Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-12
Prominent Attorney Shot
Four Times in Front of
Wardman Park.
SLAYER SURRENDERS
TO HOUSE DETECTIVE
Tells Police Victim Struck Him
Recently-Bought Gun From
Unknown Man.

Shot four times as the result of a
quarrel over q parking space with q
colored bellhop at the fashionable
wardman Park Hotel shortly after 10
o'clock this morning. Capt w. Prank
Norman, prominent local attorney and
a former special Assistant Attorney
General, died an hour later In
Emergency Hospital
The bellhop. Joseph H. Diggs, 81,
surrendered immediately after the
shooting and was turned over TO police
Of the fourteenth precinct by hotel
attaches. Later formal charge Of MUIR
der was entered against him.
Capt. Norman. VINO was 40 years old,
had been q guest at the hotsl for the
past i've years.
Waiting for Car.
He had left the hotel this ..aorning
for his off1ce in the Southern Building,
and was standing in front of the
hosiery waiting for his automobile
when. according TO eye witnesses.
Diggs approached from behind.
Taking a .32-caliber pistol from his
pocket, the bellhop fired two bullets
into the lawyers back. Capt. Norman
fell, but grabbed an awning support
and tried to pull himself to his feet.
Then, according to onlookers, the
colored man cried: at knew I'd get
you" and taking careful aim, fired q
third bullet. which struck the PROSTATE
lawyer IN the head Diggs then fired
a fourth bullet into his victims body
and calmly walked back toward the
hotel.
Digs Surrenders.
Walking into the foyer, he approached
House Detective H. L. Daugherty and
said: 1--WE just shot a man out there"
Daugherty, the same man who took
the pistol from Jess Smiths hand after
he had committed suicide in the hotel
during Harding's presidency, disarmed
Diggs and called police.
Capt. Norman and the bellhop, accord
ing to hotel employees, quarreled two
days ago over . parking space. The
attorney is said to have struck the COLI
ored man twice on that occasion.
Diggs told police that Norman struck
him once this morning and was pre-
pairing to strike him again when he
started shooting In self-defense. Wit
nesses, however, said there was no
exchange between the two men this
morning prior to the shooting.
DlgRS, VINO came mere dpOub eight
years ago from Marlboro, Md, told po-
lice he had bought the gun several days
ago for 81 from man who stopped him
on the street and told him hard luck
story" He said he never had carried
the weapon on his person until he
brought 1t to the hotel with him this
morning.
Enoch Craig. Capt. Norman's colored
chauffeur, witnessed the shooting.
II was parked little distance down
the drive" he said, when I saw the
boss come out. He was standing there
waiting for me when Diggs walked up
from behind and started shooting. 50
far as ] could see, nothing was said
until after two shots had been fred.
Then, as Capt. Norman was trying 10
get back on his feet, Diggs shouted, I
knew I'd get YOU and fired again.
After firing fourth shot he walked
back toward the hotel, emptytng the
shells from his pistol as he went.
Craig struck Diggs several times as
the latter was being led from the hotel
and was subdued with difficulty by other
employees.
Capt. Norman was placed In his own
machine and taken TO the hospital by
reaching the institution.
Confesses Staying.
At the precinct station house Digs,
who lives at 1926 M street. confessed
the shooting. according to Lieut.. H. r.
Lehman He said there had been bad
feeling between Capt. Norman and him
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