Evening Star Newspaper, January 4, 1930, Page 3

THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, PROBE UNDER WAY OF CAPITOL BLAZE Mysterious Fire Does Dam- age Estimated by Architect as Less Than $3,000. (Continued From First Pag scarcely believed their eyes, but by the time they had reached Second street they saw the flames again. They said they stopped at First street and Penn- sylvania avenue, at the foot of the Cap- itol, and “pulled” a fire alarm box there. Boyd and Hickey said they reached the Capitol Plaza before the first fire engine arrived and later helped the firemen lift the hose lines to the high roof of the building. The firemen had difficulty reaching the fire. Ladders were erected against the east front of the building, and sev- eral lines of hose were quickly carried to the roof. Hurrying westward on the roof, they located the fire coming through the glass roof of the studio, just west of the dome. Mr. Moberly was in the studio when the first firemen arrived. He had sev- eral cuts on the face, supposed to have Tesulted from a fall when he was over- come by the smoke in his studio. Mr. Lynn talked with Mr. Moberly while he was in Mr. Garner’s room and told newspaper men that he was “overcome and not in any condition to discuss the fire or its origin.” David Lynn, jr., nephew of the archi- tect, took Mr. Moberly to his home soon after 9 o'clock, when he was reported to be “all right.” Meanwhile firemen, running up the wide steps on the east front, brcke the glass of a revolving door and carried other lines of hose into the big rotunda. They entered the small passageway running westward between | the rotunda and Statuary Hall ana then climbed a narrow winding stair- way to the door of the smoke-filled document storage room under the roof. A door from this room led to the artist’s studio, which was separated from the rest of the room only by thin wooden walls. With water pumped through the hose over the roof and up the winding stairs, the flames were soon subdued. ‘The artist's studio was in ruins this morning, the damage being due to both fire and water. The damage w the documents in the adjoining room was chiefly due to water and smoke. Among the rooms on the floors below ‘Wwhich were more or less damaged by ‘Water were the banking and currency committee room, the Indian affairs committee room, several offices connect- ed with the Supreme Court and the Foom assigned to the Democratic whip ©of the House. Damage Not Fixed. Mr. Lynn is not certain about the ex- tent of the damage to a number of rtraits, which were being retouched y Mr. Moberly. He is checking up on this, but he thinks that eight or ten portraits of justices of the Court of Claims were destroyed, and perhaps two or three portraits from the State Department. Most of the portraits from the State Department on which Mr. Moberly was working had been finished and returned. A large plaster model of the Capitol, a duplicate of the model which is now at the Seville Exposition in Spain, was damaged by fire and water. The origi- nal was made by E. Garet. By the time the fire was out, nearly 2 feet of water covered the floors of the studio and the document storage Toom and was running down the stairs. Much of the water was being absorbed by the floors of these rooms, and was seeping into the rooms below. The stream of water running down the stairs found its way into the rotunda. No damage was done to the rotunda. No water came into it except on the floor. The great historic paintings on its walls were never in danger after the firemen got the flames under control. Among the first to arrive on the scene was Fire Chief George S. Watson, who took rsopal charge of the battle wgainst the flames. Chief Watson pro- nounced the fire out at 7:45 p.m. All SPECIAL NOTICE. but one company were relieved and sent back to their stations. During the entire time the blazs was shooting from the roof a large American flag floated majestically in the breeze from the roof nearby, enveloped in smoke and lighted by the great electric flood lights that played on the dome. While the firemen inside the building had great difficulty getting to the fire through the darkened passages, those on the roof worked in light slmost as bright as day. When the fire was out the flag was still flying over the black- ened spot in the roof. Before the fire was out two Maryland fire companies arrived on the scene ready to give aid, if