Evening star., 1938-05-19
By w, H. SHIPPEN. Jr.

BY w. H. SHIPPEN, Jr.
The Government produced "sur-
prise" witness this afternoon in an
effort to show that former Policeman
Robert F. Langdon sought deliberately
to frame an alibi on the morning 49,
year-old Beuleh Limerick was shot
to death.
The witness was James Cavarotta,
admittedly a former bootlegger. who
told the jury which is trying Langdon
in the seven-year-old murder, that
the defendant asked him to say they
had been together on the morning of
the Staying in case the question should
arise.
Cavarotta said this conversation took
place between and 4:30 IN. on De-
cember 81, 1890, in front of his home
in the 200 block of Fourteenth street
SE.
Cavarotta seemed vague as to the
details OF the conversation, and As
sistant United States Attorney John
]. Wilson asked the witness if he did
not recall telling him in his Office sew
eral weeks ago that Langdon had asked
for an alibi between midnight and 3
am. Cavarotta then said he remem-
bered making such statement. and
that, as best he could recall, it was
true.
Cavarotta said he was returning
home in his car on the night in ques-
ton when Langdon drove up and
alighted. He said he talked to Lang
don briefly and made no reply to
Langdon's request for an alibi.
Slain Girls Sister Testifies.
Another witness this afternoon was
Mrs. Julia Frances Mason. a sister Of
the murdered girl. who told of being
summoned to Beulahs house by her
brother, Vernon Limerick. She said
no members of the family suspected
Beulah had been slain until they
learned the undertaken had found a
bullet hole in the girls head She
described to the jury the layout of the
house and the position Of her sister S
body when she first saw it.
William V. Watts, retired policeman,
related to the jury how he marked up
Patrolman Langdon as reporting from
another patrol box and at an earlier
time when. as a matter of fact. Lang
don had telephoned from BOX No
IL" near the Limerick home at 8
o'clock on the morning of the murder.
With Watts testimony, the prose-
cution completed its evidence concern
ing the three calls which Langdon
made from Box IL between 2 and 4
o'clock on the morning of the shooting.
On each occasion, it was said, Lang
don asked that the record show him
as having telephoned from another
place on his beat.
Paul Testifies to Two Calls.
Watts said he sat in on the SWITCH
board to relieve Policeman Carl P.
Paul, who testified yesterday about two
calls he received from Langdon. Watts
said he got a call from Langdon at 3
o'clock on the morning of the murder
from Box No. IL, at Eighteenth and
East Capitol streets.
He told me he was shadowing
somebody" Watts told the jury, "and
had tried to pull Box No. 40 a few
minutes previously. He asked me to
mark him up as having telephoned
from Box 40 and to set the time at
2:54 am
The record of the patrol system of
No. precinct was introduced and
showed Watts had noted that Langdon
reported at 2::54 from Box 40.
II don't recall exactly" Watts
said "but I might have asked Lang
don what time he was at Box 49,.
He must have said he was at the
box five or six minutes ago because
if he had been more than few min
utes late I would have checked up
on him"
Alterations Done Before.
The retired policeman was cross
examined by Defense Counsel E. Rus
sci Kelly, who asked:
rs it unusual to alter such police
records?"
WELL" Watts replied, "Ive done
1t before. I don't recall what officers
I changed the record for or how
often such requests were made. Usual
ly the men on the midnight trick
are the ones who ask us to help
them out"
The retired policeman said patrol
man sometimes got cold and tired on
the midnight trick and stood in need
of little rest. Maybe they want to
doze in a warm place." Watts said. "or
noodle, as we call it on the force"
did you report to your superiors the
fact that Langdon had asked you to
change the record?" Mr.. Kelly asked.
II told some one who was investigat-
ing the case, can't remember who,"
the witness replied. They said it made
no difference, anyhow, as they knew
Langdon was patrolling his beat that
night in his own automobile, and the
matter of few minutes would be of
no significance
The officer said he did not testify
at the inquest into the Limerick mur-
der or at the subsequent grand jury
investigation.
Watts was followed to the stand by
Policeman Joseph M. Ball, who was
assigned to q patrol car in No. 8 pre-
(see LIMERICK, Page A-3.)