Evening star., 1941-09-04
Cutoe
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! the grand jury made its return, Ca
toe was arraigned before Justice
| ODonoghue in Criminal Court No. l..
Clerk Paul Dawson read the indict-
ments as some Is deputy marshals
stood about in strategic positions
throughout the courtroom.
Catoe kept his hands on the table
before him as he listened. In each
of the first-degree murder cases he
pleaded innocent.
Mr.. Dawson read the Strieff in
dictment first and followed that
with the one accusing Catoe Of
Staying Mrs. Abramowitz.
Mr.. Curran and Assistant District
| Attorney John w. Fihelly, repre-
senting the Government, sat at the
counsel table.
Catoe, wearing brown shoes, a
blue coat and grayish- blue trousers,
stood beside his defense counsel,
Walter M. Shea, While the lengthy
arraignment proceeded. Catoe's
other defense counsel, George J.
Boden and J. Robert Esher, sat
within the bar of the court.
AS Clerk Dawson put the GUS
tomary question to Catoe as to
whether he was guilty of the MUIR
der of Miss Strieff, Catoe answered
firmly, Not guilty."
Cases Held Equally Strong.
1t had not been decided on which
case Catoe would stand trial. There
were rumors at the Courthouse
that the Abramowitz case will be
chosen. but Mr.. Curran refused to
comment.
Police ridiculed published reports
that the evidence in the Strieff
killing was considered "shaky."
Capt. Ira Keck, assistant chief
OF detectives, said he thought the
evidence in one case was as strong
as in the other. The only tangible
piece OF evidence recovered in any
Of the murders was Miss Strieff's
umbrella. which was found in the
possession of a woman who said
Catoe had given it to her.
All the other evidence in these
two cases is based on statements
made to police by the prisoner.
Capt. Keck said that Catoe had
showed a knowledge of details in
the Abramowitz murder which only
the guilty man could have gained.
Other Indictments.
The grand jurors, in separate in
dictments, accused Catoe Of the
4 flrst-degree murder and criminal as
sault Of Miss Strieff, Mrs. Abramo-
witz, Matte Steward, colored, 48,
November %, 1910; Lucy KidWe1l,
colored, Sc, on September 81. 1910,
and AGA Gladys Fuller, colored, 81,
January %, 1941.
Mrs. Abramowitz, %, was found
dead in her apartment at 1901 Six
| teenth street NV. March 8. Miss
Strieffs body IS ot-coyered in
garage in the rear of Hit @ street
June l6.
Is The grand jurors accused Catoe
in further indictments of criminal
assault and robbery of Sill from
Mamie C. Carter, colored, Sc, De-
cember H. 1910; of the criminal as
sault only-no robbery being charged
in this case-of Elizabeth Berry, COL
ored, 81, February IA, 1940 of the
criminal assault and robbery of $40
OF Cora E. Doy, colored, IS, Septem-
ber 9, 1910; of the criminal assault
and robbery of Allie Pippin, colored,
| 81, November 26, 1910. and of the
criminal assault and robbery of S24
from Josephine GreenIease, colored,
so, August 80, 1910.
Unexplained Facts" Denied.
In discussion of the cases the
police have made against Catoe,
Capt. Keek denied there were any
unexplained facts" in the Strieff
case and went into detail to refute
such an idea.
The supposed unexplained facts"
mentioned included Coal dust
found on Miss Strieff's body; sand in
her shoes, which did not match any
found in the neighborhood; blood
spots for 200 yards up the alley from
the point at which the body was
discovered; water-soaked shoes and
socks, and bruises on her body.
| The coal dust found on the body,
Capt. Keck pointed out, was micro
Scopic in quantity. There was so lit
tie there that it was not possible to
analyze it. 1t appeared to be SCOT
such as might accumulate on the
floor of any garage, he said. There
appeared to be such SCOT on the floor
Of the garage where she was found,
he said.
No Blood Spots in Alley.
As for the sand in her shoes, Capt,
Keck pointed out that an analysis
of the sand had showed that it was
similar to soil found at Nineteenth
street and Florida avenue, where
Catoe says he picked Miss Strieff up.
The fact that similar soil has been
found in other parts of the city
doesn't mean anything, the detective
said.
The supposed blood spots which
were found in the alley were not
blood spots at all, Capt. Keck said,
Chemical analysis within few days
after the murder showed that these
spots-at first thought to be blood
were oil, which had dropped from
automobiles.
There is certainly nothing strange
about the fact that her shoes and
socks were wet" he stated. "She
was out in one of the hardest rains
of the season when Catoe came
along in his car"
Water marks and bruises on her
back undoubtedly were picked up,
Capt. Keck said, when Catoe trans
ferred the body from his automo-
bile, where the attack and Staying
] had occurred. to the garage behind