Evening star., 1942-07-03
Banistics Experts
Slated 10 Testify on
EkIund Case Gun
Revolver Identified
As Type Formerly
Used in Army

The first degree murder case
against John Eugene Eklund con-
tinued today in District Court, fol-
lowing Identification yesterday of a
.38 caliber, old United States Army
Colt revolver. found by Washing
ton detective almost year after
Eklund's first conviction.
Assistant District Attorney John
w, Fihelly, one of the prosecutors,
said Richard Harlow, fellow-p prison.
er with Eklund in District jail, to
whom he is alleged to have dis
closed the whereabouts of the gun
found in Baltimore, would be placed
on the stand. Ballistics experts and
several other Government witnesses
are also to be called he said.
Detective Sergt. Robert V. Muir
ray, attached to the Homicide
Squad. told the jury of several trips
to Baltimore in an effort to locate
the gun. which he eventually dug
up on May % in a park about a
block from where Eklund is said to
have stayed while in Baltimore in
1910. Sergt. Murray said that
wrapped about the gun, about nine
inches underground, was some old
newspapers, which fell apart as he
lifted the gun.
Date on Paper Shown.
Visible on the scraps of paper,
which were shown to the jury. was
the date October 81, 1910, draft lot
terry numbers. and the name Of
Clarence Dykstra, first draft chief.
The shooting of Hylan McClaine,
colored, with which Eklund is
charged, took place the middle of
October, 1910.
The gun, which has not yet been
introduced as evidence, was said
10 be an Army revolver made In
1892 and of the type sold to pawn
shops when it's use was discontinued
Earlier in the day the Government
asked police officers to identify a
box of 10 bullets. recovered near a
restaurant in nearby Virginia where
1t is claimed Eklund fired into trees
The bullets were .38 caliber. The
Government will attempt to show
that several pieces recovered from
tree there we're from the gun.
A lieutenant from the Baltimore
Police Department testified that he
and several Washington officers
went to Eklund's boarding house in
Baltimore, where they found in his
room several articles, including a
Washington newspaper story about
the "sniper." The McClaine shoot
ing was one in series of slayings
by the "sniper" who terrorlzeo
Washington for months.
Landlady Testifies.
The Baltimore landlady took the
stand, identifying Eklund and a
page from a register with the name
of John Eugene Eklund under the
date of October %, 1910.
Three Washington officers, Capt
Robert J. Barrett. assistant chief OF
detectives: 1t. Aubrey NJ Tolson
and 1t. jeremiah Flaherty, now
head of the homicide squad, took
the stand during the day to relate
the police investigation of the case
Capt. Barrett told of the searches
near the Virginia restaurant which
finally yielded gun wiper, tin can
brick and the box of bullets ano
the pieces from the tree.
Both Capt. Barrett and 1t. Toll
son quoted the defendant as deny
ing that he knew anything about
the shooting by the restaurant, or
Roosevelt Island. the box OF bull
lets. tin can. brick or gun wiper. 4
clerk from a sporting goods stor'
identified the bullets and gun wipe
as the type which he sold to a MAJ
arrested with Eklund.