Evening star., 1935-06-01
POLICE HUNT H|KER
AS SUSPECT IN
ELLISON KILLING
Mountaineers Search Scene
After Finding Body in
Lonely Wood.
CAR BELIEVED SIGHTED
IN CORNER OF STATE
License on Automobile at Rad
ford. Va. Corresponds With
That of Victim.
Bv the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va. June depart
inent of Justice agents and State
police looked toward the rugged
mountains of Southwest Virginia today
In their hunt for short, stocky
hitch-hiker believed to have MUIR
dered j. NJ Ellison. 81. manager of
the historic Brandon estate On the
James River.
The body of Ellison, partly de-
composed. was found yesterday in
lonely woods near the Goochland-
Louisa County line. He had been
missing since Sunday afternoon. when
he left the home of his sister. Mrs.
Arthur L. Willard, in Washington, to
return to Brandon after visit.
ElliSon's car was sighted at Rad
ford. in the southwest corner of the
State. Tuesday by Police Chief C. H.
Howell. who was called to arrest the
driver after he had failed to pay for
gasoline at a filling station.
License Plates Checked.
The man eluded Chief Howell. who
later found that the license number
OF the car was that on Ellison's ma
chine. which he was driving when he
left Washington.
Negroes saw the car near RadfOrd
again Wednesday and gave officers a
description of the driver. who they
said was short of stature. weighed
about 160 pounds and was 30 or IS
years old.
Ellison's body. bullet hole in the
head. was found by two Negro girls
fence separating the road from the
patch of woods and bloody spot on
the road were somber indications that
the body had been dragged from car
to the place where it was found.
Police officers and Government
agents. who conferred on the case last
night in the Office of John @. Rhodes.
head of the State police. surmised
that Ellison on his return trip from
Washington mad picked up hitch
hiker who had killed and robbed him
hidden his body in the woods and
driven away in his car
Investigators could only speculate
upon whether Ellison's companion had
made him drive to the sparsely popu-
lated area where the body was found
and then killed him. or whether the
Brandon manager had been killed and
his body driven to the wooded spot.
which is northwest of Richmond, off
the Washington Highway and in the
opposite direction of Brandon from
here.
Justice Department Agent Henry
Shaw and State Police Lieut.. D. D.
Mannoni searched the vicinity of Rad
ford Thursday and Friday. but said
no further trace of the car was found
Lieut.. Mannoni expressed the opinion
that the fugitive had hidden in the
mountains in that section of Virginia
or had fled into nearby Tennessee or
West Virginia.
Ellisons family and his employer
Robert w. Daniel, requested he aid
of State police Monday after the es-
tate manager had failed to return
home. Daniel said Ellison was MOI
of conservative habits and tod Off
GERS he suspected fSuI play.
Edited Paper Once.
ELLISON SlSter, MrS WlIldTu Il lIle
widow of the late Admiral Arthur l..
Willard The slam man was the son
of the late Circuit Judge Andrews
Ellison of Kirksville. Nc. and was edi-
tor of a daily newspaper there at one
time. He also was former instructor
of the Northeast Missouri State
Teachers College.
Brandon. the eGtate owned ov Dan
iel and managed by Ellison, comprises
more than 1000 acres overlooking the
James River Is miles southeast OF
Richmond Established in the eight
eenth century, is magnificent grounds
and beautiful gardens are renowned
among Virginia's show places. Prior
to MI. Daniels acquisition OF II 10
years ago. it belonged to the Harrison
family, famous in Virginia history.