Evening star., 1950-07-01
Friend Of Buns
Held in Daylight
Staying on Mall
FIophouse Manager
Killed With Ball Bot as
Crowds Pass Nearby

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The victim was identified by
police as Raymond Earl Lewis. 35,
who worked at the now-closed
American House in the 400 block
of Ninth street NV.
Held for the grand jury was
Charlie Herbert (Three Fingers
Brown, SIS, of the 400 block of
Sixth street NV.
MIR. Lewis was dubbed to death
yesterday as he dozed on the grass
on the Mall between Seventh and
Ninth streets NV. Although
the scene of the fatal beating
was only $50 feet from Constitu-
tion avenue, police were unable to
find a single witness.
Laborer Finds Body.
At that time of day-shortly
after 3 p.m.-tourists flowed i'll
and out of the nearby Smith
sonian Institution and the Mail
highways were spotted with
automobiles. But it remained
for a park laborer to find the
body and call police.
Capt. jeremiah Flaherty of the
homicide squad said Brown signed
a written confession. In this con-
fession and at his arraignment,
Brown said of Mr.. Lewis and an
other man he identified only as
Mr.. Lewis "pal":
They've messed up lot of
good fellows on Ninth street.
They're no good. They get these
men, take all their money and
throw them out in the wilder
ness of Ninth street without a.
cent. They're the kind of people
who deserve what I did"
Beaten on Face.
Sergt. John H. Compton of the
Park Police gave this story of his
investigation of the Staying:
Called by James Stoddard, COL
ored. a park laborer of the 140O
block of Twelfth street NV,
Sergt. Compton found Mr.. Lewis
lying on his back, his face
smashed and his teeth knocked
down his throat.
Mr.. Stoddard told him that
some time before he found Mr..
Lewis body, he had heard man
with three fingers muttering that
he was going to get baseball bat
and eliminate somebody.
Then Sergt Compton went over
to a group of women standing
some 300 feet away to find out if
they knew anything. They told
him they had noticed man
'1prodding" another man, but they
didn't venture closer because they
thought the men would "get ia
miliar" with them.
Bat Left With Baby.
: One of the women had 16-
month-old baby. Beside the baby
Sergt:: Compton found the bat.
The child's mother told him a
man had given the baby the bat
but she wouldn't let the child play
with it because it was bloody.
Then Sergt. Compton spotted
Brown and another man about
300 feet away. Going up to ques-
ton the pair, Sergt. Compton no
ticed that Brown had only three
fingers. After that Mr.. Stoddard
said that was the man he had
heard muttering about ball bat.
Sergt. Compton said Brown i'm
mediately started to brag about
what he had done.
Sergt. Compton said Brown
boasted of being able to get big
Reds"-Mr. Lewis-although he
was a little man himself.
Brown, according to Sergt.
Compton, said he noticed Mr..
Lewis come into the Mall and lie
down to take a nap. Brown said
he told his friend that was the
man he had been looking for and
he wanted to find a plank so he
could beat him up.
Bought Bat for 40 Cents.
Reinforced with "Sneaky Pete"
Brown walked to a sports store
four blocks away and bought a
heavy softball bat for 40 cents.
Sergt. Compton said.
Brown, according to police,
said he came back with his bat,
shook Mr.. Lewis until he woke
and sat up and then told him:
you've messed up a lot of good
fellows on Ninth street but you'll
never get another one. I'd like
to get your buddy and do the same
thing to him that I'm going to do
to you"
At his arraignment, three houSs
later, Brown said he had per-
sonal motive for the Staying, too.
He said that while he was in
Occoquan workhouse last Decem-
ber, the $50 compensation check
which he gets from the Veterans
Administration as a disabled vet
eran of World War I arrived at
the Gospel Mission.
Brother Got Check.
Brown said his brother picked
up the check and tried to cash it
at the f1ophouse where Mr.. Lewis
worked. The brother, he said, got
no money but left the check, took
six fifths of wine and spent the
night.
Next morning, he said the
brother was thrown out with 20
cents. Brown said when he got
out Of Occoquan, where he spent
a month on a drunk charge, he
traced the check and found it
Endorsed with his name and that
Of Mr.. Lewis pal"
Mrs. Annie Blum, from whom