The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-10-25
Is Washington Safe For Women?
Stirred by Three Murders in Two Months, CopitoI
 Studies Protective Measures for Girl Wor Workers
By MARTHA STEAMER NEA Correspondent

NEA COfFeSponuomt
 washington, Oct. .--Three mur- ders in two months have given this wartime capital case of jittefs and raised an issue hotter than war or politics: Is Washington Q safe or unsafe place for women and young girlsp
 Mrs. Roosevelt, Q congress- man, Washington's police chief, social workers and ministers have taken sides, all with the same oh- iective--to protect women = but not agreeing how 1t shall or can be done.
 Mrs. Roosevelt and Rep. F. Ed- ward Hehert O., La) think par- ents should prepare their daugh- ters to protect themselves by tell. ing them about evil as well As good. Police Chief Edward J. Kelly veteran crime investigator, believes washington is safe for women who take average precau- tions for their own safety. Execu. tive secretaries Ray Everett and James A. Nolan of Community Chest supported social work ore ganizations think girl war work CTS under 20 should be sent home. Ministers argue In behalf or wider church influence.
 MURDERS ROUSE CITY
 Last of the three murders brought the issue to climax when tiny, child-like 18-year-old Dorothy Berrum, 500 Railroad conductors daughter and l944 graduate of Mcdonnell Memorial Catholic high school, Chippewa Falls, Wisc, who came to wash. ington in July as Q clerk-typist for the War Department, was raped and found strangled under a weeping willow tree in on un- lighted Washington park.
 Evidence ct the inquest showed she had been picked up by Q young marine on Q down. town Washington street about 9:S0 o'clock on the night of Oc: tober 5. A taxi-driver identified her body as that of Q tiny girl ne had driven with marine to the dark and lonely spot where she was found dead next morning. Pfc, Earl Mcfarland, 2l, handsome young Guadalcanal veteran, mar ried and with Q juvenile crime record, was held for the killing.
 Victims of two other murders in two months were Mrs. Margaret Fitzwater, housekeeper. e3, whose nude body was found floating on Q decorative lagoon near War Depart. ment's great Pentagon building. and handsome Frances Erickson, 3o, mid- west architect, who was stabbed to death.
 NEVER WALK ALONE
 d.men moved In on the Fitz. water case, because of Federal Jurisdiction, and Gardner Holmes, 06, who lived in e shantysboat and found the nude body floating near his anchorage, was charged with that murder,
 Frances ErlckSons slayer hasn't been caught. She took Q Sunday morning walk alone In park, was stabbed by Negro who stole her purse, and gasped his deScrip. ton before she died. Her murder shocked the city-whlch, however, blamed it on her newnesS here. She didn't know Washington women never walk alone In parks, even m broad daylight, because of past Tapes and murders.
 opinion remained divided on the issue of safety or danger for women here. Washington after dark is crowded with service men and girls, pick.ups are common- place,
 The city Is jampacked. Nearly 10000 girls and young women live in dormitories and barracks, With some supervision for those out Of uniform, but not too much; the- ory being they won't stand wet nursing.
 Police Chief Kelly believes girls and young women are aS safe in Washington as any other city. if they take care about strangers and avoid out of the way spots. The War Department says 1t has had proportionately no more "in. cidents" than the average girls college. The Civil Service Com. mission wants to know why teen age girls should be sent home from Washington war ofiices, when their teen age brothers and boy friends are fighting out there on many fronts.
 But the three murders in two months have shocked Washington into steps for better protection in thousands of park acres: more poe lice, lights on after the Pearl Harbor blackout additional as. signments on Navy shore patrol and military police, and 0 bill to be introduced in Congress by MT. Hebert, which would merge now separate city and park police | forces