Evening star., 1948-09-21
Two Policemen
Tell How James
Disclosed Knife
Led Way to Buried
| Weapon, Officers Say
| At Brill Staying Trial
By the Associated Press

~ me SssoStoIco FfeSS
BALTIMORE. Sept. 2l.-Two Ball
tinore police officers told a court
today that Eugene H. James, 81
year-old janitor, led them to q
buried butcher knife after he was
arrested in the fatal stabbing Of
11-year-old Marsha Brill.
James, who is colored, is on trial
for murder in the death Of the
little girl who lost her life last July
6 while bicycling with two play
mates in Northwest Baltimore, near
Pimlico race track. He also is under
indictment in Washington for the
murder of Carol Bardwell, another
11-year-old girl.
Police testimony in the second
day of the trial was still aimed at
leading up to statement made by
James after he was formally
charged the night of July 8.
The statement has not yet been
offered in evidence.
Being Tried without Jury.
James is on trial before Judge
Herman M. Moser in lieu of a jury.
M. Joseph Wallace, chief inspector
of police. and Capt. Oscar Lusby.
commanding the northern district Of
Baltimore, both told of an extensive
tour taken with James two days
after Marsha met her death.
Capt. Lusby said he and other Of
fnorc aPrNyv,roninI To,
journey around Northwest Balti-
more and from 10 to IS miles beyond
the city. He said they were looking
for a sharp stick or chisel.
After completing that tour and
searching James home, the police
captain said. they went to a patch
of woods about three and a half
blocks from the spot where Marsha
was stabbed.
About 25 or 80 feet back in the
woods the group came across a stone
resting between two sticks pushed
into the earth, Capt. Lusby said. The
captain said he lifted the stone,
probed the earth and found a long
butcher knife.
Quizzed by d. c. Officers.
The captain was asked whers
James was when the group ap-
preached the stone. He replied:
He was just step ahead of me
and was the first officer. The
others were behind me-
Inspector Wallace gave much the
same testimony.
The officers reported that James
was taken to downtown headquar-
tiers and questioned The remarks
were reduced to tipping, which all
officers present signed.
Capt. Lusby also told the court
that two or three Washington Of
hcers came into the room and began
questioning James. He did not say
what was said at that time. WASH
|ington police, however, have said
James confessed to Carol Bardwell's
murder In, Rock Greek Park on
June 81.
Leading Up to Statement.
The State began its preparation
for the Introduction of James state
ment at the trial opening yesterday.
Charles H. Houston, colored.
cne of James defense counsel, in
dicated he and his associates would
fight any admission of statement
in evidence. Yesterday he sue
ceeded in having one policeman's
mention of James signing the state
ment stricken from the record
The State paraded numerous
police officers to the stand. attempt-
ing to show in each instance that
James was not threatened In OBJ
tanning the statement.
In addition to the police. the two
young playmates with Marsha Brill
when she was stabbed to death
July 6 testified.
Barbara Lee Sapperstein, II.
identified James as looking like"
the man who ran out of bushes and
stabbed Marsha. Barbara said the
man didn't have beard then"
James has grown beard since his
arrest.
James Shows No Emotion.
odTUdld II LcI o-yedI -OlQ
brother Alan related how the three
children were resting from riding
their bicycles when the Brill girl
was attacked. James showed no
emotion during the children's testi-
mony.
DR.. Marvin M. Graham, a dem
tist, testified the Sapperstein chill
dren waved him down and he found
Marsha doubled up at the side Of
the road.
He said he asked what had hap
pened, but defense objection pre-
vented him from quoting her. He
said he called police.
At the time of the Staying. DR..
Graham said Marsha told him: "A
colored man hit me-"