needed. They were from Greater Capitol Heights and Boulevard Heights. Almost as soon as the first fire ap- paratus arrived police reserves from the fifth precinct were on the ground. They assisted the firemen to get the hose onto the roof and up the steps into the rotunda. Apparatus Fills Plaza. The fire apparatus occupied nearly the entire plaza east of the Capitol and much of the parkway between the Capi- tol and the Library of Congress. Mr. Lynn paid a high tribute to the firemen for the efficient manner in which they attacked the fire ana extinguished it before it spread to other parts of the building. While the docu- ments which were destroyed or dam- aged were of little value and duplicates of them are stored elsewhere, the fire, if unchecked, might easily have reached other documents of more value stored nearby. For a time, with the flames mount- ing up:?rd at the base of the dome, it looked as if that great structure, so often pictured as a symbol of 'the United States Government, was threay- ened with destruction or serious dam- age. But. since the dome is constructed of iron, there was no real danger or this, although it might have been smoke-blackened and otherwise dam- aged on the outside, if the fire had not been put out promptly. The fire was out 45 minutes after the first alarm and within 15 minutes after the water from several hose lines began to play upon it. On the west Moberly’s room adjoined a runway un- der the eaves. Much water settled in a vat in the floor of this runway, and when the fire was out Chief Watson set his men to work bailing it out and sweeping water down the winding stairs and from the main floor corridors out into the street. SPECIAL NOTICE. ALL_PERSONS HAVING ANY Sotinied will.be sold for Cares, Jen. 5. ¥i30, at Glascos® Exp. . & WILL PERSONS WHO WITNESSED ACOL- «ent at Penn. ave, and Tth st. n.W. zing of Noveinber 2, last, about 53 was_knocked 'down by Findly communicate with E. H. McDERMOT, 1221 Park rd. n.w ax ity O o those coniracted by Y- A SHEA. 929 G st. nw. * ROOF_REPAIRING, PAINTING, guttering, > Teasonable prices, North 5314, d: S Might, ‘Arax Roofing Co- 2038 18th s ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCK- holders of the Georgetown Masonic Hall Association will be held at Masonic Hall, 1210 Wisconsin_ave. n.w., on Tuesdsy eve: ning, January 7. 1930, at 7 o'clock, for the Jurvose ot election”of dircctors ang receiy- wo— President. B. W. SPILLE. Secretary. SECTION 1, Attest: FURSUANT TO ARTICLE 8., ©of By-Laws, notice is hereby given that the | | Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of the Capital Traction Company for the election of a Board of Directors for the ensuing Jear and the transaction of such other busi- ‘may be brought before the meetin: Will be held at the office of the Compa 86th_and M Streets N.W. Washington. | C.. on Thursday, January'9, 1930, at 10:45 : e . . E}n"nk?«fiu i1l be open trom 11 o'clock A.M. 3y noon. e H. D. CRAMPTON, Secretary. O e CrontTacion b Tl SR Pac : CLEMMONS, 1475 Fiorida “ave. n.we . LOAD OR PART WANTED AT ONCE; FUR- niture. etc., to Philadeipnia or New York: your price.” Met. 4073, Mr. SENNE. g THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCK- holders of the Real Estate Title Insurance Company of the District of Columbia for the purpose of electing 15 trustees of the gompany for the ensuing at the office of the compan: on Tuesday, Jan. opened_at 2’ o'clock p.m. s for transfer of closed from January 4, 1930, 5 1930. both dates inclusive. EDWARD 8. Mc- NEW. Assistant Secreta: THE AMERICAN SECURITY AND TRUST Company of the Distraict of Cofumbia, truse . dnted pehrinry wl to Jan. of trust. ' The bonds enu- are calied for the purpose of ind, and the interest on said will cease on the 15th day of Febru- merated herein e sinking bonds al) 'T H. SHILLINGTON, Assistant Secretary. WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY incured by any one but ~mnyself. RLES F. J. HARTLEY, Ball Vi FFICE OF THE FIREMEN'S INSURANCE O ompany of Washington and Georgetown. Wth street and Louisiana avenue northwest —The stockholders of the Firemen’s Insur- nce any of Washinston and George- $own Wili ‘meet ‘st the office on MONDAY. January 6, 1930 for the purpose of elscting 13 directars for the ensuing vesr. Polls nd close a 3 o0en Bt | mERT W, HOWARD. Secretar AL MEETING OF THE STt elders of the Atiantic Bullding Company, et Ol e eid 't the office of the co fiy. 119 Bouth Fairtax st. Alexandria, Ve ursdsy. Janus L clock m ng is for ti officers and transaction of company busi- Bess. ANTIC BUILDING CO., INC., MAEON Mo PARKER, Jro Fresiden ROBERT C. DOVE, Secretary-Tres #HE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCK- BBt ot the Industrial Savings Bank will be held fuesday. January 14, at 3 o'clock at ihe banking house. 