Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-25
LANGDON CLEARED
BY Jury PROBING
BURTON Staying
Inquest Verdict Holds CoIored
Man Shot by Officer in
Line of Duty.
DETECTIVE DECLARES
VICTIM HAD PISTOL
Was Attempting to Escape From
Car Forced to Curb After
Chase Over City.

After celebrating for nearly an hour
today, a coroner's jury decided tina:
Precinct Detective Robert F. Langdon
killed Louis Burton, colored, in line OF
duty
Burton, 29-year-old alleged boot
logger, was shot and killed by Langdon
last Thursday, after he had tried to
escape from an automobile which Lang
don and another officer forced to the
curb at South Capitol and K streets.
Burton was shot in the back and died
two days later at Casualty Hospital.
Half a doven employees Of the STAN
dard Oil Co. and the Griffith Con-
sumers' Coal Co, who witnessed the
shooting disputed Langdon's story that
he killed Burton because the coloreo
man attempted to draw pistol wnlch
he carried in his belt.
All of the witnesses SAID that tney
did not see Burton make any e1ort 10
draw a pistol and that they ola not
see Langdon take pistol from tLie
coIored man after the shooting. None
81 thorn however. was willing to say
that Burton did not have pistol In
his possession.
Langdon Takes Stand.
After some argument, Langdon TOOK
the stand and testified he beheEed Bur
ION was irving TO take the gun from
q holster which he carried IN MS ptn'
When he saw the coloreo man MAKE tiiis
move. he said, he concluded ms own me
was in danger. He said ne nreo al Dul
ton after the latter had turned tne col-
ner of K and Half street southeast;
Iangdon said he fired at the grouiio
and that the bullet ricocheted into the
mans body.
He said that he did not intend to
kill Burton. but only to wound MN
After the shooting, Langdon took the
wounded man to Casualty Hospital,
where he died two days later.
Hundreds of persons, unable TO gam
admisance. thronged the streets out
side the District Morgue as the coro-
ner's inquest got under way.
William F. Franklin Of the vincent
Costello Post and other representatives
of the American Legion were present
when the inquest opened. Ihey salo
that Burton had an excellent service
record during the war and that the
legion intended to learn the fun de-
tails of the shooting which resulted IN
his death.
Witness Saws Victim Had Gun.
Precinct Detective F. L. Arlington,
who was with Langdon on the day OF
the shooting. testified this morning tnat
he saw Burton attempt to draw pis-
tol from his belt before he attempted TO
make his escape. Arlington SAID ne was
close enough to see the handle OF the
pistol sticking out OF the coioreo man )
belt.
Arlington said he was driving the
notice car and that after the alleged
iiouor car had stopped. Burton and
Charles Fells, of the 1900 block OF
First street southwest jumped out.
They stood facing him and l!angdon
for a few seconds, he said, while Bur
ton was attempting TO draw his weapon.
Arlington said he fired one shot IN the
air to brighten the colored man. AS
he fred, he said, both men started 70
rJn. Langdon grabbed Fells and turn
ed him over to Arlington ana tnen
started in pursuit Of Burton.
Police Claim Liquor in Car.
Arlington said that Langdon re-
turned a few minutes later in an auto
i ,7,ohile bringing the wounded coloreo
man with him. He left Immediately
for the hospital in the car belonging to
Fells before they had an opportunity
to search it for liquor. Arlington said
According TO the police. SS quarts OF
whisky were found in the rear COM
,,artment of the automobile when 1t was
searched at the fifth precinct.
DR.. Joseph Rogers, deputy coroner,
testified that he removed the bullet
F,.o,,, T,,rtor's hody after the colored
man had succumbed to the wound. The
bullet. he said. was slightly flattened
on the bottom as though it had struck
some hard object before entering Bur-
tons body. He said that there was no
EVIDENCE nj its having struck a bone.