Evening star., 1949-02-04
Edwards Confession
Admitted by Judges.in
Glen Burnie Sayings
BY W. H. Shippen. Jr.
Star Siaff Correspondent

" w. ti' SutPPSHs ".
star stoff Correspondent
BALTIMORE, Feb. 4.-The full
confession by Thomas A. Edwards
to the murder of a young Glen
Burnie (Md) couple whose au-
tomobile forced him to leap into
a ditch was read today at the
trial of the 25-year-old colored
laborer.
The three judges trying Edwards
in lieu Of jury admitted the con-
fession this morning after it had
been contested by defense counsel
on the grounds it had been wrung
from Edwards because of his fear of
mob violence if he was returned to
the jail near Glen Burnie.
The detailed statement of events
leading to the shooting of 1S-year-
old Mary Kline and her escort, John
II. Mahlan, Is, a postal employe,
was given to Baltimore police on
November II in the presence of the
accused mans elderly father, James
Rufus Edwards, who witnessed his
sons signature.
Says Car Tried TO Hit Him.
Edwards. in the confession. said
that on the night of September II
he was walking along the highway
toward Queenstown, 4 miles beyond
Glen Burnie. Near Marley Greek,
he said. q car approaching him
forced him into a ditch.
This car cut at me-" he stated
Did they try to run you DOWN."
Edwards was asked.
Yes. had to jump into the
ditch"
He stated he was carrying an
automatic loaded with six of seven
cartridges. He would have shot at
the car, he said, except that he could
not get the gun out quick enough.
In his formal statement, Edwards
told how he turned around and
started back toward his home. Near
the top of hill, he saw the auto
mobile turn of the paved road into
. small lane and stop.
Went Up to Auto.
Edwards said he went up to the
automobile and saw a man sitting
behind the steering wheel beside q
woman.
What happened them" he was
asked.
'"The fellow saw me and reached
down for something" was the reply.
Edwards said he went around to
the drivers side of the car and
said something to the man. He
said they argued some and then he
shot the man through the window
glass, although the glass was down
some"
The lady hollered" as the man
fell over on her on the front seat,
Edwards said. The girl kept scream
ing, he said. Il was excited"
The accused man apparently con-
tradicted himself as to just when he
shot the girl. He was uncertain as
to exactly how many shots he fred, |
but believed there were three.
One bullet passed through the
glass Of the right door and f1attened
against the steering post. The slug
later was recovered by police.
Whether the second shot was fired |
at this time was uncertain. Edwards
said he turned away from the car
and started back toward the paved
road when the girl leaped scream
ing from the car and ran into the
woods.
Il didn't know what kind of tale
she would TELL" Edwards said, ~and
! went after her"
He struck the girl and then shot
her as she lay on the ground, he
said.
An autopsy on the bodies. which,
were not found for three days afteri
the slayings. disclosed that both
had been killed by bullets In the
brain. although the girl apparently
had been knocked unconscious by a |
blow on the head before she was
shot.
Girl Shot Later.
In q statement given later to
officers who conducted Edwards to
the scene of the crime and to the
spot where the bodies were found,
Edwards said he did not shoot the
girl until he had driven away from
the first point and had pushed the
bodies out of the car.
Edwards said that after he placed
the girl in the back seat, he drove |
"of1 on Highway 3o1' in Mr. NAH
lan's car. At a point few miles |
from Glen Burnie he turned off into
q weed-grown clearing and pushed
the bodies out of the car, he said.
In response to questions. he said
he did not try to molest the young
woman.
Edwards then drove away from
the scene and abandoned the car
several miles away, he said. He
threw Mr.. Mahlan's auto keys into
the bushes, tore up his drivers per-
init and threw it on the ground and
walked home, he added.
Edwards took the stand late
yesterday and told in rapid bursts,
sometimes inaudible, how he had
been frightened and sometimes
abused by the officers who had hlrn
In custody. The officers named or
pointed out by Edwards later took
the stand and denied his state
ments.
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