1ith and U sts. or the purpose of electing & board of tors and such other business as may be THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCI holders of the Seventh Street Bavings Bank, !or‘lhl election s I busin ore THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCK- holders of the Chas. Schneider Baking Co., Inc., tor the election of directors and other business, will be held at the office of the company, 413 Eve st. January 15, 1030, at 7 pm- will be clotea 10 daya Biiti (o Uhe tmeetine: 3 . President. B. P. ROVER. Secretary. WE MOVED YOUR NEIGHBOR—LET US know where and when you wish 1o move: National” o3 "DAVISSON TRANSHER "4 o 3 STORAG: = 1 _WILL SELL AT_EICHBERG'S AUCTION, 462 Pa. ave. n.w., Wednesday, January 8, at 12 noon, Essex Coach, engine 454798, s storage_and repairs. Congressional Garage.s WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY debts other than those made and contracted by myself. WILLIAM R. DUNLAP, 1721 T st. n.w. 5 @i Properly considered. I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY tracted by any one but myself. SREODORE W. PATTERSON, 2210 E st. .. OVERLAND "MOVING—FOR _HIGH-CLASS ervice to or from anywhere at_exceptional ates. Call Aero 7 e Blstrict auus A0 Mavflower “Transit Co. [UARY 4. 1930, 1 WILL NOT BE , 801 Richmond ave. 1 WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY debts made by any other than _myself. (Signed) HOMER B. FUNKHOUSER, Basye, Va, ¥HE REGULAR ANNUAL MEETIN 4 the Columbia National uary 14, 1930, a! P . Washington, D. G ton of directors and such’ other business as may preperiy come before the meeting. Polis Open from 12 moon until 1 o'clock p.m. 2RTHUR N. MITCHELL. Cashiel NOTICE_T! harenoiders of the Second National Bank. SWashington, D. C. for the election of di yectors for the ensuing year and for the transaction cf Such other business &s may be properly brought before the meeting will be held at the bank at 12 o'clock noon on Tuesday, January 14. 1930. Polis will be open beween the hours of 12 noon and @'clock p.m._VICTOR B. DEYBER , President. THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SHARE- t ton. W director Tor {ransaction of such INUAL MEETING OPF THE STOCK- flg&!‘l‘“o( the Lincoln National Bank for the election of directors and such other busi- ness as may properly come before the meet- ing will be heid at the main banking house ‘'uesday, January 14, 1930, between 12 m. and D.I}I. dBo'nks IDDY‘thE b('rlr;!oltgnflf I::Cs.:‘llll be closed from cember_20. \ - ary 15, 1930 JAMES A. SOPER. Cashier. THE NATIONAL CAPITAL BANK OF ‘WASHINGTON. nual meeting of the tockholders of jonal Capital Bank of Washington. . C., for the eiection of directors and the transaction of any other business that may be brought to the attention of the meeting ‘will be geld at_the banking house Tuesday. s betoer “une hours of 13 'elock noon ant o'clocl m. %’ & STEWART, Casier. HE_ANNUAL MEETING OF THE | © WANTED—RETURN LOADS. From DETROIT From TOLEDO From CLE" From RICHMOND, VA From PITTSRURGH . rom 5 To NEW YORK CiT' ‘0 BOSTON a1 7 7 7 ;8 &1 6 . 6 m AN Special Tateg for part loads ‘io and fro Philadelphia, New York and Boston. TED STATES STORAGE CO.. INC, 418 10th Bt N.W. _Metropolitan 1845. AUTUMN GOLD, Best Cider on Earth, Can be had daily and Sunday until further notice at the Ceiebrated Cider Barrel, Fred- erick_Pike, hour out EWARD. e Will parties who witnessed collision be- tween Bus and ‘sedan ¢ 310 Hom: Decem- ber 31, 1020, on" Evs st. 2, COmmUnICAte now, Dt east of with' ‘Box 202-H, BN LOAD OF FURN| Ph = tie City. U Rt Gusdaniis, st o Smith’s Transfer & bmraie Co,, 1313 U 8t North 3343. A Printing Service —offering exceptional facilities for & discriminating clientele. The National Capital Press 12101212 D ST_NW._Phone National 0650. ROOF WORK NTED—| om New York, Richmond. D, O, SHELBY ASSAILS ALLEN’S ACTION IN McPHERSON CASE (Continued From First Page.) of the visit he and Kelly made to the home of young McPherson’s parents on Upshur street. “Lieut. Kelly and I questioned the young husband in great detail concern- ing