Evening star., 1932-01-10
PROMISES SPEEDY
TRIAL FOR SLAy|NG
Prosecutor Sees Early Action
Against TiIburg in Di-
vorcee's Murder.

Quick disposition of the case of War
den L. Tilburg, So, confessed slayer Of
Mrs. jeanette Hendricks, 44-year-old
divorce, was promised last night by
Assistant United States Attorney John
j. Sirica.
The evidence in the case, including a
signed confession in which Tilburg ad-
mitted beating Mrs. Hendricks to
death with a poker, will be presented
to the grand jury early this week, ST.
RIGA declared.
IF Tilburg IS indicted the case will
go to trial within the next few weeks, ="
the prosecutor added.
Tilburg, a former cook at Walter
Reed Hospital, was held for the grand
jury on a murder charge following an
inquest yesterday. His confession, in
which he explained that he attacked
Mrs. Hendricks after she refused to
permit him to call on her again, was
read to the jury by Detective Sergt.
John Flaherty.
The confession described Tilburg's
romance with Mrs Hendricks, which
began in Baltimore shortly after she
and her husband, Sergt. Earl w. Hen
dricks, U. S. A., were divorced about
three years ago. 1t told Of frequent
quarrels over another man and of the
events preceding the killing.
Tilburg, according to the confession,
accompanied Mrs. Hendricks to the eel
lar of her home at 2318 Eighteenth
street to help her fire the furnace yes
terday morning. He had the poker in
his hand when she announced her de-
cision not to see him again, he said,
and something seemed to break" in his
head. He struck her over the head with
the poker, he added, and when she fell,
he stood over her, raining blows upon
her.
Hid In Cellar.
Following the inquest, which was con-
Quoted by Deputy Coroner A. Magruder
Macdonald detectives revealed that
Tilburg remained in the basement until
short time before the body was dis
covered by Wess A. Coleman, a roomer.
Tilburg, it was said, secreted himself
when Coleman went to the cellar to
hang up some clothes for Mrs. Ella
Bozdale, another roomer.
Coleman did not discover the body
until he returned to the basement later
to put some coal IN the furnace. BY
that time, Tilburg had left, walking to
his home in the 600 block Of Massachu-
sets avenue and going to bed. He was
still asleer when Detective Sergt. Harry
x. Wilson, Floyd Truscott and Dennis
J. Murphy found him.
Before the inquest, Tilburg became so
nervous that he had to be taken to
Emergency Hospital for treatment. He
was still in a nervous condition when
taken to the morgue, keeping his gaze
fixed on the floor and apparently pay
ing no attention to the proceedings.
He looked up only once-when De-
tective Sergt. John Flaherty showed
the jury the twisted, blood-Stained poker.
With a shudder, he quickly averted his
gaze.
Ex-Husband Sought.
Mrs. Hendricks body still lay un-
claimed in the morgue last night. Her
husband who has remarked, Is named
beneficiary in several insurance policies
found among her effects, and police
are endeavoring to locate him. When
last heard of, he was stationed at Col
lege Park.
Detectives also are endeavoring to
communicate with the dead woman's
brother, Charles Herman, who is said
to be living in Pennsylvania. She Is
said to have had no other relatives.
Besides Flaherty, the only witnesses
called by DR.. Macdonald were Cole
man and Mrs. Bozdale. The former
told of finding the body, while the lat
ter declared she was present when TIL
burg begged Mrs. Hendricks to marry
him the night before the Staying. Mrs.
Hendricks ridiculed the proposal, the
witness added,