Evening star., 1927-03-20
LA PLATA SLAYERS
TO DIE FOR CRIME
Youths Convicted of Killing
Worker Are Speedily
Sentenced to Hang.
By a staff Correspondent of The star.


FREDERICK. Md, March 10
Less than half an hour after jury
had convicted Arthur Swami, 20-year-
old colored youth of first-degree muir
der for the Staying of j. Edward Car
penter early on the morning OF Janu-
ary Z, near the road from Indian
Head to La Plata. Judge Hammond
Urner In Circuit Court here late this
afternoon sentenced him and Ottie
Simmons, also colored, convicted yes
terday, to death on the gallows.
The two will be hanged in Balti-
more city Jail on a date TO be set
by Gov. Ritchie. They will be taken
from here to La Plata tomorrow and
later will be removed to Baltimore.
The end of the case came with dra-
matte suddenness after a long day
filled with surprises, chickering's of
counsel and general upsets. The
jury was given the Swami case
at 4:35. Ten minutes later the
foreman, Daniel II. Buckley, sent
word that a verdict had been
reached The jury returned and
waited in a hushed courtroom for IL
minutes while the bailiff located the
defense attorneys, Milton A. Dashiell
and George Fornoll, and brought them
in.
While Swami sat slumped in his
chair with his chin in his hands, an
attitude he had kept throughout the
trial, Mr.. Buckley announced the Ver'
dict: Guilty of murder in the first
degree" Swami did not even look
up.
New Trial Refused.
Mr. Dashiell made a motion for
new trial, which was denied in two
minutes. He then made plea for
mercy on the grounds that the evil
dence showed Simmons did the shoot
ing while Swami waited on the road.
After another wait for Joseph &. San
try, Simmons attorney, who had not
been present since his client was con-
victed, the court then listened to a
plea for mercy on behalf of Sim
mons.
AS soon as Santry had concluded
Judge Urner passed the death SEN
tence.
lasted three days. They were accused
of holding up Carpenter, who was the
father of seven children, as he was
returning from work at Indian Head
shortly after midnight January Z, of
robbing him of SGT he had made work
ing overtime. and leaving him mortal
lv wounded near the road to La Plata.
They were arrested the next day and
later removed to Baltimore because OF
fear of violence. A change of venue
to this district was granted on the
grounds that they could not receive
an impartial trial in Charles County.
States Attorney William M. Storm
of this county conducted the prosecu-
ton of both cases, assisted by Ferdi-
nand G. Cooksey. States attorney OF
Charles County. Storm had a COM
paratively easy time with Simmons.
building up a strong circumstantiaJ
case and topping it with a confession
made by Simmons the day after he
was arrested. Simmons was con-
victed yesterday afternoon.
Battle Over Swami.
But with Swami, Storm found his
every step fought bitterly by Dashiell.
Swann's confession, in which he ad-
mitted suggesting the hold.up, but
said he took no part in it, was assailed
as coerced, and Dashiell in his cross
examination, treated the officers to
whom ii was made to an exhibition
of withering sarcasm and caustic COM
ments. In the same manner Dashiell
attacked practically every witness the
State put on the stand.
Simmons, testifying in Swann's de-
fense, sprang a surprise by declaring
that Swami fired the fatal shot while
he was struggling with Carpenter on
the ground. Swami followed and de-
MED everything Simmons had said, in
sisting that he was 200 feet away, and
had pleaded with Simmons not to hold
the man up.
In his final argument to the jury
Dashiell pleaded for acquittal on the
grounds that Swami went with Sim
mons with no intention of taking part
in the hold-up. Storm followed him,
and in fiery talk demanded the death
penalty in justice to the people of
Charles County. His argument was
concluded at 4:30, and the case was
given to the jury Immediately.
Mrs. Carpenter was present through.
out the trials.