Evening star., 1933-01-16
POLICE HOLD MAN
FOR INQUEST INTO
WOMAN'S DEATH
Suicide or Murder Is Not De-
termined Yet in Apart
ment Death.
COUPLE WHO VISITED
PARTY ALSO is SOUGHT
New Version of Shooting Related
in Questioning Differs Slightly
From That Formerly Given.

S~AA &NAS - SAAhNA4y
Homicide squad detectives were max.
ing an extensive investigation today te
determine whether the shooting of Miss
Emily Toonlbs, %. found dead in al
apartment at 81 M street, was suicide
or a murder.
Rolfe M. Leedy, 26, in whose apart
fnent the shooting occurred early to-
day, was arrested by second precinct
police and held for an inquest, set for
1850 am. tomorrow by Acting Coro-
0er A. Magruder Macdonald.
At the same time, Detective Sergt.
John c. Daglish and other members Of
the homicide squad began search for
. former policeman and a woman COM
paniori, said to have visited the apart
ment during q drinking party that pre-
ceded the shooting.
Leedy told the following story Of
the shooting:
Had Few Drinks"
Emily had been in my apartment
other couple dropped in, and we had
few drinks-just some beer and a few
highballs.
after the other couple left, We had
O few more highballs, then decided
to retire. Emily got up, put my bath
robe on and said she was going to the
bei room. was about half asleep and
didn't pay much attention to her.
"All of sudden, I heard a shot. /
jumped up and saw her standing in the
dressing room, covering her ears with her
hands. The way she was standing, I
could't see the gun in her right hand
a. 1roLod Iiya "a fttcf hnfdir1c her
hand over her ear.
ST yelled something at her-I don't
remember what-and she pulled the
trigger again. She must have been
holding the gun away from her head,
because saw the flash. Then she
dropped to the floor, almost at my
feet"
The first shot, examination disclosed,
buried itself in bureau drawer. The
second pierced Miss Toombs' right
temple.
"Ecpt Gun on Cabinet"
"The gun was mine-a 25-caliber
automatic" Leedy said "I kept it on
top of a sort of cabinet, right beside
the dressing room. Because 1t was in
the open, right there on top, anybody
who Knew where 1t was could have
picked it up without attracting my at
tention I never even thought of the
gun until I beard the first report"
This version of the shooting, told at
the second precinct today, varied slight
ly from the story told by Leedy i'm
mediately after his arrest, according to
police.
At that time, police reported, Leedy
declared Miss Toombs told him she was
going to shoot herself, but he thought
she was only fooling"
"She seemed to have sort of sui
eide complex" Leedy said. She often
discussed suicide with me, saying the
worst thing about it was that it usually
got other people into trouble. Once, /
remember, she tried to jump out OF
window of my apartment. Another time
she spoke of taking some kind OF acid.
] never took her seriously, though; .,
Occupants Of other apartments on
the first floor of the building told po-
lice they had overheard snatches OF
conversation concerning marriage. Un-
der questioning by Capt. Joseph Pier
son, second precinct commander, ne ad-
mitted having discussed matrlmony
with the young woman shortly before
the shooting.
Met Girl In Drug Store.
Leedy, whose former wife, Mrs. Mar
garet Leedy, divorced him in Augusta,
Ga, nearly a year ago, said he first
met Miss Toombs about five years ago,
when he was employed in a drug store
ut which she was a regular customer.
II ran into her again before Christ
mas" he said, "and since then I've seen
quite a bit of her"
Miss Toombs, who lived at 1922 Piney
Branch road, formerly was employed as
q typist in the Census Bureau. She
was among the many temporary work
ers discharged some time ago. Her
father, George w. Toombs, is head OF
an accounting firm.
About seven years ago, Leedy, ac-
cording to police records, shot and
wounded a colored man whom he ac-
cused of stealing milk from the drug
store at which he was employed.
Leedy had been married only four
months when he spirited his bride, then
only 16, away from Casualty Hospital
She had swallowed a small quantity
of poison, n1istaking 1t for cough
medicine. He afterwards explained he
''didn't want to run up too big hos
pital bill"
The shooting was among half dozen
deaths investigated by the homicide
squad during the past "a hours.
Fireman Found Dead.
Bernard r. Crook, rs, a fireman al
the National Cathedral School for Girls
Thirty-sixth street and Woodley road
was found dead in boiler room Of the
institution yesterday. He was pro-
nounced dead by DR.. Joseph Bateman
5000 block Wisconsin avenue, who at
tributed death to a heart attack. Tne
coroner was notified.
Shot during an alteration In
house in the 800 block Of D street last
December 81, Charles r. Brooks, Al
colored, died in Emergency Hospita
last night. Police are holding Davie
Copeland, 30, colored.
Taken to Gallinger Hospital for OBJ
servation, Marie Richardson. 40, col.
ored. 8lS G street, southwest, died al
the institution early today.
Alex Marshall, so, colored. found ly-
ing in the street at Twelfth and
streets Yesterday was taken to Casualty
Hospital. where he was pronounced deac
By Or. G. ]. Perry.
EIREMEM tn NAN nj Akfc