Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-25

had eaten on the day they dis
appeared--and as to when the
menstrual cycles of her daugh-
tiers had begun.
This was evident at several
stages of the inquiry.
DR.. w. j. r. Camp. the Illinois
State toxicologist. noted in his
formal report. for instance. that
he found bits of fish, probably
tuna" sweet potatoes. small
pieces of peanuts and trace of
apple skin in Barbara's stomach.
but nothing at all in Patricia's.
He estimated time Of digestion
at about four hours.
1 Reported Findings
! DIR. Camp telephoned Coroner
McCarron early in the morning
OF the day the inquest was
opened to report his findings.
Mr.. McCarron, in his questioning
of Mrs. Grimes that day, made
a special point of asserting that
he had just received the report
apparently TO bar speculation
that the findings could have
been made known to the girls
mother prior to the inquest.
I At this point there was an in
lteresting difference of opinion
on the phraSing OF Mr.. McCar-
Iron's key question to Mrs.
Grimes and whether it had the
effect Of leading" her. Some
newsmen present say they
heard the coroner say to the
witness. You are a Catholic
Ifamily-it was Friday--of course
you had fish?"
! The Chicago Sun-Times,
which editorially accepts the
doctors thesis that the girls died
the night they disappeared
quoted Mr.. McCarron. who him
self is a Catholic. as saying:
"Of course. you had fish. II
was Friday. wasn't it,"
The official transcript. how
ever. states that after the coroner
informed Mrs. Grimes that he
wanted to know what the girls
had eaten, he asked:
"On the night these children
went to a show. this would be a
Friday night. is that correct?"
Mother Names Foods
] Mrs. Grimes then proceeded to
list tuna fish, sweet and white
potatoes mixed, chocolate chip
cookies and cola drink as the
fare. She did not mention nuts
but said. under questioning. that
she had a box Of assorted choco-
lates in the house and did moi
know whether the girls ate any
before leaving for the theater.
The mother had an explana'
ton for the fact that no food
/, particles were found in Patricia's
! stomach. Asked. according to the
, transcript. whether she paid par
ticular attention "as to how
much food" the younger girl ate
Mrs. Grimes said: She didn't
, eat too much"
Again. a question exists as tc
whether Mrs. Grimes was led into
giving this information. The
Sun Times quoted Mr.. McCarron
as first asking; did Barbara eat
more than Patricia"
In an interview with Mr.. Nc
Carron. who kept his personal
attorney in attendance, this re-
porter was told that the peanuts
that showed up in Barbara &
stomach probably we're from the
Baby Ruth candy bar she is re-
ported by a witness to have eaten
lat the theater the night she dis
appeared.
reminded Mr.. McCarron that
this same witness reported that
Patricia, whose stomach was
found empty, also had eaten a
Baby Rutland that each girl
had a bag Of buttered popcorn.
No Popcorn Found
No popcorn was found in the
stomachs of either Of the dead
girls. Had they eaten II and died
the same night, an hour or so
later. the doctors concede that 1t
would have turned UP in the ex-
ANIMATION.
Mr.. McCarron said simply be
thought the witness was mis-
taken In her testimony as to
what the sisters ate at the thea
ter. The witness in question is a
Il5-year-old former classmate Of
Barbara's who sat with the
Grimes girls during the movie.
She has stuck by her story in