Evening star., 1941-08-30

Ira Keck how many women he had
choked. At that time Catoe made
an allusiop to Job on a Ninth
street parking lot" He didn't give
the name of the victim, or the time,
and said he couldn't be sure if she
died after he choked her.
Catoe, it was said at headquarters,
has implicated himself in still an
other murder committed here in
1885. Details of the latter crime
were not revealed. In addition to
the Kidvell case, Catoe is said also
to have confessed assaulting and
choking to death Ada Puller. 81, COL
ored, of the 1400 block of Corcoran
street NV. whose body was found
in basement bathroom January %.
Scenes of Grimes Visited.
Detectives took Catoe to the
scene of his crime this afternoon
in an effort to have him recon-
struct the murder.
Earlier in the day Catoe was
taken to places where, police say,
he assaulted three colored women
and attempted to strangle them.
All of the women escaped with
their lives.
The prisoner, according to de-
tectives, showed them a house in
the 100 block of T street NV.
where he assaulted a 64-year-old
colored woman about a year ago.
He also led them to a house in the
first block of r street NV, it was
said, which police asserted was the
scene OF an assault on a 63-year-
old colored woman last November
In the 2100 block of Ward place
NV. he showed them a house, de-
tectives said where he assaulted a
65-year-old colored woman last Sep
tember.
Something Else" on Mind.
Capt. Keck is. convinced Catoe
still has something on his mind, d"
and additional confessions are ex-
pected.
Capt. Keck and a SQUAD of homi-
eide squad men have been seeking
clue to the Strieff Staying since
he became acting chief of the De-
tective Bureau Immediately after
the girls body was found.
Ironically, the first break" in
the battling case came with the
arrest of Catoe a few hours before
Capt. Keck was replaced as head of
the bureau by Inspector Richard
Mansfield, who was promoted to the
post from captaincy at No. 8
precinct.
Public uneasiness and congress
sional criticism of the failure of
detectives to solve the Strieff and
Abramovitz murders resulted in an
investigation and a shake-up in the
force. The newly appointed acting
head of the department, Asst. Supt.
Edward Kelly, however, was en-
thuslast1c in his praise of Capt.
keck and other detectives who
finally broke the case although
under fire from several quarters.
From Capitol Hill yesterday came
criticism of the investigators for
not solving the murders sooner.
Senator Herring of Iowa pointed
out that the solution came only
with the aid of New York detec-
tives. At the same time Repre-
sentative Hebert of Louisiana, who
was responsible for the congress
sional investigation, expressed the
view that Washington is entering
upon an era of law enforcement"
under leadership of Commissioner
John Russell Young and Mr.. Kelly.
Umbrella Identified.
Detectives have uncovered con-
siderable circumstantial evidence to
corroborate Catoe's confessions. The
principal clue is a white, trans
parent umbrella carried by Miss
Strief when she left her Nineteenth
street apartment in a rainstorm to
buy stick of butter for the pastry
she was baking for her fiance.
Miss Strict had borrowed the
umbrella from a young friend,
Betty Stribling, a Government en-
ploye. Catoe told police he hid the
umbrella in the garage where he
killed the girl. He returned several
days ago got the umbrella and gave
it to colored woman. Police
recovered the umbrella and other of
Catoe's gifts from the woman early
yesterday. During the afternoon
Miss Stribling went to headquarters
and positively identified the UNI
brella.
Catoe, it was said, gave the wom-
an a vanity case taken from Mrs.
Anderson, a second umbrella taken
from a colored woman killed here,
and a hat taken from another col
ored victim. Police recovered this
evidence, along with several pairs
OF womens shoes as yet unidenti-
fed.
Believe Girl Pulled Into Car.
Detectives expressed doubt last
night that Miss Strieff voluntarily
got into Catoe's car. as he says in
his statement.
They believe she was dragged into
the sedan after she had hailed
Catoe in the rain, believing he was
hacker.
Both Miss Strieff and Mrs.
Abramowitz apparently were misled
by the chauffeur's cap Catoe wore.
Mrs. Abramowitz, evidently taking
Catoe for an employe Of the build
ing, asked him if he knew the