his movements for several days prior to the finding of his wife's body,” Shelby said. “We permitted his mother and father to remain in the room after warning them that they must not in- terfere in any way, regardless of how embarrassing our questions might seem to be. “Young McPherson told us that he went to his wife's apartment on Thurs- day night after his mother had told him of a phone call she had received from Virginia. He arrived at the apartment at about 7:45 p.m. and re- mained for 10 or 15 minutes. After his wife had made an unsuccessful ef- fort to adjust their marital differences, he told us he engaged a taxicab and drove to Georgia avenue and Upshur street, reaching that destination at ap- proximately five minutes after 8. He changed a 10-dollar bill in a drug store nearby in order to pay his cab fare and then went to a foot ball meeting at Georgia avenue and Varnum street. He said this meeting lasted until nearly 10 o'clock, after which he went to the residence of his aunt nearby. Remain- ing there a few minutes, he met three friends and drove to Mount Rainier, Md., where he stayed untii nearly mid- night, before returning to his aunt's home. % “He told us that he went to his own home shortly thereafter, conversed for a few minutes with his father and went to bed. “Early next morning he boarded a 86. | downtown bus, intending to spend the day at the Meridian Park playground. The bus, however, he told u:, was an express and did not stop before reach- ing I street, where he lelt it and hoard- ed a northbound bus to return to the playgrounds. Dispute Is Described. “He also told us of the difficulties which resulted in his separation from his wife. He described her as being very nervous and high strung and ad- mitted that he had slapped her on sev- eral occasions. He said that on the preceding Tuesday he had returned from a short trip and on entering his apartment found his wife in company with a girl named Martha Berry. Mc- Pherson informed us that he had pre viously objected to his wife associating with this girl and that they engaged in a dispute over this matter, which re- sulted in his leaving the apartment.” Shelby sald their questioning of Mc- Pherson required approximately three hours, after which they returned to the Trinity Towers and talked to Dorothy Ringer. He said she convinced them she had not seen Mrs. McPherson since Monday night of the week she met her death. Shelby then told of an interview he and Kelly had with Martha Berry, who told them that the nurse was of a “high-strung” temperament and that she had invited her to come and share her apartment in the Park Lane. The B:;rfl girl declined, however, Shelby added. Interview With Heavrins. Next Shelby told of an interview he had with Mr. and Mrs. Roy Heavrin of the Park Lane, who figured prominently in the McPherson case. The Heavrins told him, Shelby declared, that they had heard sounds of a domestic quarrel on the night that Mrs. McPherson died and a voice say: “We'll have to get out of here now. I'll take my clothes and leave tomorrow.” Both Mr. and Mrs. Heavrin talked to him, Shelby eaid, but the wife “monopolized the time.” 1In fact, Shelby declared, there was a dispute between the couple as to which one should do the talking. ‘The Heavrins, Shelby continued, told him that they attached no particular significance to the quarrel until they read in the newspapers the account of the death of Mrs. McPherson, The movements the following day in the police investigation were then out- lined by Shelby. Before he had pro- ceeded very far, however, a telegram which the police official sent to Hurley, the father of Mrs. McPherson, advising him of the inquest on September 17 and urging him to attend, was exhibited and read. Shelby said on this day he ordered Headquarters Detectives Féwler, Fle- harty and Kelly to go to the Lombardi Apartments, which adjoin the Park Thoked ‘Mivere By praguesl foofers Roofing > "'1¥ ‘St 8t {l'w‘ Comps trict 09 KOONS &aniey Lane, and make a careful check on the west side in an effort to determine the origin of the sounds of the domestic quarrel reported by the Heavrins. In this investigation Shelby related how the detectives located the apartment of William Brown, who ravealed that he and his wife had had a quarrel about the time the Heavrins heard sounds of a domestic ergument. Location Believed Fixed. “We felt then,” Shelby said, “that | we had very firmly established