Evening star., 1933-06-08
ADMITS Staying
WOMAN IN HOTEL
Shepherd Park Watchman
Gives Self Up in Death
of Mrs. Morrison.

death early today while in bed in q
room at the Franklin Park Hotel, the
bullet. fired from outside the locked
door, piercing the elbow Of colored
elevator operator, then going through
the thin wall of the room, clipping of
the lobe of the womans ear and bury
ing itself in her chest.
The man who fired the shot-Elmer
w. Holland, jr., 25, of 7707 Thirteenth
street-did not learn the bullet had
struck any one other than the hotel
employe until several hours later when
he called at the home of his estranged
wife. Then he was informed the
bullet had killed Mrs. Morrison and
that police had been there looking for
him.
Overcome by fear. Holland drove out
into Maryland and hid in patch Of
woods until about am, when he went
to the sixth precinct and surrendered.
In F1ance's Room
Mrs. Morrison. said to be the mother
OF 10-year-old girl, was in the room
of her fance. Fred Williamson, on the
sixth floor of the hotel at the time of
the shooting. which occurred about
am. Holland, a special officer en-
ployed to watch residences In the Shep-
herd Park section, went to the hotel in
the hope OF purchasing some liquor. he
said. He had been to Williamson s
room earlier in the evening, he told
police, following his surrender, and had
bought a quantity of liquor
Accompanied by Melvin Rock, %, of
the HOO block of Fourteenth street, he
stepped on the elevator, operated by
William M. Logan, "a, and asked to be
taken to the sixth floor
As the elevator started upward, Hol-
land drew q .38-caliber revolver and
kept 1t pointed at Logan. Receiving no
response to several knocks on William
sons door. Holland, who declared he
was intoxicated at the time, jammed
men. at the same time shouting to the
occupants Of the room to open up."
Revolver Fired.
As Logan stepped back, the revolver
was fired. bullet going through his
elbow, tearing through the wall, clip
ping Mrs. MorTison's right ear and
piercing her breast. She died almost
instantly.
Williamson, who was on the bed be-
side her, paused to render first aid be-
fore running to the door and throwing
1t open. Meanwhile, however, Holland
and Rock, after apologizing to Logan
for having injured him, had left the
hotel.
On his way home, Holland stopped at
the home Of woman friend, who told
him the police had been there looking
for him just q few minutes before. Still
drunk, he said, he drove out to Mont
gomery County and crawled into a
clump OF bushes, where he lay in the
rain until he became sober
Following his surrender, Holland was
taken to police headquarters, where he
told the story of the shooting to De-
tective Sergts. John c. Dalglish and
Walter Beck. Rock, Williamson and
Logan were released pending a coroner's
inquest, which probably will be held to-
morrow. Logan was treated at Emer-
gency Hospital before being taken into
custody.
Holland Repeats Story.
Hollands story of the shooting was
repeated to stenographer at police
headquarters. The signed statement
was much like his previous description
Of the killing. In both statements. he
insisted the gun had been discharged
accidentally while he was "fooling" with
Logan.
Hollands statement was corroborated
by Rock, who also gave Dalglish and
Beck a signed statement. In 1t Rock
said he left Holland and Logan out
side Williamson's door and walked
down the hall. When he returned a
few minutes later, he said Holland was
putting the revolver back into his
pocket and walking toward the elevator.
He stood there for few moments,
he continued, while Logan took Holland
downstairs on the elevator. AS he was
about to follow, he said, Williamson
opened the door and announced, "a
woman has been shot"
Rock left the hotel, he added, and,
after driving around for short time,
telephoned the police and notified them
Of the shooting.
Was to Have Been Married.
Mrs Morrison. an employe of down.
town department store, came here about
three years ago from her home in
Frederick, Md. A divorce. she had been
living in room next to the one oc-
cupied by Williamson, to whom she
was to have been married within the
next few weeks, it was said Her
daughter is said to be living with her
grandmother in small town near
Frederick.
Holland. a graduate of Middle West
ern university. passed the last Civil
Service examination for a place on the
police force There were no vacancies,
however. and he decided to acquire
police experience, and at the same time
earn livelihood, by acting as watch
man for residents of the area in which
he lives.
As special officer, he had a legal
right to carry gun, but should not
have had one last night. since he was
off duty. His father is a local repre-
sentative Of large manufacturing con-
Germ that does considerable business