Evening star., 1946-01-25
Coast Guard Officer
Says Other Woman
WAS 'Troub|emaker'

The case of Sarah Kathleen Ellis
IS, "other woman" in the life ot
Coast Guard 1t. Comdr. John r
Harris, was continued until February
l by Municipal Court Judge Ellen K
Raedy today because the officer.
wife and her daughter by a previous
Neutrality-suspicious. of the defendants
admitted pistol ana lce-pick attack
yesterday-were still under treat
ment for their wounds.
Miss Ellis appeared briefly In
court this morning with her attor-
ney, James K. Hughes, to answer q
charge of assault with intent to kill
She showed no emotion and said
nothing. Miss Ellis, clad in black,
lodged photographers and covered
her face whenever a cameraman
came near.
Meanwhile, she will remain free
on $4,000 bond.
Victims in Good Condition.
The victims, Mrs. Naomi Harris,
Al, and Frieda McDade, IA, were
reported in good condition today
and police said they spent a
quiet night.
Comdr. Harris came to Washing
ton last night from his ship, which
is in drydock in New York.
AS he assisted in placing his wife
in an ambulance for transfer to a
Baltimore hospital today, he denied
vigorously he ever had been married
to Miss Ellis or that he knew of the
issuance of a marriage license.
The graying Coast Guard officer,
who appeared to be between As and
so years of age, characterized Miss
Ellis as "troublemaker" and said
he had attempted to discourage her
attentions continuously. When told
police had quoted Miss Ellis as say
ing she had introduced Comdr. Har-
ris to his present wife, he declared /:
THAT is not true. I knew Naomi
long before I knew Miss Ellis"
Two Sons by Former Marriage.
He explained he met Mrs. Harris
in 1910 and did not become ac-
quainted with Miss Ellis until 1912.
Comdr. Harris said he knew Miss
Ellis had been living here under his
name, but there was nothing
could do about it.''
He said he was divorced from his
first wife, Margaret Wayland Harris,
in 1887 in Seattle, Wash, and that
two sons by that marriage, 18 and 20
years of age, now are serving in the
Coast Guard.
Comdr. Harris said Mrs. Harris
daughter would remain in Casualty
Hospital in order that she could re-
sumo her school work promptly
when released.
Miss Ellis, who carried strange
arsenal of weapons, ranging from a
.32-caliber pistol to ice picks anc
hacksaws, when police arrested her
on the scene of the attack yester-
day morning, spent the night at her
home in the 5000 block Of Fourth
street NV.
Friend Looks After Boy.
An unidentified woman friend
spent the evening with Miss Ellis
in the small two-room apartment
while reporters vainly attempted to
interview the woman. Her 90
month-old son Robert was cared
for by a friend.
When police took Miss Ellis In
custody shortly after Mrs. Harris
was shot through the right shoulder
and Miss McDade was stabbed In
the back with an icepick, the ac-
cused woman carried a valise con-
tanning icepicks, a meat cleayer, a
meat tenderizer, a meat chopper. a
hacksaw and a large quantity OF
gauze. Police said she also carried
an icepick and a revolver in her
coat.
Miss Ellis told police she took the
weapons to the Harris home in an
effort to brighten Naomi into
giving him (Comdr. Harris) up."
She faces maximum penalties of Is
years in prison on each charge il
Il =