Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-15
Lawyer, Who Threatened Miss
Maus, to Be Examined.
ATTORNEY WILSON BLAMED
Criticised for Release on Promise to
Leave Town.
GIRL TELLS OF HIS THREATS
Met Him, When He Told Her He
Would Kill Her if She Did Not,
She Testif1es.

For violating the conditions of his re-
lease by returning to Washington, follow
ing his arrest Wednesday afternoon for
threatening to shoot Miss Bertha Maus,
Morris j. Claggett of Montgomery county.
Md, was arrested yesterday by order OF
United States Attorney Wilson.
In Police Court this morning Judge Null
lowry ordered Mr.. Claggett committed to
the Washington Asylum Hospital for ex-
animation as to his sanity.
1t developed in court that the order of
United States Attorney Wilson for Clag-
gett's release Wednesday night was with
Relatives of the girl declare they did
not approve of the release.
For the first time since last January
Claggett visited the Maus home. 1890 3Oth
street northwest, Wednesday afternoon.
Members of the family say the lawyer S
attention to Miss Maus had become OBJ
noxiOus and that her parents had for
hidden him to visit their home.
Miss Maus Testifes.
With her mother. brother and other
members of her family, Miss Maus was
in court this morning prepared to tes-
tify against Claggett, in the event the
case was tried.
1--WE have been very friendly" said
Miss Maus. referring to Claggett
Ever since I've been a child of five
or six years I've called him Father
Claggett.
This whole trouble has come about
through his pressing his attentions on me.
They were distasteful to me and to my
mother and father.
"a wear ago his actions became such
that my father told him not to come into
the house again. Since then he has been
logging my Footsteps on the street and
coming to my Office to see me.
''He has threatened to take my life a
number Of times, and has fiourished re-
volver in my face.
Met Him, Under Threats.
"wednesday he came to my Office and
told me if l didn't take lunch with him
he would wipe out my whole family and
kill himself and me. Then he showed me
the revolver in his hip pocket.
II went out and met him with the hope
of being able to talk to him nationally
and persuade him to behave himself.
succeeded in getting the revolver and five
cartridges away from him for a moment.
He took them away again with the
threat that if l tried to escape from him
he prOpOSed-tO use his lanGuage-tO shoot
me and send himself to h along with
me.
HE continued to annoy me on the
streets and in the Office until the middle
of the afternoon. when he appeared at
the house, broke in one Of the rear win
dows and created the scenes that ended
in his arrest"
Miss Maus Col1apses.
Miss Maus was in a highly nervous
condition. Immediately after leaving the
courtroom she underwent complete ner-
vous collapse. She was carried to a near
by witness room. where she revived.
Later she gave the version of Clag-
gett's attentions to her and the acts that
led up to his arrest.
Attorney Mackey characterized the &C
ton Of the United States attorney in or
dering Claggetts release Wednesday
night as misguided and uncalled for.
In view of the nurderous threats ut
tered by Claggett the release took with
it the grave danger Of a possible trag-
edy." he commented.
Tried to Kill Himself.
Immediately after Claggetts arrest
Wednesday he was taken to the seventh
precinct station house, where he was
locked up. An hour or so later one of
the desk sergeants discovered him in an
attempt to hang himself with his neck
tie.
Caggett was subsequently removed to
the first precinct station house, where
he would be under the watchful eye of a
keeper
Several hours after his arrest friends of
the Claggett family, including WASH
ington bank official inte-ceded on the
prisoners behalf with the United States
attorney, and eventually succeeded in OBJ
tanning his release. Lieut.. Sprinkle CT the
first precinct station received the order
for the release, authorized by the United
States Attorney
Later today the defendants wife and
his son. in discussing the case. said they
believed Claggett to be of unsound mind.
They were anxious that the aliensts'
examination be undertaken at the earliest