Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-11
DOUBT DAYTON
PLANNED MURDER
Police Discount Theory Youth
Laid Plans for Killing
Girl and Self.

Authorities investigating the murder
by strangulation of Marjorie O'Donnell,
%, today were inclined to discredit the
theory that Dexter Dayton deliberate
ly laid the scene and then invited the
girl into his room at the Roosevelt
Hotel with the intention of destroying
them both.
Police, however. are checking up on
the 25-year-old insurance salesman's
statement that he bought the heavy
caliber revolver, found In the hotel room
when the crime was uncovered early
Wednesday, shortly after he came to
Washington eight months ago from
Kansas City and before he met the
dead girl, some months later
Dayton has said a quarrel had ex-
listed between himself and the girl for
some weeks because she persistently had
refused to become engaged to him, and
that he asked her into the hotel room
he secured Monday morning, under an
assumed name, for the purpose Of hav-
ing an understanding"
Trial Is Indicated.
Although there Is evidence that Day.
ton took the gun and so cartridges into
the room when he first engaged it, and
left 1t there while he went out for
Marjorie o'DonnelI, the young man has
insisted from the first that he habitually
carried gun, and that he planned
nothing special In bringing it along on
that occasion.
That Dayton will go to trial and not
plead guilty, in the event he is indicted
by the grand jury on the murder charge
referred to that tribunal by coroner'S
jury yesterday afternoon. was indicated
when the law firm of Ring 81 Cobb was
retained as defense counsel.
In his cell at the District Jail today
Dayton referred newspaper men to his
attorneys when questions were put to
him, although he has discussed the
case to considerable extent since his
arrest, both with police and reporters.
The young prisoner, still the victim
of remorSe, has been noticeably shaken
by events of the last few days. He
spends his time In pacing his cell,
smokes almost necessarily and has little
or nothing to say to other inmates.
His case probably will be presented to
the grand jury by the district attorneys
office week after next, since a full pro-
gram already has been prepared for the
present jury.
Eats With Mcpherson.
Dayton had supper last night and
breakfast this morning at the long
prison table reserved for second-fioor
inmates. Seated at the table was Rob-
ert A. Mcpherson, jr., indicted in the
death by strangulation of his wife, Vir-
ginia. Mcpherson occupies a cell on
the same floor and few doors removed
from that which Dayton shares with
several prisoners.
The body of Marjorie ODonnell,
whom Dayton has confessed to strang-
ling, was placed on train at the
Union Station last night for Pittsburgh,
the city of her birth. The dead girls
sister Katherine, with whom she had
lived at 1921 Sixteenth street, accom-
panied the body.
Another sister, Margaret, is under
stood to have remained in her college
here.
After conferring for more than two
hours with their client at the District
Jail last night, Attorney Dan Ring de-
clined to discuss the case this morn
ing, pointing out that Dayton still was
too strongly affected. either by drink or
the shock of his experience, to give a
coherent account of what happened.
Questioned as to who had retained
the firm, Mr.. Ring said friend or
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