besides his widowed mother, Mrs
Susan H Mccarthy, who was pros
trated when she learned of his death,
he is survived by a sister, Miss Mar
garet M. Mccarthy. and three brothers,
Thomas, John and Francis Mccarthy.
The dead boy was first-year student
at St Johns College, but was forced to
abandon his studies a few months aga