Evening star., 1945-01-30
cFarIand Jury
Told How Victim
Took Death Ride
Witnesses Unable
To Identify Marine
At Murder Trial

~ s0SuAsty NsOtiilS
At Murder Trial
A cab driver testified in the Dis
trict Court murder trial OF Marine
Pfc. Earl Mcfarland today that he
eyed 18-year-old Dorothy Berrum
closely enough to identify her later
because her companion called her
shorty" as she climbed into his taxi
on the night of her death.
The cab driver, Harold w. Thomas
of 237 Mississippi avenua Sc, said
a marine called out, Come on,
Shorty, get in," when Mr.. Thomas
stopped his cab. Mr. Thomas said
he turned around because he knew
several girls called Shorty"
The witness then described the
ride which, he told the court, ended
at the request of the marine near
Hams Point.
Found Knife in Seat.
On cross-examination, Mr.. Thomas
said that although he took a cigar
cite offered by a marine during the
ride and later handed over his
pack to the marine and made
change for SIS bill, he never looked
closely at the man.
Mr.. Thomas testified that after
he left the couple and drove on
about 200 yards he looked at the
back seat to be sure no lighted
cigarettes had been left there. At
that point, he said, he found knife,
which he pocketed.
Asked by Defense Counsel P. Bate
man Ennis why he didn't back up
and return the knife to the marine,
Mr.. Thomas responded, 81 didn't
think it was his knife. I didn't
know whose knife it was"
Girl Seen on Corner.
Earlier the Government produced
witness to testify that he had
seen a girl very similar" to pic
ture of Miss Berrum standing for
a half hour at Tenth and D streets
NV.
The witness, Henry Fish, an en-
Iploye of Hamers Restaurant, testi-
fled that the girl seemed bewil-
dered" and that he and another
man had guessed her age at about
IL years
MIR. Fish said he saw two marines
approach the girl and heard one
of them say, You need a sea food
dinner" The girl, Mr.. Fish went
on, responded, You're too drunk ~
Later, he said, the heavier of the
two marines walked away and the
girl got into cab with the marine
who remained. On cross-examina-
ton, Mr.. Fish said he had not been
able to definitely to identify McFar-
land in police lineup.
Describes Questioning.
Another witness, Col. Charley
Dunbeck, commanding officer at
Marine Barracks, described the ques-
tioning of marines in his Office
which led to the arrest of McFar-
land.
Previously, two prosecution wit
nesses testified they could not iden.
tify the defendant positively as the
man they had seen the night of the
murder.
One of the witnesses, Mac Simon
photographer at 431 Ninth street
NV, was shown two pictures the
prosecution says were taken in the
evening of October 5. After he
looked at one of the pictures he was
asked by Mr.. Ennis to look around
the courtroom and see if he could
pick out one of the men in the pic
ture.
Mr.. Simon stood up and stared
his eyes rowing slowly around the
courtroom, fixing for a moment on
the defendant and then passing on.
He said he could not see the man
in the courtroom.
Would Withdraw Photos.
Before he was asked to make the
identification the photographer was
asked to pick out the man he re-
ferred to las the sergeant
fourth man in the marine group
whom the prosecution said had the
picture taken that night.
Didn't you hear the man you
called sergeant referred to as Corpl
Westberry?" asked Mr.. Ennis
The photographer said he didn't
know.
Corpl. James {. Westberry and
Mcfarland had their pictures taken
together, according to the exhibits
The man referred to as sergeant
| hx, aor1inr rYyittnnccac t,ol 1,ic
taken with Pfc. Warren Grant
Craven.
Mr.. Ennis Immediately asked that
the photographs be withdrawn as
exhibits on the ground that the
photographer could not identify
Mcfarland.
Cab Driver Uncertain.
The alleged visit of the four ma
rines to the photographers shop
has been emphasized in previous
Government testimony because the
prosecution wishes to prove McFar-
land was wearing his regulation belt
A belt, according to earlier testi-
mony, was found at the scene of the
murder.
Larry Roehner, a cab driver, who
testified that he refused to pick up a
marine and a girl in front OF
Jimmy's Restaurant at 9:05 pm. or
October also said he could not
identify Mcfarland positively as the
marine. He identified Miss Berrun
as the girl who was trying to get q
cab with marine companion.
lelsIl AlJ