Evening star., 1946-11-21
Man Held in Assault
Called Good Suspect
In Erickson Murder

A 27-year- colored man, arrest
ed Monday in connection with re-
cent robbery assault case, is regard
ed as a good suspect" in the two
year-old, unsolved knife Staying Of
Frances N. Erickson. "a, Inspector
Robert j. Barrett, chief of detec-
tives, declared today.
The suspect, charged by police with
assault and robbery, is Charles Scott,
1900 block of Girard street NV. He
appeared before United States Com
missioner Needham C. Turnage to-
day and the preliminary hearing was
set for 1:30 pm. next Wednesday to
permit Scott to get an attorney.
Commissioner Turnage ordered
the suspect remanded to District
Jail without bond.
His alleged victim, a 42-year-old
housewife, was robbed at knife
point Saturday night near her Me-
ridian Hill Park section home, police
said. He then forced her into the
basement of church at Thirteenth
and Fairmont streets NV, where
she was criminally attacked, accord
ing to police reports.
The technique used in the Satur-
day attack is similar to, that in the
Erickson murder, Inspector Barrett
said. He said that Scott, under close
questioning, has admitted robbing
the 42-year-old woman, but that he
steadfastly denies any knowledge OF
the alleged assault.
Denies Erickson Killing.
He also denies any knowledge of
the murder of Miss Erickson. whoI
was slain August 4, 1914, in Rock
Greek Park.
Police said they are attempting
to link the suspect with total of
six knife-point robberies here since
November l.
A knife with an 8-inch blade was
found in his room, investigating de-
tectiveS said, as well as jewelry and
clothing identified by owners as the
loot OF three knife-point robberies
here and in nearby Maryland.
Miss Erickson, an architectural
designer from Barber, Mont, was
stabbed to death under mysterious
circumstances on Sunday morning
as she strolled toward Rock Greek
parkway from Twenty third street
NV. Her screams were heard by
passersby, but when the dying girl
was found in the park, the attacker
mad fled with her pocketbook.
Described Slayer.
Miss Erickson gasped out q
sketchy description of her slayer to
park policeman. She said he was
a "heayy-set colored man about 25
years old" She was noe GRIM
tnally assaulted.
The police investigation of the
Erickson murder reached almost
unprecedented heights of activity
without avail. More than 25O men
were questioned during the investi-
cation of the murder, which Mai
Harvey G. Callahan, then acting
chief of police, termed a personal
challenge to every policeman.
When Beatrice Harding. 30, of
260l Sixteenth street NV, reported
to police a colored man robbed her
last November of $50 at the point
of knife at Fifteenth and Euclid
street NV, Inspector Barrett said
he assembled special detail to
apprehend the bandit.
Confesses to Robberies.
A series of robberies followed.
Scott. according to police, has con-
fessed lobbing Miss Harding and
Charles Williams, SO, of 1850 Fair
mont street NV. November IL.
The suspect was arrested Monday
night by three members of the spe-
cial detective detail, Otto Fuss. I,
Ernest H. Winters and Herbert
Young. The trio were cruising the
Meridian Hill section when they
picked up two colored men, one of
them Scott, in a doorway in the
2800 block of Fourteenth street NV
The other man was cleared of any
suspicion.
Scott, however, was identified in
a police lineup yesterday by the AZ
year-old woman as the man who
assaulted and robbed her, police
said. The suspect, in admitting the
robbery while denying the assault
said he had an accomplice and
declared the confederate must have
attacked the woman.
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