Evening star., 1937-10-04
OFFICIAL
SLAIN IN VIRGINIA;
RIDER IS HUNTED
E. J. Davidson, Assistant Le-
gal Chief, Shot, Stabbed
Near fredericksburg.
CAR WRECKED 5 MILES
AWAY; DRIVER GOT RIDE
3 Filling Station Workers Saw
Smash-Up. Suspicious, Trailed
Hitch-Hiker in Vain.

Elmer J. Davidson, So, of 555 Ran
dolph street, assistant chief of the
Research Bureau of the United States
Chamber OF Commerce, was shot and
stabbed to death early today on a
lonely road a few miles from GUAM
tico, Va.
He was shot in the left temple and
stabbed in the chest His body was
discovered lying face up under q tree
about four hours after the murder
Papers in the pockets identified the
man as Davidson, Harvard Law
School graduate. who was to have been
present at today's Supreme Court
opening as An observer for the
chamber.
Police believed the murderer was
picked up by Pennsylvania car near
the lonely field in which Davidson s
body was found and driven toward
Washington.
Wreckage of the roadster in
which Davidson. a native of Cleveland,
drove away from his Randolph street
home at O'Clock last night, and
which the slayer apparently stole, was
found by Virginia State police at 10: 80
am. near Triangle, miles from the
scene OF the killing. The car, which
was towed to Saul's garage Triangle,
was wrecked at 1880 pm, State
Policemen E. G. McDermott and E. C..
Frice estimated
Three filling station employees saw
Davidson's car crash into a post.
The driver-presumably the slayer
got out 1Inhurt. refused the offer of q
towing truck made by the filling sta
ton men, and thumbed a ride to
license and make unknown.
Witnesses to the smash-up were
Edward Antel, %; Curtis Abel. %. and
Albert Abel. his brother. l8. They
disagreed on the description OF the
man. One said he was young. another
that he WAS middle-aged.
After the suspect disappeared to-
ward Washington the three became
suspicious and attempted to follow.
but the, slippery road baked their
efforts.
Detective Sergt. Clyde N. Strange Of
the homicide squad notified the Vir-
ginia State police he was conducting
a search in the Capital for the Penn
sylvania car.
Donald Dow, % Davidson's nephew,
and John Redpath. executive mana
ger OF the chamber. left here at 10
a IN for Fredericksburg and made pos
tive identification of the body, which
is at Elkins funeral psrlors Funeral
arrangements are being made through
Hines funeral parlors here.
Friend Suspects Abduction.
Davidson. a quiet man and a bach
elor, said nothing to Mrs. Laura Dow,
sister, with whom he lived. when he
stepped out of the back door Of his
house last night to go for a drive but
Mrs. Dow thought nothing of it be-
cause Davidson was fond of driving
around alone.
However Harold F. Kumm OF Falls
Church. Va. said to be Davdson's
closest friend, said he was positive
that Davidson would not have gone
driving through the countryside on a
rainy night such as last night was.
Il wager he was just stepping out to
get a magazine" Kumm said. He
would give almost anybody lift any
time, and he probably picked up
somebody in the city who forced him
to drive down to lonely spot, where
he was killed"
Kumm insisted that Davidson would
not even have driven to Falls Church
for visit to the Klanm household in
murkey weather. But he was often
chided by Redpath for his willingness
to give lifts to hitch-hikers Redpath
SAID:
Coroner Holds 1t Murder.
Il used to tell Mr.. Davidson he
would get in trouble picking up peo-
pie like that, but he always said, oh.
I'll be all right. I don't pick up the
bad ones. can tell man on sight. Z"
Jack Dickson, farmer of Wide
water, Va, found the body DR.. J. c.
Gordon, Stafford County coroner,
gave a murder verdict and estimated
he had been dead four hours
The slain man was fully clothed,
even to raincoat and overshoes, but
was hatless. In a pocket was a bill
fold containing two 81 bills and a set
of automobile keys, but there was no
way Of knowing Immediately whether
the keys were an extra set for his
car.
Davidson's chief duty at the Cham
Der of Commerce was the fortnightly
preparation of a bulletin discussion
of governmental activities as they ef-
fected business men throughout the
country.
Joined Chamber in 1918.
He joined the chamber in 1915.
the eighth man hired by the organiza-
ton. He came to Washington in
1913, after working with the Wall
Street Journal in New York City.
He was employed by the Federal Trade
Commission before he joined the
chamber.
Last Summer he drove to Mexico
and the Summer before to California.
picking up hitch-hikers to talk with
the whole length of each trip.
He was attached to Trinity Masonic
Lodge No. l until two years ago, when
he joined Congress Lodge No. 81. He
lived formerly at the Racquet Club,
but moved into his sisters house
about year ago.
He is survived by Mrs Dow, Donald
Dow and q niece. Mary Dow, all OF
IS Randolph street.