Evening star., 1949-02-02
|Court 10 Rule |
|0n Glen burnie
Staying Account
Prosecution Laying
Groundwork for
Edwards Statement
By W. H. Shippen, Jr.
Staf Correspondent Of The Stor

Staff Correspondent Of The Star
BALTIMORE, Feb. 2.-Attorneys
prosecuting Thomas A. Edwards for
the murder of a young Glen Burnie
couple last September, today were
laying groundwork for an attempt
to introduce the statement allegedly
made by the defendant soon after
his arrest.
The fact that the 23-year-old
Negro had given a written account
to Baltimore police relative to the
deaths Of Mary c. Kline, 10, and her
boy friend, John H. Mahlan, 25, a
postal worker, was revealed last
November by Gov. Lane of Mary
land.
At the outset of the trial here yes.
terday and again today, the pros
ecutors kept asking Anne Arundel
County and Maryland State police
If they had threatened or abused
Edwards while in custody or offered
any inducements.
The oflcers replied in the negative.
Some 10 Of them testified yesterday,
and several others were to take the
stand today.
The trial is proceeding swiftly be-
fore three judges. presided over by
Judge Robert France. The defendant
pleaded not guilty and waived a jury
trial.
No Motive Disclosed.
No evidence of a motive for the
brutal Staying has come out as yet.
The girls badly decomposed body
bore no indication of criminal as
sault, according to medical testi-
mony.
Miss Kline, her mother told the
judges, wore as her only jewelry
a white gold wrist watch and q
silver "sea horse" bracelet. Mrs.
Kline has seen neither OF these
articles since, she said.
The young postal employe, who
had been dating the girl for the
previous 18 months, had only two
81 bills and some odd change on
him. This was still on his body
when he was found.
A puzzle also is the sequence Of
the attacks which befell the couple
after they drove out of Glen Burnie
some time around 9 o'clock on the
night Of September II.
Girls Skull Broken.
DR.. Earl L. Roger, assistant med.
ical examiner for the State, testi-
fled his autopsy disclosed the man
died of single bullet wound in
the head, while the girl had injuries
in addition to the bullet wound In
her head.
Miss Kline, he said, probably was
knocked unconscious by some blunt
force" which broke her skull, before
she was shot. Bruises on her Leg
indicated she might have been
forced to her knees before beins
struck on the head, the physician
said.
DR.. Henry c. Freymuth, toxicol-
ogist, said blood tests indicated the
man was shot in the front seat OF
his car, while most of the blood OF
the girls type was in the back seat,
Ohicer William S. Street of the
Anne Arundel force told how he
inspected the death car on the day
after the murder as 1t stood deserted
near the old Annapolis road near
Lipin's Corner This was on the
morning of September 10, and the
bodies were not discovered until two
days later. near the Chesterfield
road, at least rs miles from the car.
Girls Shoe In Car.
The blood stained car contained
Miss Kline's left shoe, an exploded
shell and a spent bullet, all offered
as exhibits. Photographs submitted
included two close-ups of bullet
holes through both front Windows
of the car.
Policemen Street and Joseph C.
Hopp told the judges how they
arrested Edwards for investigation
at the home of his father on the
night Of October 8. Chief John
H. Souers of the Anne Arundel
County police explained he wanted
to talk to Edwards about a ".380-
caliber pistol" he was understood to
own.
Chief Souers, who explained Ed
wards was released on the occa-
sion Of the first arrest after three
days, identified an exploded shell
picked up near where the bodies
were found as a "380-caliber. The
officer said Edwards admitted he
had a 380-caliber gun, but had
sold it several weeks before the mur-
ders.
Found Six Days Later.
Carl p. Phelps, a Prince Georges
County farmer, told the judges that,
six days after the bodies had been
removed, he found the shell in
question at about the point where
one body had lain.
Several officers testified they
found a 380-caliber shell near Ed
wards house when they went there
to question him about his gun, and
he indicated where he had prac-
ticed with the weapon before dis
posing of 1t.
How he found Mr.. Mahlan's driv-
er's permit torn into bits lying near
the point where the murder car
had been abandoned was related by
the girls father, j. Edward Kline.
Volunteer searchers found the
postal employees automobile keys
tossed into the bushes not far from
the car. They also found three
cartridges on the same road but at
least 2 miles away from the car