Evening star., 1948-11-08
Ho|tzoff Acquits
0nePoIicenlan
Cafe SHOOTING
Edmonson Stands Trial
After Judge Orders
Freeing Of HoIifieId

A directed verdict today cleared
one former policeman in the wound
ing of Dorothy Kilmer, but the trial
of the second got under way today
in the shooting the 20-year-oid
night club employe on July 20. +
Blond and pretty Miss Kilmer,
20, was hopelessly crippled when
the bullet struck her spine. She is
expected to be a witness for the
government.
The two former policemen, Ro-
land H. Holifield, 26, of the 1000
block of Ely place Sc, and Wayne
w. Edmondson, %, of the 1900 block
of Shannon place Sc, went to trial
this morning charged with assault
with deadly weapon.
Shortly after the trial opened,
Judge Alexander Holtzoff directed
that Holif1eld be acquitted of the
assault charge and that he be tried
separately on charge of failing to
arrest Edmondson after the shoot
ing. The action came on a motion
by Assistant District Attorney Will
liam Hitz.
Club Manager Testifies.
George Stott, manager of the
Palm Grove club, 1901 Fourteenth
Street NV, told the jury Miss Kill
mer hid behind his back when Ed
mondson first pointed the gun and
said: please put that away. I'm
scared of those things"
Edfnondson, Mr.. Stott said, kept
pointing the revolver and chanting,
"eeney, meeney. miney, mo-" until
the girl said: I'm not afraid, I'm
going back to my table"
AS she stepped from behind him,
Mr.. Stott testified, Edmondson
pulled back the hammer of the
gun with his thumb.
His thumb seemed to slip and
there was a FASH" Mr.. Stott said.
Dorothy fell to the floor and both
men took off"
Mr.. Stott said Edmondson did not
approach the girl to find out how
badly she was hurt. -
In his opening statement, Mr..
Hitz said the Government would
prove that Miss Kilmer went to
the club about 2 am. to meet her
fiance, Corp. Clinton Nicholson of
the Marine Corps. Edmondson and
Holif1eld, both off duty, entered the
club at about the same time with
a bottle OF whisky they had bought
from q bootlegger, he said.
BootIegger Outside Club.
Later the club manager reported
that . bootlegger was selling whisky
outside the club and the two rookie
officers went out, took the man
into custody and turned him over
to scout car patrolmen.
When they returned to the club.
Mr.. Hitz related, both men had
guns in their hands and Edmonson
pointed service revolver, which
he had borrowed from Holifeld, at
Miss Kilmer and George Stott,
manager of the club, chanting,
"Eeney. meeney, miney, moe, I
don't know which one of YOU I'll
shoot" The gun went of and Miss
Kilmer fell to the floor with a
bullet below her left breast. Later
it was found that the bullet had
severed her spine, and physicians
have told her she will never walk
again.
Mr.. Hitz told the Jurors Miss
Kilmer would testify she believes
the shooting was accidental. The
Government will not content, Hitz
said, that Edmondson shot the
young woman deliberately, but it
will try to show that the shooting
was "the result of negligence and
carelessness' and will demand the
former policeman's conviction on
those grounds.
Lawyer Calls Death Accident.
Defense Attorney Charles Ford, in
a one-sentence opening statement to
the jury, said:
The defense will show that the
shooting Of the young woman was
purely tragic accident and that
the defendant committed no crime"
Mr.. Ford battled unsuccessfully to
obtain an all-male jury. He ex-
hausted his quota of challenges, but.
as finally constituted, the jury COM
prised nine men and three women.
-Four men asked to be excused be-
cause they already had formed strong
views as to the guilt of the defend
ants which, they said, could not be
changed by any evidence they heard
at the trial.
Holifled and Edmondson were dis
missed from the police force shortly
after the shooting.
Miss Kilmer is a patient at the
Washington Sanitarium.