Evening star., 1948-09-12
Police Question MANY,
Lack Clue in Killing Of
Alexandra Rookie

ing of a rookie policeman who
was shot while making a routine
check of restaurant early yes
terday morning.
The dead man, Pvt. Robert B.
Harris, %, had been member of
the Alexandria police department
only since August %. He apparently
had surprised q prowler.
More than score of persons
were brought into headquarters for
questioning but the police admitted
none had been connected with the
killing. Several still were being
questioned last night.
Area Is Searched.
Despite an all-day search of the
area of the killing which took place
at the rear of the Howard johnson
Restaurant, North Washington and
Montgomery streets, at about 2:45
m, police were unable to find the
bullet which pierced Pvt. Harris
groin and killed him almost in
stantly. No gun was found although
a group of city employees cut weeds
in the adjoining open areas in a
thorough hunt for the weapon and
the bullet.
A teletype alarm put all OF Viz
ginia on the alert for a colored
man in a gray shirt but police ad-
mitted that the description was
vague and that the two persons
who gave it to them were unable
to give details. The description
came from two colored women who
were waiting for bus in the vicinity
and who said they saw a colored
man scale a fence behind the rest
aurant after daylight, several hours
later.
Inspector Russell Hawes told re-
porters one possible reason why
no bullet has been found is that 1t
struck the black jack hanging on
Pvt. Harris belt after passing
through his body and as result
may have shattered. He said there
were so MANY metal fragments in
the area it would be useless to en-
ploy a mine detector or other mag
netic device in an effort to find
the bullet or fragments of it.
Was on Routine Check.
The killing, the first of an Alex
andria policeman since 1885, set the
whole 72-man force, plus the 5-man
detective squad, into action in an
effort to find the man who fired the
shot.
Pvt. Harris and Pvt. George Jor-
dan were conducting routine checks
of property early Saturday when
they separated for a few moments.
Pvt. Harris was checking the How
/ ard johnson property-it had not
been entered-while Pvt. Jordan
was checking a frozen custard stand
across Montgomery street. Both
(see MURDER, Page A-3D
were closed for the night at the
time.
Pvt. Jordan, according to In
spector Hawes, heard loud pistol
report and rushed to the scene.
He found Pvt. Harris lying face
downward. The wounded policeman
was able to say I'm shot before
lapsing into unconsciousness
Had Drawn Pistol.
The policeman had drawn his .38
service revolver and it lay by his
outstretched hand as though he
had been ready to shoot.
He was taken to Alexandria Hos
ipital where he was pronounced dead
a few minutes after he arrived.
The entire Alexandria force was
called into action at once and blood
hounds from the District Depart
ment of Correction at Lorton were
brought to the scene. But neither
the police nor the bloodhounds were
able to pick up the trail. r.
On the strength of the report by
the two colored women, Edna Will
son of Butts Court and Leila Will
son of 912 North Washington street,
a broadcast was put out for the man
in gray shirt. Because of the
heavy dew then on the ground. the
alarm said the man probably would
be wearing wet clothing. He pre-
Sumably had disappeared through
the upderbrush nearby.
Among the suspects taken into
custody was colored janitor, ar