Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-09
REJECTED SU|TOR
STRANGLES GIRL
Waits Beside Body for IL
Hours Before Calling
Police.
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First PageO
him. They had few drinks and left
the hotel, Dayton said, with the in
tention Of going to another hotel Tor
dinner.
He cannot remember, however, where
they went on leaving the Roosevelt, nor
where they got the two bottles Of liquor
they brought back with them late Mon
day night or early Tuesday.
Dayton had taken a travelling bag
containing dinner colthes and access
series for short stop when he reg
istered at the hotel. The girl brought
no baggage, police said.
In explaining why he took along the
gun, Dayton said he was former guard
at Leavenworth Penitentiary and had
learned there to carry a pistol with
him. He denied that he and the girl
had been quarreling, or that he antici-
pated any trouble with her when he
engaged the room. The young man
came here about eight months ago
from Kansas City. He had known Miss
O'Donnell for six or seven months, he
said.
Dayton apparently had gotten a grip
on himself when brought to head
quarters. He talked composedly with
policemen, and steadily refused to en-
terrain the thought of engaging an at
torney. He is we'll Set-up personable
young man, with. dark hair, steady
brown eyes and regular. pleasant
features.
Asks for Cigarettes.
Interviewed by newspaper men in his
cell today, he declined to make state
ment, other than to say he had no need
for a lawyer. His first request was for
a package of cigarettes and the attend
ance of a priest. He was still dressed
in tuxedo trousers, although he had
changed to a soft shirt.
Lorenzo Jones, colored bellboy in the
Roosevelt. was summoned by Dayton to
his room about 2:25 am. today. When
he arrived Dayton told him he had
strangled his sweetheart, and asked
that the police be called.
Jones communicated with William
Bowman, house detective, who reported
the matter to No. 8 precinct.
PvtS. T. B. Morrow and P. A. SchuldZ
were sent to the scene in charge of
Acting Lieut.. w. c. Dalderson.
They found Dayton. in custody of
Bowman, seated upon the bed beside
the body. There was no evidence of
struggle. except that the bathroom
was considerably disheveled.
The body was curiouSly composed,
in view of the violence of the death.
Police found a bloody sheet and pill
low case on the adjoining bed.
This bed had been carefully remade,
the officer said, with the pillowcasc
turned over to conceal the blood. and
the coverlet drawn over the stained
sheet. They believe the body was placed
in the other bed shortly after death.
There were slight bruises upon the
throat and scratches about the face, but
for the most part the body was I'M
marked according to Coroner hewitt,
who was summoned early today. The
body was subsequently removed to the
Morgue, pending the inquest.
Attentions Held Objectionable.
Katherine ODonnell, the slain girls
sister. said that Marjorie's interest in
Dayton had only been casual and that
obviously she had entertained no serious
intentions toward any OF her man COM
panions.
She explained that Dayton met her
sister early last July and had called
only occasionally after that. She said
the young mans attentions had become
more persistent as time went on and
that her sister came to regard them as
Objectionable. When he became i'm
perious in his attentions, she said. her
sister severed her friendship with him.
The sister said that later Dayton pre-
vailed upon the dead girl TO attend a
dinner party at Wardman Park Hotel,
as he wished her to help entertain
friends who were visiting him in Wash
ington. Katherine O'Donnell said her
sister finally consented, and that was
the last time she saw her alive.
She next heard Of Marjories' where
abouts when she was called from bed
at 4 o'clock this morning by telephone
call from reporter, who, to lessen the
shock. said her sister had been injured
and was at the Roosevelt. She went to
the hotel and learned the truth.
An uncle of the dead girl, Joseph
Bryan of Pittsburgh, is expected here
this afternoon to take charge of the
arrangements.
Born in Pittsburgh.
Both sisters were born in Pittsburgh.
Their father is John O'Donnell, a well
known Pittsburgh newspaper man and
former managing editor of the Pitts
burgh Dispatch. For several years Mar
lorie, was woman's club editor of the
Pittsburgh Sun. Both sisters were edu-
Gated at Ursiline Academy, Pittsburgh.
Katherine came to Washington in
1924 and was later joined by Marjorie.
Both were employed by the same con-
Germ.
Police say Dayton registered at the
Roosevelt as ~. H. and r. c. Burton"
when he first secured a room there.
He later told police the girl consented
to pass herself off to the hotel manage
ment as his wife.
During the hours between the crime
and its discovery, Dayton wrote an in
coherent three-page note on hotel sta
tionery, in which he told of his quar-
relS with the girl, his love for her and
his determination to commit suicide.
The note said in part:
st am going to kill my sweetheart
and then myself. know love
her. Without her love cannot
live. We both have deceived and
hurt one another. Now that the eff
feet of the liquor is wearing off, / shall
begin drinking again and get up the
Dutch courage to kill myself.
"She cheated en- me, I cheated on
her. We both cheated on each