Evening star., 1944-06-28
Fisher Denies
Fermentation
In Staying
Cathedral Killer
Insists He Acted
On Spur Of Moment
BY JOSEPH YOUNG.

On Spur Of Moment
BY JOSEPH YOUNG.
Withering cross-examination by
Government counsel In District
Court today failed to shake julius
Fishers denial that the Cathedral
library staying Of Miss Catherine
Cooper ReArdon last March was pre.
meditated.
Replying to questions by United
States Attorney Edward V. Curran.
the 31-year-old colored janitor In
sisted he killed Miss Reardon on the
spur Of the moment" because her
screaming done something to me. I
had to stop that noise"
After you slapped her in the
basement stack room, didn't YOU 70
upstairs and stand there deciding
what to dot" demanded Mr.. Curran.
Screams Pushed" Him.
mo. Her screams sort Of pushed
me toward the library fireplace. I
picked up the wood and ran back
downstairs"
How long were you upstairs be-
lore you went down again7"
About minute"
'You bludgeoned herr" Mr.. Cur.
ran asked.
Yes"
you choked herr"
yes"
"You knitted her?"
yes"
"And yet you say you didn't really
intend to kill her?"
mo"
well, you know you didn't do
her any good commented Mr..
Curran.
TT doesn't seem So" Fisher re-
Piled in a low monotone.
Ready for Jury Tomorrow.
Opposing counsel said they ex.
pected the case would 60 to the Jury
tomorrow morning. The defense
announced it would call several
psychiatrists as witnesses.
Before Mr.. Curran started his
cross-examination, Fisher was Al
lowed TO testify concerning his
drinking habits and said he had
been arrested several times for
drunkenness shortly before the slay-
ling.
The Government objected to ad-
mission Of the testimony.
The mild-mannered appearing
defendant, who said he hadn't fin-
ished the third grade in school, yes-
terday told the jury that Miss Rear
don was still alive when he dragRed
her down from the basement stack
room and threw her body into the
steam pipe tunnel pit below.
Stuck Knife in Throat
| "She was still making moaning
noises" Fisher said in q natter
of-fact tone, so / went down there
and stuck knife in her threat to
make her keep quiet"
/ His argument with the assistant
librarian started, Fisher said. short.
y after she came to work that
morning.
i was dlsting books IN the stack.
room when Miss ReardOn came down
stairs and sat down at her desk.s
Fisher said. Then she came over to-
me and asked II had busted UNDER
meath her desk. I said, yes. She
said, 1t doesn't look like it. said.
what are you trying to do, make
trouble for me-
Then she called me q ,ame-a
name no white person ever called
me before. Something rose in my
chest. smacked her. She started
screaming"
During Fishers recital of the
scene, several women members Of
the jury studiously avoided glancing
at the defendant. Eight housewives
and four men comprise the jury.
Fisher next told how he dragged
Miss Reardon down the pit, showed
her into the steam-pipe recess and
stabbed her throat. II tore OF her
panties and went upstairs and wiped
the blood on Of the floor"
verger Testifes.
why did you do that?", asked
Defense Attorney Charles H. Hous-
ton.
II wanted to keep the place clean,"
Fisher answered.
Before the Government rested its
case, James Berkeley, verger at the
Cathedral, returned to the witness
stand to mention briefly that he
was at police headquarters when
Fisher confessed.
Cross-examining the witness, Mr..
Houston asked isn't is true that
when you called Fisher into your
ONCE several days before the slay-
ing and advised him that you had
received some complaints about his
work, you also told him: Don't say
anything about it to Miss Reardon.
She's a little cracked!'"
Il told him that Miss Reardon
was peculiar or odd in some ways"
the witness replied.
haiKRstion;,,0