The Washington times., 1921-02-13
MURDER TRIAL
.OPENSMONDAY
Campbell to Face Jury on
Charge Of Killing Mrs.
Gertrude n. Mann.

William Henry Campbell, young
Washington negro, will be placed on
trial for his life tomorrow before
Justice Gould and jury in Criminal
Division No. l, District Supreme
Court.
He is charged with having bru-
tally attacked and beaten TO death
with a club Mrs. Gertrude II. Mann,
music teacher, divorced wife OF Will
lam Mann, prominent Chicago law
yer.
CONFESSED OTHER ATTACKS.
Following his arrest in July, last
year. Campbell not only confessed u
the police that he had slain ana
robbed Mrs. Mann. but took responSi-
bility for the attacks made on Mrs'
Bessie Gleason, OF Nicholson stree
northeast, and Miss Mary B. Saunderf
formerly employed In the Army Intel
ligence, for which two other negro
are now imprisoned-one serving
life term in the Federal prison al
Atlanta and the other a twenty-year
term In the Maryland penitentiary.
While District Attorney John n.
Laskey believes that Campbell told
the truth when he confessed TO nav
ing slain Mrs Mann, he doubts
whether the negro was the assailahl
OF Mrs. Gleason and Miss Saunders
on the other hand, Inspector Clinord
l.. Grant. chief of detectives. Captain
Thomas Judge, OF Tenth precinct; and
Detective Sergts. A. b. Scrivener ana
Edward j. Kelly and other policemen
responsible for Campbelrs arrest and
confession, believe that his state
ments that he attacked the other TWO
women are true and that the negroes
serving prison terms for the crimes
should be exonerated.
Louis Randall, one OF the negroes
convicted OF a crime which Campbell
)afterward confessed to having com
mitted. Is serving a life term at the
Federal prison. He was at first SEN
fenced to be hanged on the District
gaIlows but President Wilson COM
muted his death sentence to life I'm
prisonment. The other negro. wood
enhead" Eaglan. former caddie at the
Chevy Chase Golf Club, was convicted
at Rockville. Montgomery county.
for the attack on Miss Saunders. He
was sentenced to twenty years In
the Maryland penitentiary.
TOLD OF CRIMES IN DETAIL.
Following the arrest Of Campbell
by Detective Sergt. George Darnell.
who was rewarded for the capture
by being assigned from the Tenth
Precinct to the Central office. the
negro not only confessed to stealing
pocketbooks from scores of women,
OF robbing numerous homes in the
Capital but finally admitted that 1t
was he who had killed Mrs. Mann
and who had attacked Mrs. Gleason,
Miss Saunders and another woman
To satisfy their minds that Camp
bells confession was based on facts'
the detectives went into minute de-
tails as to how the attacks were
made on the three women. The negro
told in detail where and how the at
tacks occurred, the kind of clothing
the victims wore when he seized
them and the amount OF moeny ana
jewelry he took from them. The
negro's story fitted in with the re-
ports made by the women who had
been attacked.
When Eaglan and Randall were
placed on trial. long before Camp
bell had been arrested. the Washing
ton detectives openly declared their
opinion that the two negroes were
innocent, but that they were bad
negroes and a prison sentence would
not hurt them"
Protests made by counsel for Ran
dali and Eaglan against their con-
tinued incarceration after the con-
les sion of guilt had been made by
Cmpbell have been under considera-
ton not only by District Attorney
Laskey and his assistant. Paul b.
Cromelin, but by the associates of
Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer.
CONFESSION BEING PROBED.
Laskey. however. has not attempt
ed to have the negro indicted on
the charges of assalting Miss Saun-
ders and Miss Gleason. being salts
fed that the Government and the
Montgomery authorities had made
out cases against Randall and
Eaglan. 1t was pointed out that
the Government believes that Camp
bell made the confession, involving
himself as the assailant of Miss
Saunders and Mrs. Gleason. realizing
that he faced the gallows for the
Staying of Mrs. Mann and was will
ing to take the burden for the other
two crimes in an effort to obtain
the release of Eaglan and Randall.
The Government investigation OF
the confession, however, has not
been completed and after Campbelrs
case is disposed of in the District
courts this week. it is likely some
further action will be demanded by
attorneys for randall and Eaglan
to obtain their pardon from the
prisons where they are confined.
Mrs. Mann was attacked in lone
ly stretch Of woods just off Rodman
street and west Of Connecticut ave-
nue.. She had just left the home OF
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, where
she had finished giving a music
lesson to granddaughter OF the
labor leader.
Assistant District Attorney Crome-
lin will conduct the prosecution for
the Government.