Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-09
POLICEMAN KILLS
! FLEEING MOTOR|ST
Motor Cycle Officer Shoots
CoIored Man to Death on
Bladensburg Road.

Following several alleged attempts
30 crowd him from the roadway dur
Ing a chase early this morning on
siadenshug road northeast, Police
man Ernest c. SpauldinE of the Twelfth
precinct shot and instantly killed Lewis
Spencer Smith. colored. IS years old.
al Simond Hill. Md. Smith was pro-
nounce6 dead from a severed spine
upon his arrival at Casualty Hospital.
The shooting occurred In q field
Of soy beans in the grounds Of the
National Training School for Bows after
Smith had abandoned his car and
made dash for freedom. SpauldinS
claims that Smith attempted to shoot
him and that he shot in seif-defense
and 8 coroners jury. after hearing sew
eral witnesses today. accepted this plea
and exonerated him
The chase started at Bladensburc
and Queen Chapel roads when Spauld-
ING, motorcycle policeman. saw Smith
pass az high rate of speed. Falling in
nen1nd the machine, he paced it at SIS
miles an hour. he claims. and at Gem
tfsi avenue. pulled alongside and or
oereo Smith to stop.
DiSregarded Command,
The command was disregarded and
smith sverveo his machine to the left
IN an apparent effort to crowd the
polcemRn from the road. The road at
this point is so feet vide and both the
automobile and motorcycle went across
the parking and to the left side of the
road.
A few minutes later Spaulding again
ordered Smith TO stop and met with the
same result At the third attempt he
4RsN @w& ~
the left again, applied the emergency
brake and jumped. AT this point
spaulding fired one shot the bullet
falling TO take effect. Smiths autonac~
bile Jumped the curb and ran across
the sidewalk before Ii came to q halt.
Smith then ran through a strip Of
woods and out into the field. with
Spsulding still in pursuit. As they
sped across the field. Smith so Spauld-
Ing claims, made Q move as though to
draw a pistol and the policeman fred
two shots, one entering the center of
the back and severing the spinal cord.
u passed through the body and came
out the other side
Smith was rushed TO Casualty Hos
pital in the automobile Of John Ed
nionds, 370s Twenty fourth street
northeast and pronounced dead by DR..
]. ". Hall.
After he had taken Smith to the hos
pital. Spaulding returned to the scene
OF the shooting and. together with Capt
c. L. Flemmons and other members Of
the precinct. started o search for the
pistol. The soy beans were so thick,
however. that the search vas postponed
until daylight.
Find Pistol at Scene
At 4 o'clock this morning Policeman
O. K Stanton returned to the scene and
found there 2 SO calibsr revolver with
FIVE cartridges IN the chamber. One Of
the cartridges showed the imprint Of the
firing pin, but had not discharged. il
n'aS said The pistol was found feet
from where Smith fell.
Policeman Charles Saver Of the fourth
precinct told Headquarters Detective
William MeSser who was sent 10 inves-
t;gate the case. that he vas on his way
70 his home in Lenox. Md. in his own
automobile and witnessed the entire
chase
Spaulding almost lost his life Feb
raarv z, when he and Motor Cycle Po-
lceman Watson Salkeld chased Thomas
Jackson. colored. Of Landover, Md. and
several other colored men. through
Bladensburg road and into nearby
Maryland. The policeman fred several
shots at the fleeing car, both in the Dis
trict and Maryland. Jackson tried TO
shoot SaIkeId and then overpowered
spauldinr and was beating him after
the car was ditcl1ed by a bullet in
rear tire. Salkelc came to the rescue
The automobile driven last night by
Smith was found to belong 10 garage
In Hysttsville Md Smith was employed
there and allowed the use Of the car, 1t
vas said.