Evening star., 1941-08-29
Officials Act Quickly to Prosecute
Confessed Killer of Seven Women
Umbrella Believed
Used by Strieff
Girl Is Located
(Other Pictures on Page BIZ


fessed seven murders. including
those of Miss Jessie Elizabeth
Strieff and Mrs. Rose Abramowitz,
and as many criminal assaults on
Washington women in the last two
years.
Informed of the confessions while
on vacation in Maine. District At
torney Edward Curran today in
structed his Office to prepare the
case for submission to the grand
jury as soon as police complete their
investigation.
Jarvis Roosevelt Catoe, SO, for
mer undertaker'S assistant and po-
lice informer with a record for as
Sault ofenses, made written con-
fession to the garroting of Miss
Strieff, %, pretty War Department
clerk, and an oral admission to the
strangling of Mrs. Abramowitz, %,
bride Of few weeks.
Evidence Backs Confession.
Moving swiftly, homicide squad
detectives, led by Acting Police Supt.
Edward Kelly. obtained evidence
to back the confession in the Strict
and AbramowitZ cases and in the
murder August 4 of young white
waitress in New York City. The
waitress wrist watch, pawned in
New York, led to the arrest OF Catoe
here yesterday morning.
Catoe led detectives early today
to the garage in the 1900 block of S
street NV. where he stripped,
strangled and assaulted the Strict
girl on June Is, and later recon-
structed the murder on March 8 OF
Mrs. Abramowitz in her home al
1901 Sixteenth street NV.
Detectives said this afternoon
Catoe showed a perfect knowledge
of the apartment. the arrangement
of the furniture. the position of the
body and the places where he left
the young woman's shoes anc
underclothing,
Catoe's other victims. police said
were four colored women assaulted
and killed in Washington. He also
was identified by colored women in
seven criminal assault and attempt
ed assault cases.
Umbrella Recovered.
Catoe led the detectives this
morning to white umbrella which
he said. Miss Strieff carried on the
rainy Sunday afternoon she hailed
his car, believing it was a cab. He
had given the umbrella TO a colored
woman in the 1900 block of Swami
street NV, along with vanity
case said to have been stolen from
his New York victim, hat taken
from a colored woman, and a second
umbrella taken from another colored
victim.
Miss Strieff had borrowed the UNI
brella from a young friend, Miss
Betty Stribling, Federal employe
Detectives expected Miss Stribling to
view the umbrella later today in an
attempt to identify it.
Catoe's confession in the Strieff
murder was turned over TO the dis
trict attorneys Office. Mr.. Curran
told members of his staff to seek
an indictment and trial at the earli-
est possible time.
Statement Outlined.
Aside from Acting Supt. Kelly
those participating in the quiz o.
Catoe included Homicide Squac
Chief jeremiah Flaherty and Detec.
tive Sergts. John Wise, Aubrey
Tolson, Richard Felber and Horace
CaranSa
Catoe's statements regarding tn,
Strief case were outlined as follow.
by Acting Supt. Kelly:
He was driving down Nineteenth
street that Sunday afternoon (June
l5) on the way to see his girl friend
He had almost reached Florida ave.
nue. when a rain storm broke. He
saw girl walking down the east
sidewalk on Nineteenth street. She
was getting wet.
He was wearing a black chauf.
feur's cap. The gairl raised hel
hand to him and called out. Wher
he stopped and opened the front
door the girl drew back.
II thought you we're driving q
csb," she said.
That's all right, lady," he replied
I'll take you where you're going"
The girl got into the front seat
She said she was looking for a deli
oatessen to buy some butter. He
told her he would take her to del
icatessen. He drove to Florida and
Connecticut avenues and made a
q turn. returning along Florida ave-
nne. They passed a delicatessen
bit it was closed. He said:
Maybe we can find a store on
2 ,urteenth street."
Turned Into Alley.
He turned, however. into an alley
b tween Fifteenth, Sixteenth, S and
T streets. When the girl realized
the car was going into an alley she
cried:
What are you going in there for?'
That's all right, lady," he replied
The girl tried to leap from the car
but he restrained her. He ther
turned into an open garage behinc
s street and again the girl tried tt
leap from the car.
He was questioned about the
bruise on the girls lips. He sale
that must have happened when HI
grabbed her and she hit her fac'
against the steering wheel in th'
struggle.
His victim, Catoe said. put ur
a good fight" beating him in the
face with her fists. He obtained
a belt from her play suit, he stated
and pulled 1t tighter and tighter
about the girls throat. He ther
stripped of her clothing and raw
ished her. 1t was indicated he al
first planned to leave the body or
the scene, but drove away after
placing 1t In the tonneau when he
heard an automobile approaching
He said he had been to the garage
before, having washed an automo-
bile for the man who rented 1t.
He said he then undressed the gir'
H. L. ~