Evening star., 1944-10-07
Marine 'sArrest
|SolyesSIdying,
Maj. ke||ySays
Chief Refuses to
Identify Mon
In Police Custody
BULLETIN.

"oJ' A1uNdAu d. hCily, SUI
perintendent of police, said
today the murder of Dorothy
Berrum, 18-year-old War
Department clerk, had been
solved with the arrest of
marine. Maj. Kelly refused
to reveal the identity of the
man in custody.
Working secretly with military
and naval authorities, police Of
ficials today were questioning a
number of servicemen in con-
nection with the assault mur-
der of little Dorothy Berrum,
18-year-old War Department
clerk, whose body was found
yesterday morning in a fog
shrouded section of East Po-
tomac Park.
The examination of persons who
might have some connection with
the case was being carried on in an
undisclosed place away from police
headquarters.
Authorities were known to be
looking for specific man in uni
form. Another serviceman, known
only as Jerry" was questioned by
police today and released. He was
said to have no connection with Jss.s
case.
CAP Questioned.
A man known as al" also in one
of the services, was being ques-
toned, but officials said they did
not believe he was implicated.
Metropolitan police officials, who
are working on the case in CO.
operation with naval and military
officers and National Capital Parks
Police, expressed the conviction that
a solution was near. They refused
to reveal any details as to the
identity of the man they believe
lured the diminutive war worker to
her death.
Inspector Harvey G. Callahan, as
sistant superintendent of police,
told reporters shortly after noon that
definite break" in the case was
expected within hours" At the
same time, it was learned that Mai.
Edward j. Kelly, police superintend-
ent, had conference with the Dis
| trict Commissioners at noon.
A definite description of the serv-
iceman regarded as a suspect has
been obtained by police, according
to Inspector Robert j. Barrett, chief
of detectives, and Capt. Clyde N.
Strange of the Homicide Squad, who
have been conducting the investi-
cation along with Maj. Kelly
The description of the servicemen
was obtained, police said, from cab
driver who said he picked up a girl
and uniformed companion some
time before IL pm. and drove them
to Hains Point. The taxi driver
already has identified Miss Berrum
as one of his passengers, according
to police
At the same time, the officials
said. other friends of Miss Berrum,
both men and women, were to be
brought into headquarters today for
questioning.
Considerable Importance still was
being attached to the knot tied in
Miss Berrum's snood, with which the
girl was apparently strangled while
she struggled for her life. The
white snood was cut away from the
girls throat to preserve the knot.
The girls body. fully clothed, was
discovered by two park laborers in
a secluded part of the park near
Hains Point on the Washington
Channel side. When police arrived,
they found the victim stretched out
on her back, her arms at her side,
Her clothes were neatly arranged.
and bright red coat she wore had
been carefully buttoned.
Belt Found Nearby.
Grass in the vicinity had been
trampled as if Miss Berrum had
put up struggle before she was
finally overcome. Bloodstains were
found nearby and police picked up
a mans black belt, without identi-
flying marks, lip-stick stained
cigarette, half-smoked, and
woman's wallet containing s35, but
no cards or papers.
The wallet, police said, evidently
had no connection with the murder,
but had been dropped near the scene
Of the crime co-incidentally by a
Canadian woman in uniform. OFF,
cials said the Canadian service
woman appeared at police head
quarters today to claim the article
and that it was returned to her.
| 1t was possible, they said, that
the Canadian woman was strolling
in the park where she lost her
wallet at about the same time the
murder was taking place. The wom-
an saw nothing suspicious, but police
pointed out the evening was misty
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