the lo- cation of the quarrel reported by the Heavrins. I then directed Lieut. Kelly to go to the Park Lane and advise the Heavrins of these developments.” Subsequently Fowler and Fleharty re- ported, Shelby said, that they had made a thorough canvass in the apartment house and were unable to locate the origin of any sound of & quarrel. Shelby then launched 1nto a descrip- tion of the report given him by Lillian Conway concerning the two telephone calls to the McPherson apartment on the night the young nurse met her death. ~The operator first told him of Virginia's conversation with her mother in-law during which the nurse broke down and began sobbing. A little later, she told him, a girl called Mrs. Mc- Pherson and that the nurse refused to talk with her and asked her to call back later. At that time Mrs. Mc- Pherson was still crying. Apartment Is Inspected. Shelby said he then went to the Mc- Pherson apartment and made a cursory inspection. He did not go into detali, he sald, because he knew Lieut. Kelly had already been over the ground and that he had confidence in him. He de- scribed Kelly as “the best investigator in this Police Department and an equal of any in the country.” Shelby sald he made particular in- quiry as to where the body was lying when found. After leaving the apart- ment, he testified that he went to see the manager of the High View Apart- ments, who told him of Virginia Mc- Pherson's former attempt at suicide. Lieut. Kelly went with him Sunday afternon to Casualty Hospital, Shelby said, where they reported the scope of their investigation to Deputy Coroner Rogers and suggested to him a list of witnesses to be summoned to the coro- ner’s inquest. At that time, he said, Rogers told them he intended to follow the usual procedure at the inquest, namely—to have the investigating offi- cer detail his investigation to the jury and then to invite the jury to call such zther witnesses as they might desire to ear. Inspector Shelby then told of the first | incident in their investigation, which led some people to believe Mrs. McPher- son’s death might not have been such an obvious case of suicide as at first appeared. Phone Operator Quizzed. “On reaching my office early Monday morning,” he said, “I was informed that a telephone operator at the Park Lane Apartments, a Mrs. Mary Roberts, had called detective headquarters late Sun- day night and asked for Lieut. Kelly. She informed the officer who answered the phone that she had something on her mind and wanted to see Kelly as soon as possible. ‘The next morning, Kelly not being available, another detective was sent to see her. She told him that Lillian Conway was friendly with Bob Mc- Pherson and knew more than she had told us—that, as a matter of fact, she had been in the McPherson apartment Thursday night. “I immediately ordered both women brought to my office and faced the Conway girl with Mrs. Roberts. The latter thereupon denied that she had ever made such a statement to the de- tective. The Conway girl, however, de- nied any close friendship with Bob McPherson, but admitted she had been in the apartment Thursday night. She told me she became worried after listen- ing in on the two telephone conversa- tions in which she heard Mrs. McPher- son sobbing, and tried several times to get in touch with the young nurse on the telephone. Receiving no response, she took a pass key and entered the apartment at about 8:20 p.m. She said she switched on the lights in the liv- ing room and saw a black dress laying in the middle of the floor, but the bed room door was closed and therey was 1o s of Mrs. McPherson. She declared that she then concluded the nurse had either gone to sleep or :l'liged out the back door, so she went to her switchboard.” Shelby then described the visit paid him by Mr. and Mrs. Blackwelder, sis- ter and brother-in-law of Mrs. McPher- son. After he had told them all the details of the police investigation, he said Blackwelder asked him if the police had received any information relative to Virginia having been treated for bruises by a Dr. Hornaday, or if we knew that a Maj. Walker had been keeping money foryher to prevent Bob McPherson from ting it. Shelby sald he and Kelly called on SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1930. SCENES AT SPECTACULAR FIRE WHICH THREATENED CAPITOL LAST NIGHT Upper left: General view of the east side of the Capitol while firemen were fighting the flames, which were con- fined to an artist’s studio and an adjoining room where old documents were stored. The flames, shooting up to a sky- light to the left of the dome, were reflected on the dome itself, leading many of the thousands who gathered at the plaza to believe that the dome itself was afire. Upper right: Fire apparatus concentrated at the east wing. —P. & A. Photo. —Star Staff Photo. Lower right: The burned studio. It was in an inaccessible spot and firemen had difficulty reaching it.