Evening star., 1941-02-13
Coroner's S Jury
To Be Sworn in
krivitskyCa
Step Would Simplify
Reopening; To Be
Listed as Suicide
BULLETIN.

BULLETIN.
The shooting of Gen. Walter
G.. Krivitsky was entered on the
Districts official record today as
suicide after a coroner's jury was
sworn in to hear any evidence
which may turn up in the future
to upset the finding Officials
said the jury will not be called
for an inquest unless new evil
dence is brought forward which
seems substantial enough to war
rant reopening the case.
While ready to list the shooting
of Gen. Walter G. KrivitSky as
suicide, District authorities today
were preparing to swear in a COR
oner'S jury over the body of the
former Soviet spy chief to simplify
reopening of the case should new
evidence be developed in the future
Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald
thought it advisable to take this
precaution in view of the widely
held opinion of friends not ac-
quainted with the physical facts of
the death that Krivitsky may have
been assassinated or driven to self
destruction by secret agents whose
vengeance he feared.
Dr. Macdonald decided to issue
suicide certificate today on the
basis of his personal investigation
and another completed last night
by 1t George Darnall, chief of the
homicide squad, who spent yester-
day in Virginia tracing the death
gun and interviewing persons who
last saw Krivitsky alive.
Body to Be Released Today.
In announcing the police investi-
cation was closed last night, In
spector Bernard w. Thompson of
the Detective Bureau said the ex-
tended inquiry uncovered additional
and conclusive evidence that Kri-
vitsky shot himself in the hotel
room near Union Station where his
body was discovered Monday morn
ing.
IilS "dS Ill Will
views expressed by members of Con-
gress and by KrivitSky's friends and
political sympathizers in many parts
of the United States and in Mex
leo. From Mexico City last night
came an Associated Press dispatch
quoting the widow of Leon Trotzky
to the effect that Krivitsky's death
undoubtedly was another murder
by the OGPU."
Krivitsky's body was to be re-
leased early this afternoon after
the coroner's jury is sworn in. 1t
will be turned over to an under
taker and sent to New York City,
the present home of Gen. Krivit-
sky's widow, Tonia, and 7-year-old
son. The arrangements were made
by Louis Waldman of New York,
Krivitsky's attorney, who came here
to insist on a thorough investiga-
ton of the shooting.
Statement Obtained.
1t Darnall yesterday obtained a
signed statement at Charlottesville,
Va. from hardware store clerk
identifying the death gun as the
one he sold a week ago to a man
he recognized as Krivitsky from a
photograph. He also identified am
munition taken from the automatic
found beside the body.
This account of the purchase was
confirmed in another written state
ment from Mrs. Marguerite Dobert,
30. wife Of Eitel Wolf Dobert, for
mer German officer and refugee
from the NaziS. who live in a log
cabin about Is miles north of Char
lotteSville. Mrs. Dobert said she
accompanied Krivitsky to the store
and helped him make the purchase
because he had expressed fear of
assassination and wanted the gun
for Self-defenSe.
While stopping at the Dobert
home, it was said, Krivitsky prac-
ticed firing at target with the
newly purchased gun.
Yesterday 1t. Darnell obtained
two of the exploded shells and
returned them for ballistics COM
parison with the shell found in
the death room Inspector Thomp-
son announced today that COMPARE
sons by the departments expert,
1t. John Fowler, revealed all three
shells were fired from the same gun.
In her statement Mrs. Dobert also
told how she drove Krivitsky, who
had been their house guest for sew
eral days, to Washington Sunday
night. Believing Krivitsky had gone
to New York, she stopped overnight
in hotel near the one in which
the body was found, but did not
learn of the death until she read
of it in the newspapers. Mrs. Dobert
spent Tuesday night with friends
and then returned home.