Evening star., 1932-10-13
POLICEMAN KILLS
CHINESE WOMAN
AND SELF IN CAB
Lewis Hale Commits Suicide
After Shooting Wife of
Restaurant Owner.
FRIGHTENED DRIVER
CRASHES INTO POLE
Traffic Officer Told Companion He
Planned to Sell Furniture and
Send Wife Away.

Investigation of the death Of Mrs
Mildred Wen Lee, 26-year-old Chinese
mother of three children. shot last
night by Traffic Policeman Lewis Hale,
81, who then killed himself, was closed
officially today when Acting Coroner
A. Magruder Macdonald issued certif-
Gates of suicide and murder
The certificates were issued following
autopsies performed in the District
Morgue by Deputy Coroner c. j. Muir
ply. He found Mrs. Lee had been shot
three times, once in the head and twice
in the chest. Hale, the deputy coroner
said. shot himself twice in the chest.
The shooting occurred in a taXicab
at Ninth street and Constitution ave-
nue. Hale, also married and the father
of a child, suddenly drew his service
revolver and opened fire on the Chin
ese woman Alarmed by the gunplay,
the cab driver, Arthur Williams, lost
control OF the vehicle. which crashed
into a lamp post.
AS Williams lcaped from the taxi and
fled, Hale turned the revolver upon
himself and sent bullet into his chest.
Policeman H. L. Woods running to the
wrecked cab after hearing the shots.
found Mrs Lee dead beside Hale, who
despite his wounds, still sat upright.
Hale died shortly after being taken to
Emergency Hospital.
No Inquest Planned.
Investigation of the shooting, which
occurred about 1870 pm, was quickly
completed by Detective Sergt. John G..
Dalgish of the homicide squad. who
turned all the evidence over to DR..
Macdonald.
Hale and Mrs Lee. the investigation
revealed had been going out together
for the past several weeks. Last night.
1t was said, Hale asked Williams, with
whom he was acquainted, to pick up
Mrs. Lee at Fourteenth street and Co.
Iurnbia road, where her husband, George
Lee, conducts a Chinese restaurant.
Father-in-Law With Her.
Wher Williams reached the corner,
he told Dalglish, he met Mrs. Lee and
an elderly Chinese man. later identified
as her father-in-law. After taking the
man. who had two suit cases to
downtown hotel Williams said, he drove
Mrs. Lee to Tenth and D streets, where
she met Hale.
On Hale's orders. Williams continued,
he drove through the downtown section
for a while. then headed for the Smith
Sonian Institution grounds. Mrs. Lee
objected to the drive through the Mu-
scum grounds. explaining she had prom
ised to return home by IL o'clock, Will
Iams said.
She also accused Hale of being under
the influence of liquor, Williams de-
clared, and the officer admitted having
had a drink or two. Hale overcame her
objections, however, Williams said, and
he cruised through the Smithsonian
grounds.
Scolded for Drinking.
AS he drove along, Williams went on,
he heard Hale tell Mrs. Lee he planned
to sell his furtniure and send his wife
to Boston. At this point, Williams
added, Mrs. Lee again upbraided Hale
fer drinking, and the policeman drew
his gun.
When the first shot was fired Wil-
liams attempted to seize Hale, he as
serted, but the officer succeeded in
avoiding his grasp. 1t was few mo-
ments later that the taxi struck the
post.
Mrs Lee niece of George Wen, leader
of the Chinese colony here and former
head of tn On Leong Tong, attracted
considerable attention about 10 years
ago, when she ran away from home sev-
eral times in order to avoid marrying
Lee, a well-to-do New York Chinese, to
whom she had been betrothed by her
parents.
Lee continued his courtship, however,
and she finally became his bride
Lived at Restaurant.
They made their home at the restau-
rant at Fourteenth street and Colum-
bia road, where her mother, who became
a widow three or four years ago, helped
them conduct the business. She worked
in a Chinese restaurant in the 5000
block of Connecticut avenue, conducted
by Wen.
Hale, who lived with his wife and
child in the 700 block of Gallatin street,
had been a member of the police force
since 1925. obtaining his appointment
following his discharge from the Marine
Corps. He served IN the first precinct
until about six months ago. when he
was transferred to the Traffic Bureau
and placed on duty at Seventh street
and Pennsylvania avenue. He had been
on sick leave for the past two weeks.