—Star Staff Photo. Lower left: Carl Moberly, Capitol artist, who was carried from the studio by firemen, —Underwoyd Photo. Dr. Hornaday and learned that Mrs. McPherson had been employed in his office for nine weeks at a salary of $42.50 a week, which he had paid by check. Dr. Hornaday, however, Shelby declared, said he had observed no bruises on Mrs. McPherson. At the same time he said he also got a denfal that any money had been saved for the nurse. Shelby then related the details of another interview he and Kelly had with McPherson for the purpose of checking up on some information given the police that the young bank clerk had mistreated his wife. McPherson de- nied this. Shelby said, but admitted that he had slapped her face several times. Not at Inquest Tuesday. Shelby said he did not attend the coroner’s inquest the following day, Tuesday. ‘The next event in the story of the police investigation, Shelby said, was a report given him by Lieut. Kelly that the coroner’s jury had held that Mrs. McPherson was a suicide. Later on the same day, he said, received a tele- phone message from Capt. Willlam G. Stott of the third precinct asking him if he had ordered a police guard at the McPherson apartment. Shelby added that he told Stott he had not placed such a guard there and the police captain then related to him a story of having received a tele- phone call from former Policeman Rob- ert J. Allen announced that he would be late reporting for duty that after- noon because he was making an in- vestigation at the McPherson apart- ment with a representative of the United States attorney’s office. Continuing his story, Shelby went back to Monday, September 16, and recounted an interview he had with Sue Thompson, a telephone operator at the Park Lane Apartment, who told him she had seen McPherson come in the apartment house on the day he found his wife’s 3 According to the telephone operator, Shelby said, McPherson went up to his apartment and returned a few minutes later and told her, “I guess my wife has locked me out. I'll have to have the pass key.” The operator said she gave McPherson the key and sald he went upstairs, returning a few minutes later and announcing his wife was dead. Henry I. Quinn, chief defense coun- sel, then asked Shelby when he first heard that former Policeman Allen had any facts in connection with the Mc- Pherson case. Shelby replied: “It was on Sunday, September 22. I received a telephone call stating that Allen would be quoted in a morning newspaper as saying he had the names of two witnesses who had seen a man on the roof of the Park Lane Apart- ment restaurant on the morning of Septembcr 13. Allen Statement Discounted. “I realize if there were any witnesses to such an incident it would justify a reopening of the case. Indeed I was shocked and amazed to learn that the Police Department had on its rolls a man so base and low as to retain, locked in his heart, information, if true, vital to the public justice. Con- sidering its source, however, I did not give any credence to the statement.” The following day, Shelby said, he ascertained from the records the third precinct that at 2:10 o'clock on the morning of September 13, Allen and his partner, Policeman Laurence Botts, had reported from a patrol signal box at Eigteenth and F streets. “I learned, too,” Shelby continued, “that Allen and Botts h gone on duty at midnight, and, according to the records of the patrol signal lgeum. they had not gone west of Eighteenth street from that time until 5 am. I knew that about 5 a.m. on that morn- ing Allen and Botts were found loafing in an automobile in the rear of Emer- gency Hospital. “My investigation convinced me be- yond a scintilla of doubt that neither Allen nor his partner could have been in the vicinity of the Park Lane Apart- was next “Old Library Space” At Capitol Scene of 3 Previous Blazes! Volumes Destroyed in 1812 and Later in 1825 and 1851. ‘The Capitol fire last