Evening star., 1938-07-23
Eyewitness Says Laborer
Dragged Her by Hair as
He Beat Her.
MACHINIST'S HAMMER
FOUND BESIDE BODY
Woman Dies in Hospital a Few
Hours Later-Estranged Spouse
Refuses to Talk.
pictures on page All

Beaten unconscious with machin-
lists hammer and dragged by the hair
across the corner of a downtown park
early today while passersby looked on
in horror, Mrs. jamie Bishop, 26, of
400 G street NV. died of fractured
skull in Casualty Hospital a few hours
later.
Her estranged husband, Edward
Bert Bishop, 35-year-old laborer, was
caught at the scene and held by men,
bers Of rapidly gathering crowd until
police arrived. Locked up at the first
precinct and ordered held for q cor.
oner's inquest, he was taken to police
headquarters later this morning for
questioning by homicide squad detec-
tives.
1t. George Darnall of the Homicide
Squad said Bishop admitted hitting
his wife with his fists and dragging
her by the hair, but contended he did
mot remember" beating her with the
hammer. Intensive questioning Of the
prisoner continued this afternoon.
Beating Occurred at AM.
The fatal beating occurred shortly
before l am. at the Fourth and @
street corner of Pension Park, ad.
jacent to the General Accounting OF.
fee.
One Of several eye-witnesses was
Clay M. Bowles, who said he had left
his room at 4l11a G street NV. and
walked to the corner of the park for a
breath of fresh air.
Suddenly heard woman scream
right behind me-" he said Il turned
and saw man dragging the woman
by her hair across the park and hit
ting her in the face He dragged
her about 80 feet to the roots Of big
tree. He kept on hitting her until
she stopped screaming and struggling.
Then he put something down be.
side her, which I later saw was
hammer That was what he had
been hitting her with. {
He started walking away, but sew.
eral other men had run up by that
time and one Of them grabbed him.
He started struggling, but quieted
down when others surrounded him
and said:
"'Yes, I did It. Call the officers"
Prisoner Refuses to Talk.
That was all he heard the prisoner
say, Mr.. Bowles said. Police said
Bishop admitted that the hammer
found beside his wife's unconscious
form was similar to one he had carried.
Friends Of Mrs. Bishop said she had
expressed fear of her husband re.
Gently. They had been separated for
several months and he had lived for
a while in Miami, Fla, her friends said,
Police said he came here yesterday
from New York.
Mrs. Bishop had lived for the last
month in room at 400 G street NV.
Her landlord, Stephen G. Nash, said
a man who said he was her husband
called there for her yesterday morning
when she was out and came back again
later. Mrs. Bishop was in her room
the second time, but would not open
the door for her caller, Mr.. Nash said,
Later in the day, he saw them walking
along the street together, he said.
Mrs. Everett Gilmer, 2l4 Indiana
avenue NV, where Mrs. Bishop lived
until about two years ago, said Mrs.
Bishop had come to Washington from
Anderson, S. C.
Joined Husband in Florida.
Mrs. Bishop worked for several
months last winter at the American
Rescue Workers, Alb Fourth street
NV, helping prepare meals for desti-
tute women and children, according
to Maj. Marvin K. Henry, superin.
tendent of the institution.
He said she received railway fare
from her husband several months ago
and went to Florida to join him there.
returning to Washington about a
month ago. She stayed at the mission
again fer week before moving to the
G street address.
During this time, she had told other
workers, she was afraid her husband
would kill her some time, Maj. Henry
said.
He said Bishop came by there YES.
terday afternoon and talked with him
Tor few minutes, apparently with no
Ill feeling toward his estranged wife.
He said he couldn't see why she
objected to his drinking a little, but
that they had agreed to disagree and
that was all there was to it," Mai.
Henry said, adding that Bishop COM
planned that his wife once had tried
TO have him arrested for beating her.