Evening star., 1948-07-11
Police Try 10 Fill
Gaps in Story Of
Bardwe|| Ki||inq
Officers Deny Use
Of Leading Questions
In james Confession

Washington police remain con.
vinced they have the right man ir
the. Carol Bardwell murder despite
some apparent discrepancies in hi
confession.
Assistant Detective Chief Robert
V. Murray, one Of the officers who
questioned Eugene H. James, 81
colored Baltimore janitor, said last
night that James was the slayer
beyond any question OF doubt"
Police, however, were seeking to
fill in the gaps in the janitor's con-
fession where it failed to coincide
with the apparent facts.
James is in the Baltimore jail
indicted in the fatal stabbing OF
Marsha Brill, II, there last Tuesday
Earlv this week, possibly tomorrow
a Washington grand jury Will hear
details of his confession in the
similar Staying Of 11-year-old Carol
in Rock Creek Park on June ~.
Prisoner May Be Brought Here.
There appeared to be no clear-cut
decision as to whether James Will
be brought to Washington for . re-
enactment of the crime here. One
police official said Supt. OF Police
Robert ]. Barrett had orally request
ed temporary custody OF James and
that the final decision would be up
to him and the States attorney IN
Baltimore.
James will be arralgned IN Baltl-
more Criminal Court Tuesday IN the
Brill murder.
In Washington yesterday. Chair
man Dirksen of the House District
Committee decried "heinous sex
crines in the District" and pointed
to the need for additional mounted
policemen in the parks.
Even before he learned OF Mr..
Dirksen's stand, Park Police Chief
Mark Raspberry told The Star ne
would seek appropriations for IL ad-
ditional horses and Is men to ponce
the parks.
Subjected to Long Quizzing.
Subjected to long questioning by
Baltimore and Washington police
James admitted not only the t"o
murders. but also the rape-robbery
of a 32-year-old Baltimore woman
on June IS.
But at no time during the nearly
seven hours he was qulzzed about
the Washington crime was James
asked leading question, Capt. Muir
ray said. 81
I'VE let him tell his story in his
own way" he added.
All details of the janitor's con-
fession have not been revealed on
grounds that the prosecution case
might be weakened.
Asked what line OF questioning
brought from James an excellent
description of Carols bicycle, Capt
Murray said the man merely was
asked to describe the vehicle. James
paused momentarily. then said the
bicycle was blue and white, with a
woven wooden basket, Capt. Murray
continued.
Police regard this as strong evi-
dence that James was the actual
killer for the bicycles description
was not generally known.
But not all details of the confes-
sion as reported dovetail with the
apparent physical facts.
First, there is the matter Of the
time James said he left Baltimore
for Washington the day of the Bard
well murder. In their statement to
the press. police said James told
them he left Baltimore on freight
train about 7:30 am. Neither the
PENNSYLVANIA nor Baltimore & Ohio
reported a freight train at that
hour.
Capt. Murray said last night that
James did not say he left Baltimore
exactly at 7:30 am and that since
he did not have a watch, he might
have been mistaken about the hour
Though he did not place special
emphasis on that discrepancy, Capt.
Murray said police are checking with
the railroads to determine what
train James might have hoped.
In the actual attack on the girl,
James story as related by police,
does not tally exactly with the
autopsy findings of Coroner A. Ma
gruder Macdonald.
James said he cut the child's
throat twice with butcher knife,
but DR.. Macdonald said his exami-
nation revealed her throat was cut
from ear to ear in one slash. The
coroner said 1t would have taken
an expert to leave the one line with
two thrusts. but did not rule out
that possibility.
Although the janitor said he did
not rape the girl, DR.. Macdonald
said there was conclusive proof to
the contrary The coroner has not
read James confession, but expects
TO do so with the hope o. throwing
further light on this phase. In this
connection. it is essential to know
the mans definition of rape, DR..
Macdonald added.
Denies Chasing Girl.
The distance the girls body was
found from the path where James
said he attacked her also did not
connect. James indicated he did
not chase her off the path, but the
body was found about 25 feet from
the path and $50 feet from the BIZ
cycle.
1t was recalled that in the Staying
of the Brill girl, James also was
quoted as saying he did not chase
the girl, but two children who were
with the victim reported the as
sailant pursued her into the woods.
In his statement yesterday. Mr..
Dirksen said the recurrence of
heinous sex crimes in the District
makes it obvious that this matter
requires immediate and sustained
attention"
Such crimes reflect upon the
Nations Capital and place it in a
bad light throughout the country,
he said. One answer to the problem
may be additional mounted police
men on the park trails and paths, he
added.
Agrees to Need for Funds.
Capt. Raspberry agreed, pointing
E..