night was in the “old library space” which has previously been the scene of three serious fires. During the War of 1812, when the Library of Congress, estublished in 1800, consisted of a modest collection of some 1,000 volumes, it was destroyed. It had been housed in a wooden passageway where the rotunda now is. When the Capitol was burned by order of Admiral Cockburn these books were used as kindling for the north wing. Upon learning of that disaster Thomas Jefferson, then living in retirement at Monticello, offered to the Goernment his own private library of 6,700 volumes, 8t cost price, $23,700. This offer was accepted by Congress. ‘Twice again the Library of Congress, while housed in the central wing of the Capitol, suffered from fire, on Decem- ber 22, 1825, and much more seriously on December 24, 1851, when more than half the books, including two thirds of the Jefferson collection, were destroyed. That fire was discovered by the great statesman Edward Everett, who was browsing in the library. ment at 2:20 o'clock in the morning— the time fixed by Allen when he claimed he saw a man on the roof of the Park Lane restaurant.” Name Asked of Allen. As reported to him the evening pre- vious, Shelby said a morning news- paper carried the story that Allen had the name of a witness who had seen & man on the roof of the Park Lane Restaurant. Later that day at police headquarters Shelby said he asked Al- len if he was quoted correctly in the newspaper, and he replied in the af- firmative. “I then asked Allen for the name of the witness,” Shelby added, “and he refused to give it to me. I told him 1 would lock him up. He then said the name of the witness is ‘Robert J. Allen and the address is so-and-so.’” Inspector Shelby sald he questioned Allen as to whether he had notified the people in the apartment, notified his partner or his superiers. Allen, he said, answered all in the negative. “I then suspended him,” Shelby said. He de- scribed the various checks he had made on Allen's story of having seen a man on the roof and declared, “I finally convinced myself beyond any doubt that the story told by Alien was a lie.” Statement From Botts. Inspector Shelby then described the taking of a signed statement from Policeman Botts, but insisted he did not know Botts had been summoned to appear before the grand jury at this time. Quinn asked him what had be- come of the stenographic record of this stat:ment. “All of my notes were seized by the corporation counsel's office,” Shelby answered. “We were immediately de- clared guilty of all these absurd cha: and eur papers and effects seized with great avidity.” Robert E. Lynch, assistant corpora- tion counsel prosecuting the case, ob- jected to this statement and it was ordered stricken out. Shelby then launched into a descrip- tion of appearance before the grand jury, denying that he was asked any uestions relative to the lights or win- | press them that I was tioned concerning the taking of finger prints. He replied, “by their questions they indicated to me that previous testimony had been given them to the effect that no effort secure finger prints. attempt had been made an error was committed, but I did not believe this to_be the fact.” He denied ever having used the term “bungling” before the grand jury. “The word,” he said, “is repugnant to me.” Shelby was then asked to explain the circumstances which caused him to de- mand that the grand jury indict Allen and Mrs. Heavrin for perjury. “My previous testimony concerning the Allen incident r:ust serve in part as explanation of my demand relative to him,” Shelby declared. “With to Mrs. Heavrin, the questions of the grand jurors had made it clear to me that she had indicated to them she had called at police headquarters to tell Lieut. Kelly or me of having heard a woman screaming ‘Bob, Bob, you're killing me.’ The grand jurors made this perfectly plain. An inquiry was directed to me which I interpreted as an invitation to give them my opinion of Mrs. Heavrin and Allen. I did raise my fist, but I was not angry. I was simply being emphlne—lnxlou‘s to im- sincere in t to give them the proof.” b Quinn asked Shelby if it is true Mrs, Heavrin came to him a third time to tell of having heard the woman’s screams and the name “Bob” men- tioned. Only Twice a Caller. “The truth is that the Heavrin woman only appeared at hcadquarters twice—the first time to tell her original story and the second time to ask me to take care of some parking tickets she had recelved,” Shelby replied with great emphasis. He also denied emphatically that he had ever at any time attempted to mislead the grand jury or that he had suggested to, any witness what they should or should not testify. Shelby was then asked if he has not always attempted in every possible way to raise the standards and improve the facilities of the Police Department, His answer was, “Yes, with increasing hopelessness as the years go on.” The board then recessed for lunch at the request of Inspector Shelby, who explained that he likes to eat his meals at regular hours, st g s el A new icebreaker especially designed for maintaining traffic on the St. ‘{‘nw- rence River between Montreal and Que- bec is 200 feet long and has two triple expansion engines and two propellers. A3 » ICAPITOL FIRE RIK T0.BE ELIMINATED Documents in Which Recent Blaze Originated Will Re Stored Elsewhere. The fire hazard caused by the stor- age of old documents in the attic of the Capitol, where last night's fire spread from an artist'’s studio, soon will be eliminated without any call upon Con- gress for an appropriation for fireproof construction, because it is proposed to remove these documents to the new House Office Building, already author- ized and for which appropriation has been made. “The Washington Fire Department did a wonderful job,” said Mr. Lynn today. He emphasized that if the fire had been allowed to spread among the many thousands of tinderlike docu- ments, which have grown brittle with age through storage on open shelves, that a very serious fire must have re- sulted, which would have caused great damage to the historical Capitol Bulld- ing. “Under very difficult circum- stances, having to carry the hose up two fiights of narrow winding stairs and around several corners, the fire- men did a surprisingly good job in confining the fire to the model room and in getting it so promptly under control,” said Mr. Lynn. He said the work of the firemen cannot be too strongly praised. “I am prouder of the work of the firemen tonight than on any other job they ever tackled,” said Chief Engineer George S. Watson as he was leaving the Capitol last night. TILDEN DEFEATED BY FRENCH STAR 6—4, 6—2, 4—8, 6—1 Scored in Final Singles of International Championship. By the Associated Press. PARIS, January 4.—Jean Borotra, famous tennis star, today defeated “Big Bill” Tilden in the final singles of the French international covered courts championship, 6—4, 6—2, 4—6, 6—1. ‘The largest crowd that ever gathered for covered court tennis in France wit- nessed the match. More than "a thou- sand persons were in the street outside, unable to get into the packed arena. ‘The French star took the first set, Borotra kept up the hot pace and took the second set, 6—2. Although trailing two sets, the Amer- jcan star was undaunted, and came back to win the third set, 6—4. Children Barred From Bullfights. MADRID, January 4 (#).—The gov- ernment has forbidden persons under 14 g:-un of age to attend bullfights or and out joking about the East mired down in snow and galoshes, panics and poor coaching, while we bask Buf lets bs ‘wood sports.and_admit let’s it, boys, we need rain. This is not Just an admission, I will make it a two of every kind of moving {mmn actor and actress into the ark with him. Moths have lived on raincoats for years. They revived the great stage wflnof “Rain” and had a foot- note g the audience what it was that was dripping outside. This is mighty dry humor, but friends we would welcome the Johnstown flood right now. Yours, P. §—California papers go ahead and print this and show ’em we can take it on the chin and still grin. Two Bedrooms, Liv- ing Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Bath and Re- ception Room. Electric Refrigeration. 2001——16th St. FOR RENT Two Bedrooms, Liv- ing Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Bath and Reception Room. Electric Refrigeration. THE ARGONNE 16th & Columbia Rd. WANTED BOND SALESMAN To be taught an interesting and profit- able phase of real estate endeavor under the personal direction of recognized lead- ers in the particular line. Monthly Compensation Do not want previous real estate ex- perience. Character and demands strong. ance Beuon‘] appear- osition affords infinitely greater field for success. Address Box 341-], Star Office flo“ in the@dcPherson apartment. He whether he was quese