Evening star., 1944-06-18
.ergner Murder Trial
To Open tomorrow
In District Court
Bokery Clerk. Father Of 5.
Accused Of Killing
Former Housekeeper


bakery clerk and father OF five chill
dren, goes on trial tomorrow in Dis
trict Court on a charge Of first de-,
gree murder In the Staying OF Mrs.
Charlotte w. Robinson last Octo-
ber Is.
The 30-year-old victim was drag
ged from car and left to die at
the intersection OF Seventh and A
streets NE. She had been shot four
times in the face and head.
A divorcee, Mrs. Robinson had
been q housekeeper In Mergner's
$31 900 Spring Valley home shortly
before the staying. At the time Of
her death she was employed at
Recreation Services, Inc, the ope-
rating agency OF the War Hospi-
tality Committee.
Twice Married Gem Thief.
The blond stenographer was twice
married to and twice divorced from
Wiley Robinson, convicted jewel
thief now serving q 10-year term
In Leavenworth Penitentiary.
Both the Government and de-
Tense attorneys indicated yesterday
that the name OF Mergner's de-
ceased wife would figure promi-
nently In the trial. The wife, Mrs.
Agnes Mergner, q bakery heiress,
died on March s 1890, as result
Of IN illegal opF4tion. Subsequently
Mersner and or. Fred p. Deming
were sckAraed with criminal abor-
ton haiE Grand Jury Ignored the
charge ks4inst Mergner while DR..
Deming was sentenced to three to
nine years In prison.
Mrs. ,Mergner was the daughter Of
John Weinberg, founder Of the Mem
berg Bakery, later absorbed by the
Charles Schnsider Baking Co. The
Mergner's i've children were left
$500 900 by Mr.. Weinberg. The an
nual income from the estate was
said to be $32,0 900. Records show
that $31 900 was taken out OF the
trust fund to buy the Spring Valley
house, but authorities said there was
no evidence OF unwise spending.
Detectives to Testify.
Chief among the Government S
IS witnesses Is expected to be Mrs.
Grace Lucas, 631 A street NE, the
only person who saw man at the
scene of the crime. She told police
Mrs. Robinson was showed from car
onto the sidewalk, and that she saw
a man attempting to remove man
hole cover when she approached.
Also deemed important Govern
ment witnesses are several detec-
tives who claimed they obtained an
oral confession from Mergner.
According to police, Mergner told
them he was dead in love" with his
former housekeeper and had tried
to get her to return to his household.
Daughter to Be Questioned.
The Government will attempt to
prove that Mergner had his IT.
year-old daughter, Elizabeth, call
Mrs. Robinson to make a date on
the night of the shooting. 1t Is
the Governments contention that
Mergner knew Mrs. Robinson
wouldn't talk to him, so he asked
his daughter to make the call.
References given by Mrs. Robin
son in her application for her new
job, in which she named Mergner
as her former employer, led to the
defendants arrest. When police
went to his home in an effort to
learn additional details about Mrs.
Robinson, their suspicious were
aroused by blood on a newspaper
near Mergner's chair. Further in
vestigation disclosed woman's UNI
brella and a od-stained shoe in
his car. During questioning, Merg-
ner pulled gun but was quickly
disarmed.
First Assistant United States At
torney John w. Fihelly will handle
the Governments case. = Attorney
John H. Burnett will be Mergner's
counsel. Mr.. Burnett refused to