Evening star., 1949-02-03
Signed
Willingly,
Prosecutor, on Stond,
Denies Any Threats in
Murder Confession
By W. H. Shippen, Jr.
stor Stoff Correspondent

BALTIMORE. Feb. 3.-Testimony
that Thomas A. Edwards willingly
signed a confession to the murder
of a young Glen Burnie couple
last September was given today by
James P. Morton, States attorney
OF Anne Arundel County, one Of
the prosecutors in the case.
Mr.. Morton, who is prosecuting
jointly with Attorney Anselm So
daro, took the stand for the State
to answer questions as to whether
he had seen Edwards threatened
or abused or knew if the accused
man had been offered any induce
ment to make statement. He re-
piled to these questions in the mega
tive.
The witness said he was present
in Baltimore last November when
the 23-year-old colored laborer was
brought here to make a statement
regarding the killing of 1S-year-old
Mary c. Kline and her date, John
H. Mahlan, Is, postal worker.
Both victims were shot through the
head, presumably by prowler who
attacked them as they were parked
in Mr.. Mahlans automobile near
Glen Burnie.
Evidence OverruIed.
The three judges trying the case
IN lieu of jury overruled for the
time being motion by the prose-
cution to introduce Edwards con-
fesslon in evidence. Other attempts
will be made to get this document
on the record later in the trial, ac-
cordlng to the prosecutors.
Mr.. Morton said he saw Edwards
going over the statement word for
word" and heard him acknowledge
that he signed it and that it was a
true and complete story of what
happened'
Il asked him, Edwards, did they
treat you all right?' He replied,
Yes, they even gave me steak
dinner"
Defense Counsel William j. Nc
Williams. former judge appointed
by the court In behalf of Edwards,
sought to establish today that re-
peated questioning by police may
have unduly impressed Edwards
with their theories of how the crime
was committed.
Account Partially Correct.
Mr.. McWilliams asked Police
Chief John H. Souers of Anne Arun-
AA
quoted in a Baltimore newspaper
which gave a theoretical account Of
how the crime was committed.
Chief Souers said the account was
only partly in accordance with his
beliefs at the time.
Mr.. Morton was cross examined
at length about a statement he
helped prepare for the press after
Edwards made his alleged confess
sion and was charged formally with
the dual murder. Mr.. McWilliams
read this excerpt from the state
ment:
The FBI has made positive
Identification of the gun used in the
killings"
You knew that statement wasn't
$50, didn't you?" Attorney McWil-
hams asked. r..
The witness replied that the word
he got from the investigators at
Waterloo police station was the
FBI had reported that the guilty
party would be found when the
owner of the automatic pistol was
located.
Had Read FBI Report.
The pistol referred to was one
found at Edwards home near Glen
Burnie after the prisoner told off,
GERS, they testified, where it was
hidden in a kitchen cupboard.
Mr.. McWilliams pointed out that
the FBI found it impossible to link
definitely Edwards gun with the
battered slugs found in the heads
OF the murder victims and the third
slug located on the floor of the death
car. He asked if Mr.. Morton had
read the FBI report before helping
prepare the press statement. The
witness replied in the affirmative.
Il suggest the average person
reading that account Of this official
statement in the newspapers would
conclude that the guilt of Edwards
had been established long before he
was brought to trial." Mr.. McWil-
liams said.
Was Told TO Keep Silent.
The defense counsel then read
another excerpt from the statement
signed by the leading investigators,
which said in part, The authorities
have other information that Ed
wards is directly responsible for this
atrocity ~
Was that your sentence?" Mr..
Morton was. asked.
He replied, Il suppose had q
hand in selecting those words"
The States attorney was asked if
he had been instructed by Judge
Clark of Anne Arundel County to
maintain supreme silence" on
the case prior to trial. He replied in
the affirmative.
4h dCACl SllCC W lCCCllJ u11llkS Ol
Baltimore judges as to the rights
OF suspects in criminal cases, the
prosecuting attorneys have exer-
cised extraordinary care in their
efforts to introduce the confess
sion." This was done despite the
fact that Gov. Lane of Maryland
announced last November that the
statement had been obtained.
Unusual police precautions have
been taken to regulate crowds in
the corridors adjoining the court
room, owing to the intense interest
in the case around Baltimore and
nearby Anne Arundel County.
Robert A. Frazier of Washington,
a FBI firearms Identification spe-
cialist, testified yesterday that
slugs said to have been taken from
the heads of the victims were
roughly similar to those he fired in
test shots from a 380-caliber auto
matte pistol brought to Washington
by Anne Arundel officers. Mr..
Frazier expressed the opinion that
the fatal bullets and his test bullets
were shot from a barrel approxi-
mately as rough and with about
the same amount of rifling in the