Evening star., 1924-09-06
.LE|S|NGER MURDER
CLEARED BY GIRL
Tells of Joy Ride That CuI.
minated in Shooting of
Policeman.

Police today had virtually wound
up their investigation of the murder
more than week ago of Policeman
Raymond c. Leisinger at the hands
of fleeing occupants Of a suspected
bootlegging automobile, having ar
rested the last of four negroes ac-
cuSed of the crime and placed against
their respective names the same terse
charge: Murder"
The hand of the law fell quickly
and firmly. following the recovery
! Wednesday of the bullet riddled
Smoke-Screened touring car which po-
lice say was used by the murderers,
and with the arrest Thursday of
James Theodore Holmes. known as
Peggy because of his two cork legs
the alleged ring leader
Yesterday afternoon detectives took
into custody a colored woman, who
admitted she was in the death" car
when Policeman LeisinGer was killed,
and who. Inspector Grant. chief of
detectives. declares, Immediately
made complete confession, incrimi-
mating two other colored men who
were arrested short time afterward.
One of these latter corroborated every
word of the woman's story, police
said, while the other admitted all of
it except her charge that he himself
fired the fatal shots.
Girl Accuses Freeman.
The girl. d light kinned, well
dressed ne-ress, gave her name as
Helen Catherine Jackson, % years
old. of 7o2 S street, Apartment No. /,
where she was arrested yesterday
afternoon. She accused Harry Will
liam Freeman, 81 years old. colored,
of 1918 Vermont avenue, of firing the
shot that killed Leisinger, and said
that the fourth member of the party
was John Ambrose Gross, % years
old, colored, of 419 X street, her
friend Holmes, she said, was driv-
ing the car when the policeman clung
to the spare tire in an effort to halt
it, and it was Holmes, she asserted.
who handed Freeman .45-caliber
Colt single-action revolver with or
ders to shoot the officer.
Freeman and Gross admit being in
the car, but each accuses the other of
firing the shots through the rear of the
tonneau- Holmes consistently refuses
to make any statement discriminating
himself. saying he will tell the truth
at the proper time" Detectives who
lined the four up last night and had
them repeat their statements in front
of one another declare that Holmes
visibly was moved to anger when the
woman declared he ordered the shoot
ing and they say they had to restrain
him from jumping at her. Inspector
Grant also stated today that Holmes
muttered to the girl, why did you tell
it?'
Tells of Steps in Detail.
Chief Grant, jubilant over the clear
ing up of the mystery in such short
time, related in detail the steps which
led up to the arrest of the negroes.
Our first information concerning
the bullet-Scarred car was obtained
by Policeman William Esser of No. Q
precinct" he said. Il sent Detectives
Sweeney and Waldron to run down
the clue last Sunday. Our job was to
locate this car, and we searched
part of this city for it. Finally Po-
liceman J. A. Mckimmie, assigned to
desk work at headquarters, learned
that a bullet-marked car was in an
alley back of kingman street. near
18th. He searched the vicinity and
eventually was rewarded by finding
the desired automobile stored in a
repair shop in the alley. Detective
Arthur Scrivener then found the re-
volver, which was used. or the second
floor of the shop under a mattress.
The arrest of Holmes, who had been
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