Evening star., 1944-09-25
Police andFbI
Widow Staying
Cofe Man Questioned
After Body Is Found
In Pento9on Lagoon

The Staying of Mrs. Margaret
Fitzwater, 53-year-old widow
whose nude and mutilated body
was found floating in the Penta-
gon lagoon yesterday, remained
a mystery today as police and
the Federal Bureau Of Investi-
cation worked to turn up a clue
to the killers identity.
Held by the FBI for further oues.
tioning, but not charged with any
thing, was Gardner Pop" Holmes,
66, restaurant worker who lives
on makeshift houseboat in the
lagoon and who discovered the Wom-
ans body floating face down in the
water.
The body was found Is feet from
Holmes houseboat. Clothes, identi-
fled as belonging to the murdered
woman, were found strewn along
the shore of the lagoon
The victim was employed as
housekeeper in rooming house at
3l2 H street NV, operated by AL
bert Anderson, retired Navy Yard
worker Mr.. Anderson told police
she has been a widow for II years
and has son. Chester, who is with
the Army in England
Throat Was Slashed.
DR.. Richard Rosenberg, deputy
coroner, who performed an autopsy,
said death was caused by a 5-inch
cash in Mrs. FitzWater's throat,
The murder weapon has not been
found, police said. The woman's
nose also had been broken and there
were numerous bruises on her face,
indicating She had been beaten
severely in a struggle DR.. Rosen-
berg said. She was dead before be-
ing tossed into the lagoon, he added.
Holmes told police and the FBl
that he had finished work at the
Tom Thumb Restaurant, lilo p
street SW.. at about 1890 pm Sat-
uroay and stopped in town for a few
beers. He then went to his house,
boat and drank some whisky. he
told police. He retired before mid
night at which hour he was
awakened by woman's screams.
Getting out OF bed. he listened but
the screams were not repeated, he
said.
Holmes told police he took another
drink and went back to bed Yes
terday morning, as he was leaving
! the houseboat, he saw the body
| floating in the water and notified
Park Police by telephone. He then
walked to the Park Police station
and related in further detail what
he had seen.
/, Police who returned to the scene
with Holmes said they found what
appeared to be blood stains on the
raft OF the houseboat. No explana-
ton of these stains has been an
!. nounced by either police or the FBI.
A spokesman for the FBI said the
dead woman had been criminally
assaulted before her throat was cut.
Near Memorial Highway.
/ The place where the body was
found, known as the Pentagon La
COON, is part of Little River, tribu-
} tary of the Potomac. on Federal
property, though in Virginia The
spot where Mrs. Fitzwater's clothes
were found is only a few yards from
the Mount Vernon Memorial High
way and the Fourteenth street High
way Bridge.
Also questioned by police and the
FBI was Mrs Eva York. 483 F street
S.W., a friend of Mrs. Fitzwater. It
was at first thought that the dead
woman might have been with her
Saturday night.
The last person. as far as is
known, to see Mrs FitzWater alive
was Miss Martha Phibbs. 1899 B
street Sc. who is engaged to marry
( Mrs. FitzwateT's son Chester Mrs.
Fitzwater called at Miss Phibbs'
home Saturday night to inquire if
she had had letter from her SOL
dier son.
Miss Phibbs said she told Mrs.
Fltzwater that she had recently re-
ceived letter from Chester in
England, relating that he was in
good health, and Mrs Fitzwater left,
saying that she was going to meet
a friend. 1t was because of this that
Mrs, York was questioned. but she
said she had not seen Mrs. Fitz-
water that night.
Mr.. Anderson. for whom Mrs.
Fitzwater had kept house for the
last five years, said she had but 35
cents in her purse when she left the
H street rooming house Saturday
night and on this information
police eliminated robbery as
motive.
i The FBI said that Holmes, who is
still in custody, will be questioned
further today. Mrs. York has been
released.