Evening star., 1937-10-06
M0T0R|ST SOUGHT
TOAD KILLING QUIZ
Pennsylvania Who Gave
Supposed Murderer a Lift
Asked to Help Police.

Virginia State police investigating
the murder of Elmer j. Davidson today
broadcast an appeal for assistance
from the Pennsylvania motorist who
picked up the supposed killer after
he had ditched the slain mans road
ster Sunday night on the Fredericks-
burg Washington highway at Triangle,
Va.
Sergt. E. j. McDermott of the State
force. whose headquarters are in Alex
andria, is convinced that the Pennsyl-
vanian did not know the slayer and
gave him a lift only because he saw he
had been in an accident and was badly
IN need of help. 1t was raining hard at
the time, and Davidsons car was dam
aged and begged down beside the pave
ment.
If we can locate that Pennsylvania
motorlst." Sergt. McDermott said Il
believe he can give us information and
a description which will enable us to
break the case in a few days. l feel
sure the Pennsylvania holds the key
to the whole situation, yet he may still
be wholly ignorant of the fact that
the man he befriended was fleeing
the scene of murder"
Several Saw Victim.
The suspect, youngish man Of
small stature, was seen to run into the
middle of the highway after ditching
Davidson's automobile. He waved
down the Pennsylvania car with a
flashlight, climbed in and proceeded
north toward Washington.
Sergt. McDermott planned to return
to Stafford County later today to can
vass the locality where the Washing
ton attorney was stabbed and shot to
death in an effort to learn if Davidson
and the murder suspect were seen
prior to the killing. Several persons,
including employees of lunch stands
and garage on the highway, are con-
vlnced they saw and talked to David
son before his death
McDermott will be aided in the
identification attempt by a recent
photograph of the murdered man,
which he found yesterday while
searching his personal effects for some
clue as to his habits and associates
after Office hours
Davidson, a quiet timid man, who
kept his own counsel, often went for
automobile rides in his high-powered
roadster as relaxation from his legal
research work for the United States
Chamber of Commerce. He was known
to pick up hitch-hikers on these rides.
Confirmed Bachelor.
Friends of the 52-year-old attorney,
confirmed bachelor said he was al
most never in the company of wom-
en-, although there was some evidence,
which was far from conclusive, to in
dicate woman might have accom-
panied him to the lonely grove where
he met his death.
The body was found just off the road
to Whitewater, Va. about / u miles east
OF the Richmond highway, in To-
cality where young couples often
park in automobiles.
DR.. ]. C. Gordon, Stafford County
coroner, said he found tire tracks in
dicating a car other than Davidson's
had turned around in the grove on the
night OF the murder.
The man who stabbed Davidson un-
der the heart, and then shot him
through the head. presumably as he
lay on the ground, is believed by DR..
Gordon to have driven off in David
sons car without leaving the pavement
In the vicinity of the murder, in order
to avoid making tracks.
Ofhcer Maury G.. Sneed said TODAY
he Will organize squad of schoolboys
to search the woods on either side of
the road for one or both of the death
weapons. Sneed doubts if the killer
took the weapons to the highway with
him.
Watch Missing
1t seemed possible that Davidson was
robbed of an expensive watch he was
known to carry. A chain found in his
pockets had broken catch, as if the
watch had been jerked loose in haste.
Davidson's wallet, which contained two
81 bills, was not disturbed.
Mr.. and Mrs. Andy Brady, who op-
crate lunch stand on the highway
near Dumphries, Va, told police they
believe Davidson stopped at their place
sunday night to buy cigarettes.
Another lunch room proprietor, E.
A. Stanard of Stafford, said a middle
aged. well-dressed man resembling
Davidson bought beer for himself and
. companion early Sunday night.
Stanard said the Well-dressed man
was accompanied by somewhat
oown-at-the-heel youth.