The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-19
)AzED
BY Fatal
CRASH
]. u. osthaus, Driver Of Car,
Unable TO Explain How
Girl Met Death.

With his wife and two young
children beside him, Joseph II !.
Osthal1s, 1886 Sixth street south
Nest, discharged navy yard work
er, this morning pleaded that ne,
was too dazed to account for his
actions early Sunday morning
after the automobile he was driv-.
ing ran into gulley at Sixth and
Hobart streets northwest and in
stantly killed Miss Ella Buckley.
thirty-four years, 81 Sixth street
northwest, his sisters ward, with
u HON he was riding.
Body Beneath Wreckage.
Police who investigated the un-
usual accident yesterday said today
that they have gathered together
half dozen witnesses who will ap-
near at the coroner's inquest, which
will be held at 2:3O o'clock this att
ernoon. The police say that they
cannot account for the movements
of Osthaus and his Inflated compan-
ion from 11:45 o'clock Saturday
night, when he left Harry Dawson
at Eighteenth and Columbia road,
until 2l5 Sunday morning, when
the accident occurred.
The body of Miss Buckley was
found Sunday morning beneath the
wreckage of Osthau's automobile
five hours after the car upset. Ost-
haus admits stripping the car of its
license, but fails to explain why he
did not report the accident to the
police. 1t remained for Arthur d.
Byrd, 1895 Evart street northeast to
discover Miss Buckley's body.
Told Of Being Robbed.
The police said this morning that
two employees at the Corby Baking
Company, Wilbur Lynch and James
Gladman, told them that Osthaus,
his face SCARED, came to the COM
pany's plant early Sunday morning
and said that he had been held up
and robbed of 5000 and his cuff
links. They further tell the police
that he telephoned from their plant
to his sister on Sixth street for aid.
According to Osthaus' story, the
police say. the accident must have
occurred at about 11:45 o'clock Sat
urday night. The police claim that
they have two witnesses who heard
the automobile when it fell into
the gulley on Hobart street and
saw Osthaus endeavoring to crank
it up.
At the coroner's inquest this after
noon, Thomas B. White and his
wife, Laura White, who, live at
coca Hobart street will testify. They
told the police that they had been
playing pinochle and that they were
sitting up reading an early Sunday
morning paper when they heard the
crash.
II told Tom" Mrs. White told
the police, :'that he had better go
down and help the man as he must
be in trouble. Within a few min
utes, however, milkman stopped
and my husband said that he
guessed he would aid him. This
was about 2:15 Sunday morning"
Osthaus was found by the police
Sunday lying in bed, partially
dressed, at the home of his sister
on Sixth street, according to the
police.
Unable to Explain. He Says.
The police pointed out today that
they repeatedly asked Osthaus why
he did not attempt to get aid for
Miss Buckley. They told him that
he was not so daZed hut what he
could go to the Corby Baking Com
pany and solicit aid for himself,
but Osthaus protested that II didn't
know what ] was doing"
The Buckley woman is said to
have lived for fourteen years as
ward Of Mrs. Mary Griffith, sis
ter of Osthaus, at the Sixth street
address.
Osthaus claims that he pleaded
with Miss Buckley not to accom-.
pany him and Dawson downtown
where they wanted to learn the re-
suit of basketball game, but that
she insisted upon goinl