Evening star., 1960-01-13
|nquest Links Brothers
To Staying Of Policeman
Pair Ordered
Held for Action
By Grand Jury

A coroner's jury today found
William and Raymond Coleman
responsible for the fatal shoot
ing Of a Washington policeman
in a liquor store holdup and or
dered them held for action Of
the grand jury.
Raymond, 29, cried during the
one-and-a-half-hour inquest at
the Morgue. His brother. Will
liam, rs, accused of using the
late Pvt. Donald Brereton's gun
to kill the policeman, remained
impassive but sat with his head
bowed almost to the table top.
Both men are charged with
irst-degree murder in the slay-
ing Of the 31-year-old officer.
The grand jury already has
heard a dozen witnesses against
them.
'SA~SC~S SoANo
Neither Of the brothers took
the stand today. Coroner A.
Magruder Macdonald called six
witnesses.
Pvt. Brereton was slain last
Thursday night when he and
Pvt. Clyde Winters, "a, both of
the 18th precinct, were staked
out in the LeDroit Liquor
Store, sol Florida avenue NV,
TO guard against holdup men.
Two bandits were pursued from
the store by the officers and
both of the policemen were
shot in the ensuing gunplay in
a nearby alley.
Benjamin Bookoff. proprie-
tor of the store, told the jury
how the two policemen came
into the shop an hour before
the bandits and took up a
position in the back room.
He testified that the first
bandit came in an asked for a
bottle of whisky. When he
turned to get the bottle, Mr..
Bookoff said, the second man
came in with the pistol and
said, Lie down on the floor"
i got on my hands and knees
and yelled, They're here!' Mr..
Bookof said. Then there was
noise from the backroom and
the policemen came out and
stumbled over something. The
men ran. I started to follow
them but the phone rang. 1
told whoever it was to hang up
that I had to call the police"
Views 19 in Lineup
Mr.. Bookoff said that he
viewed a l9-man lineup at DO
lice headquarters next morn
ing and picked Raymond as one
who might possibly" be one Of
the bandits. He said he never
did get a good look at the other
, man.
DR.. Howard Olson of Wash
: ington Hospital Center testi-
fled that Pvt. Brereton died a
few minutes after he was
brought to the hospital Dep
uty Coroner Richard L. We'll
ton testified the officer was
shot twice.
The fatal bullet was recov-
cred and sent to the FBI along
with another bullet dug from a
picket fence in the alley and
the three guns which figured
in the incident.
DR.. Welton said there was a
flash burn around Pvt. Brere-
tons wound, indicating the
pistol was fired about six
inches from his body. He said
there was no alcohol in Pvt.
Brereton's blood at the time
of his death.
1t. Edward DAILY of the
Homicide Squad testified that
William has denied the shoot
ing although he admits being
in the holdup. Raymond also
has admitted, according to
Chief of Detectives E. E. Scott,
that he was in the holdup but
has declared his brother did
the shooting.
1t. DAILY said he had been told
by Louise Pitts, girl friend Of
Williams, that she had met
William later on the evening of
the shooting. Miss Pitts is an
addreSSograph perator at
Washington Hospital Center.
1t. DAILY said Miss Pitts told
him that William asked if any
policemen had been brought in
to the hospital during the eve
ming. When she said she had
made out cards on a dead po-
liceman and a wounded one,
Miss Pitts told 1t. DAILY, William
said, "Oh, my God"
1t. DAILY said she told him
William admitted to her that
both he and his car had been
involved"