Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-07-13
KEPNER ON STAND
IN DEATH INQUIRY
Admits He Bought Lingerie
for Miss Ricketts-Says
Wife Was Melancholy.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

coroner's inquest into the death OF
Mrs. Grace Simmons-Kepner. wife OF
b. Evard Kepner. Frederick architect,
whose dead body was found by her
husband I'm a room of her parents, M.
and Mrs. Ezra Houck. near here. last
June Is, was begun this morning. with
Mr.. Kepner as the first witness
Kepner, after asking the jury that
he be permitted to tell his story In his
own way. declared that he was going
to tell 1.-The good as well as the bad
about myself"
Gave Her Presents.
In referring to Miss Lulu Ricketts,
and Mrs. Bruce Strailman, who had
been mentioned in the case, Kepner
admitted that. while he had been
friendly to Miss Ricketts,, his rela-
lions had been only those of a gen
tleman. He admitted that he gave
her presents and some money and on
one occasion bought her expensive
lingerie. He related that on one oc-
casion Mrs. Strailman accompanied
himself and Miss Ricketts, on bust
| ness trip to Hagerstown.
Says She Wanted to Die.
Il do not love Miss Ricketts, ana
| she does not love me-" Kepner en-
phasized.
kepner declared that his wife had
| been extremely melancholy recently
| and Of an unusually nervous dispo-
| sition.
She often prayed to God that she
hoped He would soon take her away,
Kepner continued.
Before we retired at night it was
our custom to kneel by the bed and
| pray. Often on these occasions Mrs.
Kepner would lean on my arm and
pray that her life on earth might be
shortened"
| Kepner related that he had been
married twenty-one years and that
| for the last ten years he had lived
| at the Houck home. He declared
! that his domestic relations had been
disagreeable. saying that Elinor
Houck' sister OF his wife had It
in for me-" He continued that her
i other sister Elizabeth, and Mr.. and
| Mrs. Houck had treated him as a
! son.
Prosecutor Threatens to Leave.
! n NV Vel DdblICI INC
course of which States Attorney
Aaron r. Anders threatened to leave
the courtroom. marked the opening
this morning of the inquest
| No sooner had the jury convened in
j. Grahane Johnson acting as coroner.
| when Leo Weinberg. one of the attor-
neys for MIR. Kepner, addressed JUS
tice Johnson, for the purpose of hav--
| ing decision to view the remains OF
Mrs. kepner abandoned
Argues Against Exhuming.
He argued that the body had been
buried for nearly month. that while
| the law required the jury to view the
| body he thought that this requirement
could be waived If he and the states
attorney agreed. He said the body had
| been horribly hacked and mutilated"
when the autopsy was performed last
Friday, and made an impassioned APP
peal before the justice, the jury and
! States Attorney Anders attempted to
| interrupt Mr.. Weinberg. The latter
continued after pause. He denounced
/ what he termed as highly colored ar
ticles in the metropolitan newspapers.
He intimated that the inquest had al
| ready been held in some Of the papers
and said that he had been quoted as
thought of You know. Mr.. Anders,
| that l never defied you" said Mr.
Weinberg. in denying a statement that
| appeared in city paper.
Suspicion Declared Cast.
The mind of the public has been
shouted Attorney Weinberg. "suspi-
| cion has been directed to certain
| person"
Again Mr.. Anders attempted to In
| terrupt, but Mr.. Weinberg continued.
Mr. Kepner is here. He has come
voluntarily. 1t was not necessary TO
summons him. He will gladly take
| the witness stand and tell you all he
knows about this case and answer
any question that you ask him"
Anders Starts To Leave.
| Here the states attorney, his face
| flushed. shouted he would leave the
courtroom. You know Mr.. Vein
berg" he declared, that you have no
| right to address a cGroner's jury.
Neither you nor l. nor any other law,
you know it is improper LAWYERS
have no right at an inquest and they
are only here because we permit them
| to be-"
Mr.. Weinberg attempted to talk
again, but Mr.. Anders, turning to
Justice johnson, said: IF this in.
quest Is to be made a sideshow,
will leave it." He turned. picked
| up his hat and started from the
! room.
| TT was at your suggestion and de-
mand that we ordered the body eX-
humed again" said MIR. Anders. Mr..
| Weinberg admitted that this was
correct, but that he had changed his
mind.
Calm Restored.
\ Calm was restored when Mr.. Vein
| berg asked Mr.. Anders if he would
| agree to abandon viewing the body.
Mr.. AnderS at once consented. How
ever. the law required that the re-
mains be viewed when an inQueSt is
=, held. Justice Johnson put the mat
! ter up to the jury for decision. A
| poll was taken and within two min
utes Foreman Charles Wertheimer
announced that the jury wanted to
| see the remains. Justice Johnson
| then announced that the Inquest would
adjourn to Mount Olivet cemetery
| The jury viewed the body and then
/ went to the Houck home and exam
| ined the room in which Mrs. kepners
| body was found.
| Public Excluded.
| Upon returning to the courthouse
| shortly before noon. Justice Johnson
| ruled that the public would be ex-
| cluded from the hearing and the
| jurors retired to the grand jury room.
| Reporters were admitted.
I. There were loud protests from the
| hundreds present when the justice
1 ousted all but interested parties. the
case having created more interest
! and gossip than any here in recent
years, because of the prominent per-
| sons involved and the mysterious cir
! cumstances.
/ Suicide Theory Secuted.
| At the time of Mrs. Kepner's death.
| the coroner gave a certificate of sui
| eide after brief examination of the
| body. which revealed bullet wound
| in the head Members of Mrs. Kepner's
| family, demanded thorough inyestiga-