Evening star., 1947-06-19
Confession Read
To Wilson Jury;
State Rests
Statement Describes
Events Leading to
Grocery Murder

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The Jury trying Floyd p. Wilson
IN the murder and attempted hold
up Of Milton Lowe today heard
Wilson's signed confession that he
knew Lowe was money runner for
. food store which did a cash bust.
ness Of about $40 a week.
The Governments case against
Wilson was completed in District
Court shortly after the confession
Was heard. The last witness was
Inspector John Fowler, ballistics ex-
pert, who testified that the fatal
bullet was fired from a .32-caliber.
nickle-plated revolver, which Wilson
admitted he used In the Staying and
later turned over to police.
Assistant United States ATTORNEY
Cecil Heflin read the signed confess
sion OF the 32-year-old carpenter. a
resident of Riverdale, Md, to the
jury OF nine men and three women.
Wilson, In a formal statement to
Washington homicide squad detec-
tives. told how he went to the big
food store in the 5000 block of Min
nesota avenue NE. on Saturday
night, February 8, to talk over the
possibility of obtaining concession
to sell novelties in the store.
Officer Tells Of Arrest at Home.
Previously, Sergt. Walter D. Perry
OF the homicide squad told of ar
resting Wilson at his home In River
dale, where he lives with his wife
and Ave children Sergt. Perry said
Wilson started talking after a mem
Der of the squad remarked, Yours
pretty hard up for money, aren't
your He said Wilson began to-
sob, and promised to tell the whole
story
Sergt. Perry said loaded revolver
was recovered from Wilson at his
home and the latter admitted this
was the gun he had used to shoot
Mr.. Lowe, who Is survived by his
widow and three young children. A
box of cartridges also was found.
Wilson's statement to police said
he got to the store about 7:30 pm.
and talked to various clerks and
the manager about a possible con-
cession. He said he later ap-
preached Mr.. Lowe, whom he had
not seen before, and during the
conversation Mr.. Lowe informed
him he was money-runner for
the store which took in $4,000 a
week.
Saw Lowe Leave Store.
Wilson said he left the store after
spending considerable time inside
and started up the street. He then
turned back and watched through a
window and saw Mr.. Lowe coming
from the store to enter his automo-
bile.
It previously was testified by the
store manager, James Funk, of 1880
Neal street N. E., that he had turned
over $10. 100 to Mr.. Lowe in sealed
brown wrapping paper packages for
delivery to a branch bank In the
neighborhood.
Wilson's statement said he fol-
lowed Mr.. Lowe from the store to
the latter's automobile, and climbed
into the front seat behind him.
Il got into the car and told him
to keep driving" the Wilson state
ment continued, but instead his
raised his hand and hit at me. The ;
gun went off and 1t scared me so
much / jumped from the car and
ran" The statement said Wilson
then got into his automobile parked
nearby and drove home.
Found Money Intact.
Mr.. Funk testified he later found
the package of money intact on the
rear seat of Mr. loves automobile.
Mr.. Lowe was sl,lmped In the front
seat. He was rushed to Gallinger
Hospital. where he died shortly
thereafter from bullet wound
which entered under the chin. The
bullet severed the spinal cord.
The Governments case against
Wilson was proceeding swiftly today
before Justice Alexander Holtzofr
and probably will be completed this
afternoon.
Mr.. Ford told the jury. in his
opening statement, that Wilson was
unemployed last February, had ex-
hausted his resources and left home
on the night of the shooting with
the gun because he planned to sell
the weapon for $40 to pay for q
ton OF coal.