Evening star., 1943-09-02
Morton Is Held
For Grand JurI
In Murder Cask
High School Youth
Testifies He Saw
Suspect in Park |

Steadfastly maintaining his inno-
cence, John Walter Morton, 39Syes.
terday was held to the grand jury
In the death of Mrs. Grace Gfaibbs
Groome. 81, after a coroner's kjury
had heard nine witnesses, inclSding
two new ones, add their Testimony
to the circumstantial evidence ron-
fronting the accused man.
Morton is suspected of betting
Mrs. Groome to death in Rock Aeek
Park Saturday night.
The most damaging testimony
heard yesterday came from q l5-
year-old high school boy, Charfes n.
de levallos, who told of seeing Nor
ton in Rock Creek Park near the
scene OF the crime after dusk Satur-
day. He said the man appeared to
be drunk and that his shirt was
blood-stained.
Identified by Waitress.
Police also produced waitress,
Kitty Smith, who told of seeing
Morton and the dead woman
together in an upper-Fourteenth
street restaurant the afternoon of
Mrs. Groome's death. She testified
that they left the place together.
Other witnesses heard included
T. c. Hutchinson, 30-year-old bus
driver, who told of exchanging
glares with the suspect whena the
latter appeared in bloody clothing
in restaurant in the 1400 block Of
Park road NV. Saturday night and
Miss Minette Sherman, who identi-
fled Morton as the man wearing
bloodstained clothing who boarded
Connecticut avenue bus near the
park Saturday night.
Taxing the stand in his own de-
fense after conference with his
attorney, Morton denied being in
the park with Mrs. Groome the
night of the crime and also refuted
the testimony of Detective Sergt.
Robert Murray that he told the
officer he had struck the dead
woman during an argument about
Morton's money. He declared he
mad not been on a bus or streetcar
IN Washington in month.
Explains Blood on Shirt.
Morton, responding to the cross
examining of Assistant District At
torney John Fihelly. said his shirt
was bloodied in fist-fight with a
man who attempted to pick his
pocket in the 140O block of Newton
street NV. He described the mans
appearance as sort of Latin" and
said he fled after knocking Morton
to the pavement. The latter said
he was going to visit a friend when
the incident occurred.
r Asked to retrace his steps after
parting company with Mrs. Groome
at the restaurant, the defendant had
only a hazy recollection of going
some place" to get something to eat.
He could mot gtEe the at1lafess of the
place, hF touIfhe narne friends
or aeautanees who nst have
seen him there.
Morton admitted purchasing a
pifK nisk Wand sl1arfii lit with
Mrs.< <froonne He said tla8y drank
some of the liquor In an alley of
Fourteenth street and that he gave
her the bottle and left.
Met Woman In February.
Morton, speaking in low. mod
crate voice, described his first meet
ing with Mrs. Groome last February
and declared he had not seen her
regularly since then. He denied
knowing her home address but said
he had an idea she lived on Co.
lumbia road"
The suspect denied any knowledge
of Mrs. Groome's death until his
arrest, although Mr.. Murray testi-
fed to finding newspapers carrying
stories about the crime in Morton's
room
Funeral arrangements for the
dead woman have not been COM
pleted. The funeral home where
the body will be removed said it had
not yet been released by the cor
oner.