Evening star., 1936-03-12
POLICE QUESTION
FRIENDS ON GIRL s
SLAY|NGATPARTY
Two Young Women Quizzed
to Determine Motive
for Shooting.
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
GIVEN BY THREE MEN
Probers Also Will Seek Informa-
ton From Person Who Received
Victims Phone Call.

Two girl friends OF 17-year-Old Edna
Trathen, who was found with fatal
bullet wound in her abdomen in the
home of Washington wholesale jew
eler Monday night, were being ques-
toned by detectives this afternoon in
an effort to establish a motive for the
shooting.
Police believe the girl took her own
life, but they have been unable TO
establish a motive for suicide.
The friends, Eleanor Schearer and
Anne Portell, came to police headquar-
ters shortly before 10 O'Clock this
morning and were still being ques-
toned at / o'clock.
Three Statements Taken.
Detectives took written statements
from Bernard Livingston, 1920 WAL
bridge place, in whose home the girls
body was found, and Harry Lasoer OF
the Chastleton Apartments, and Ernest
Hamersla, a travelling man." All
three were present at dinner party
with the girls. Miss Trathen left the
table to "go upstairs for minute" I"
and her body was found shortly there
after in Livingston's bed room.
Detectives questioned the three men
for several hours before they were
excused.
investigation Of the girls death
was reopened today by Inspector B.
w. Thompson, chief Of detectives.
After investigating the shooting,
Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald
Tuesday issued a certificate Of suicide.
Besides the statements already taken,
police want to take statements from
two women who attended dinner
party with Miss Trathen before she
was shot. Police also will take a
statement from a young man Miss
Trathen telephoned half an hour be-
fore her body was found.
After the original investigation Of
Miss Trathen's death had been made,
police recalled that a jeweler named
Bernard Livingston was arrested here
in 1922 with Jack Hart, notorious
Baltimore convict. The Livingston
arrested with Hart subsequently was
indicted in Baltimore in connection
with 100000 robbery. The Balti-
more records, however, do not show q
conviction.
1t was also believed the .38-caliber
revolver found lying BESIDE the girls
body in a bed room of Livingston's
home may be examined for finger
prints. This was not done at the
time because investigators believed her
death was clearly suicide.
Friends Deny Suicide.
Friends of the dead girl have in
sisted she did not kill herself They
believe she may have shot herself
accidentally. One of the police OFF,
GERS investigating the case also ex-
pressed the belief the girl may have
inflicted the fatal wound accidentally.
He said he thought she may have
intended to inf1ict minor flesh wound
to arouse the sympathy of a friend,
John Hallett, 81 L street northeast,
with whom she had quarreled.
She phoned Hallett from Liv-
ingston's home haH an hour before
her body was found. He said she
asked him to come on out, that they
were having party"
Hallett said he told her he couldn't
come and that she repeated her re-
quest. He insisted she did not seem
upset or hysterical. Their friendship
was of a relatively casual nature, he
told investigators.
Quarrel Termed Trivial.
In CHASING her death as suicide
police expressed the belief the girl was
respondent because of the quarrel
with Hallett. He insisted, however,
that the quarrel was trivial and that
she was not respondent because of it.
Police learned the three couples
were eating dinner after having had
few drinks when Miss Trathen got
up suddenly and excused herself. She
said she was going upstairs and would
be back in a minute.
A few moments later a kissing
noise" weS heard and the others went
upstairs to i0vestigate. They found
the girl lying across the bed, the
weapon by her side. The bullet, fired
at close range, had entered the right
front of her body and emerged
through the spine. There were powder
burns on her body and also on her
hand. Police believe the latter burn
was caused by flash back" of the
gun. Miss Trathen died within half
ao hour without regaining conscious
ness.
Indicted in 100000 Robbery.
a RRrna RI 4 (nftakl fvyiVocfnvH
according to police in Baltimore, was
indicted there in 1922 in connec-
ton with a 100000 robbery.
Following his indictment, Livings-
ton was released on $25, 900 bond and
took up residence in a Washington
apartment In the 2100 block of Penn
eylvania avenue.
Hart, notorious gangster who escaped
after Baltimore police arrested him
in connection with q pay roll rob-
berry in which a contractor, william
d. Norris, was fatally wounded, is
alleged TO have gone TO Livingston's
apartment.
Hart learned his girl friend, Kitty
Kavanaugh, had been arrested in
Baltimore. He made arrangements to
go to Baltimore and negotiate with
attorneys for the release of the Kava-
naugh woman.
Mrs. Livingston is reported to have
gone to Baltimore, but while there
she is said to have arranged with the
States attorney and police to bring
about Harris arrest.
She is said to have agreed to tell
them where Hart was hidden II they
would clear Livingston Of the robbery