Evening star., 1943-01-15
Cafoe EIecfrocuted
For Assau|t-Murder
Old. T.. Woman
Mrs. Abromowitz's SLAYER
Dies in Electric Choir
At District Jail

Continued From First Page.)
he spent in Jail. This morning
Catoe asked the pastor to pray with
him.
And then he spent severa
minutes in a very fervent prayer
yes, very fervent indeed-in hi.
CELL" Mr.. Pinn said.
At 10 am. five newspapermer
who were the official witnesses were
taken to the execution room on the
top floor of the Jail annex. The
witnesses were separated from the
room In which the electric chail
stood by panels of 'one-way" glass
They could see the domed man, but
he could not see out.
Sang With Clergyman.
Catoe came into the death cham
ber at the side of Mr.. Pinn. They
were singing together the hymn
Precious Lord, Take My Hand and
Lead Me On" Catoe waved to Mr.
Green and said good morning
and then went on singing as he took
his place in the death chair.
Catoe's crime career began in Feb
ruary, 1910, when he criminally at
tackled Mrs. Elizabeth Berry, 64. COL
ored, at 1772 T street NV. During
the following months he repeated
this crime with regularity, picking
colored women as victims.
On September 81, 1910, he attacked
Lucy Kidwell, 56, colored, and stran-
eled her-his first murder.
On the morning of March 8, 1941,
Catoe was walking along T street,
near Sixteenth street NV, on his
way to work. In an apartment
house. at Sixteenth and T streets
NV. lived Mrs. Abramowitz, bride
of a month.
Her husband, Barney Abramowitz,
was at work. Mrs. Abramowitz had
been trying to find some one to wax
the floors in the apartment. She
stepped outside the door Of the
apartment building just as Catoe
came along. She stopped him and
asked him if he would do the work
for her. Catoe accompanied her
inside and when her back was
turned seized her by the throat. He
choked her to death and assaulted
her. Her husband found the body
when he returned from work.
Husband Gives Clew.
Police found no cleWs to the
crime, but from Mr. Abramowitz
picked up bit of information
which later was to clinch the case
against Catoe.
Mr.. Abramowitz told them a $40
bill had been taken from her pocket
book. The police said nothing about
this at the time.
Catoe struck again on the rainy
Sunday afternoon of June Is, l94l.
On that day pretty Jessie Strieff,
23. left her apartment at 2ll0
Nineteenth street NV. to go to a
grocery. She walked out in thun-
der shower and began to look for
g taxi.
Catoe was driving by and Miss
Strieff waved at his car, mlstaklng |
1t for a cab. When she discovered |
her error, she started to get out but |
Catoe offered to drive her to the
store. She accepted.
Instead, he drove her to an alley
In the rear of the 1900 block OF S
street NV, where he attacked and
killed her. He left her umbrella IN
the garage-a factor which was
later to prove important in linking
him to this crime.
He left her body In garage be-
hind TIT @ street NV. where it
was discovered the following morn
ing by maid.
New York Woman Slain.
On August 4, 194l, Catoe, in New
York City on visit, lured Mrs.
Anderson into his automobile, After
strangling and attacking her he left
her body on a lot in the Bronx. He
took a wrist watch from her and this
led to his arrest.
Mrs. Anderson's husband once had
pawned this watch and there was
record of its serial number. Catoe
gave the watch to a girl friend who
lhGcI UOOh ~ W pawn ClloP. 'iiSAA
the number was reported to police,
an investigation was started which
led to Catoe's arrest here August %.
When police began to question
him, they had no certain idea that
he was connected with the series
of attack-killings here. But he be-
gan to talk freely, and confessed
a.; lyi11irocv hoyn
Later he took police to house after
house to re-enact the crimes. He
told them of the $40 bill he had
taken from Mrs AbramoWitz and
led them to the garage where Miss
Strieff's umbrella had remained un-
noticed during the weeks since her
murder.
Repudiated Confessions.
When he came to trial, Catoe re-
pudiated his detailed confessions OF
six murders. eight criminal attacks
and two attempted attacks. He
claimed police had mistreated him.
The confession of the Abramowitz
murder, however, was read to the
Jury. which rejected his story OF
being mistreated and convicted him.
Catoe behaved erratically during
the trial but during the months he
spent in the Jail he broke down only
once-last week just before he was
to appear at a hearing in connec-
ton with one of the crimes he had
admitted. This was the murder OF
Mrs. Florence Dancy, colored, In
July, 1887. Another man had been
convicted Of this crime and is serv-
ing a life sentence.
Catoe appeared last week in Dis
trict Court in the legal fight OF the
man serving life for the Dancy mur-
der. Catoe listed the woman among
his victims when he confessed to
police in 1941. Since then he has
claimed he had nothing to do with
the case.
Detectives report that the date OF
the crime given them by Catoe does
not agree with the facts.