Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-10-27

"dog policeman" called to
them.
About 1870 pm, Phillip
Holman who had been i'm
plicated by the other two de-
PENDANTS was arrested and
he, TOO, admitted his part in
the case and gave a written
statement. Holman was also
charged and placed in the
Receiving Home for Chill
dren.
The latent prints obtained
from Mr.. Merson's discarded
registration card were COM
pared with fingerprint and
palm prints obtained from
these defendants and a palm
print was identified with
that Of Smith.
It should also be noted
that Smith has been identi-
fled by the witness pre-
viously referred to as one Of
the men she saw in Kalo-
rama Park prior to the as
sault on Mr.. Merson and
who she thought was about
to assault her. This contact
is also admitted by Smith
who stated he had a short
conversation with this wit
ness because he got the i'm
preston she thought he was
going to hurt her.
1t appears to me that this
case is a good example Of a
practical situation where the
defendants, Smith and Bow
den, were arrested in con-
nection with an offense in
which they could not be
identified. Although the orig
inal arresting officer did not
connect them with the Mer-
son case, the detectives as
signed to the homicide
squad, particularly Detective
Preston, who was more IA
miliar with the details,
tabled Smith as a suspect
after his appearance in the
lineup on Saturday morning.
No witnesses who could
identify either of the defend
ants as the asSailant of Mr..
Merson were located and al
most no physical evidence to
point to the identity Of the
assailants in this case had
been developed. Even the la
tent palm print obtained
from the discarded registra-
ton card would not tndi-
cate the person for whom
the police should seek, but
could only be used for pur-
poses of comparison with
prints Of possible suspects
after prints had been OBJ
tanned from them. Palm
prints are not subject to the
same classifying and filling
procedure as fingerprints.
Since there were no identi-
flying witnesses, the clue that
led to the clearing of this
brutal crime was apparent
blood stains noticed on the
jacket of the defendant Smith
by detective Preston and the
subsequent Identification Of
the watch worn by Bowden
at the time of his interview
by Detectives EccleS and Will
son. A satisfactory explana-
ton by Smith of the stains
on his jacket and a lack Of
guilt indication in the poly
graph examination which
necessarily requires the CO.
operation of the subject,
would have strengthened his
plea of innocence. On the
other hand, the possession
by Bowden of the watch
taken from the decedent's
arm and the falsehoodS he
told about obtaining the
watch from his mother cor
roborated the belief of the
investigating officers that he
was involved in the crime.
None of the physical evidence,
however, standing alone,
would prove that the defend
ants had committed the Of
tense and in order to con-
meet them directly with the
crime there would appear to
be no means available ex-
cept the admissions Of the
defendants. However, after
these admissions were OBJ
tanned, without resort to
third degree methods, other
evidence, in particular the
key case and keys found by
Smith at the location that he