Evening star., 1947-09-22
Wife Is Accused
In Ax-Murder
0fUnion Agent
Mrs. Harris Arrest
In RuiI Station Ends
5-Month Investigation

Mrs. Minnie Harris, 81. was in Dis
trict Jail today charged with the ak
murder of her husband, James E.
Harris, colored union official. Her
arrest Yesterday in Union Station
climaxed a flve-month investiga-
ton.
Mrs. Harris was apprehended as
she stepped from the train which
had brought her here from Atlantic
City early yesterday. Police can
now devote full attention to the two
major unsolved murders on their
hst-last weeks pistol Staying of
Mrs. Adele Gentry johnson and the
clueless knife murder of James An
thony Kemp, last September.
Mrs. Harris, who was arraigned
Immediately on a charge of murder
ing her 40-year-old husband, had
been under police surveillance since
the union officials death last April
2S in his home at 1920 Thirteenth
street NV. Homicide Squad 1t.
jeremiah Flaherty said his men had
been helped by police of Atlantic
City. N. j., and Winnsboro, S. C.
Shortly after Detective sergts.
George Cook and E. E. Scott arrest
ed Mrs. Harris ION the basis of new
evidence" she was arraigned before
United States Commissioner Need
ham c. Turnage. She was ordered
held without bond on the first de-
gree murder charge for action of
the grand jury and taken to District
Jail.
1t. Flaherty refused to reveal the
nature of the new evidence" until
1t has been presented to the grand
jury.
Mr.. Harris was found hacked to
death in his bed at a time when
the union for which he was business
agent the CIO Cafeteria and
Restaurant Workers Local here-was
involved in strike at O'Donnell's
Restaurants in the 1900 block of E
street NV. Mr.. Harris had spent
the night before on the picket lines
where violence had brought police
several times during the course of
the walkout.
Police were unable to find the
murder weapon although the Harris
family was known to possess an ak.
Mr.. Harris bedroom window was
open but had not been forced,
police said, and blood stained
papers were found in the basement.
Mr.. Harris said she had CONT to
a cleaning shop and returned to
find her husband dead Witnesses
at the inquest recited long list Of
domestic troubles between the Har-
rises. Coroner's jury, however, did
not hold Mrs Harris.
Police appeared to be up against
q stone wall in their search for sus-
poets in the fatal shooting of Mrs.
johnson, g., in the cellar doorway
OF her rooming house at 1928 New
Hampshire avenue NV. Thursday
night. Mrs. johnson, pistol in hand,
had challenged prowler in her
rear yard when she was shot. Al
! though nortally wounded, Mrs.
johnson fired twice at her assailant,
but police believe she missed.
Police have only a sketchy de-
scription of a colored man seen
running from the scene. Their only
clue is a bullet taken from Mrs.
Johnson's body at the autopsy. The
caliber has not been disclosed.
Mr.. Kemp, 24-year -old former
Navy man and father of two was
stabbed to death by an unknown as
sailant at about l am. September /,
1916, in the street less than a block
from his home at 1886 Thirty seventh
place Sc. He had spent the evening
in a tavern on Pennsylvania avenue
Sc. police said, but apparently left
for home alone.
The murderer never was caught,
and no motive was discovered, but
AZ Inch knife used In the Staying
was found in nearby sewer.