The Washington times., 1928-02-15

Mrs. Fannie Gundlach, widow of
this slain farmer, was the principal
witness when the trial was resumed
yesterday afternoon, and she gave a
graphic and grewsome account of
how Brewer shot her then unarmed
husband as he lay wounded at his
door sill. from a distance of Is feet.
The widow, nervously lingering
her handkerchief, told of how she
had to run to cover from her nus
bands side as she tried to aid him,
because of a fusilade of bullets from
the guns of the four prohibition
agents who participated in the raid
on the Gundlach farm.
Widows Story Denied
Robert +. Cornett. jr., one of the
agents, who will be tried later for
his part in the crime along with
John T. Fisher and Dan M. Jack
ley, took the stand as a State wit
ness, and on, cross examination de-
MED Mrs. Gundlach's story of how
Brewer approached the house alone
while Cornett and Jackley were TAX
ing Fisher, wounded by Gundlach,
to their waiting automobile.
At the preliminary hearing at
IIEtu "1Lhlh a LE"
days after the killing OF Gundlach.
Cornett corroborated the widow $
testimony regarding his having
helped Jackley take Fisher to the
automobile. and sadmitted he got
two views of Brewer, the first as
he turned with Fisher, and the Sec
ond when he had placed Fisher in
the machine and had again turned
around. He said he saw Brewer
approa ching the house. and when
he looked again he saw Brewer com
ing out of the house with Gund-
lach's weapons in his hand. He
denied having seen Brewer fire point
blank at Gundlach, however.
Memory Refreshed
The widow had testified at the
hearing that after Brewer had fired
the shot that killed her husband. he
had stepped over the dead body and
entered the house. demanding the
guns she had taken away from the
wounded man as he lay PROSTATE
and no longer able to use them.
Yesterday. Cornett ,repudiated the
story he had told at the Leonard.
town hearing, and declared that
his memory had been refreshed and
he now recalled that it was Brewer
who helped him take the wounded
Fisher to the automobile. He said
Brewer since had recalled certain
remarks the latter had made at
the time to him, and he thus was
sure it was Brewer with him in
stead of Jackley.
Much hinges on this aspect of
the case from the States view
point, as it's case is built up largely
from the testimony at the hearing
which showed that the widows
testimony agreed with that of both
Cornett and Jackiey concerning
them having seen Brewer APP
proach the house alone before they
turned back with Fisher. They
also said they saw Brewer leave
the house with the farmers guns,
as the widow testified he had. Thus
two Of his own men agreed on
two points in the widow story,
and only failed to agree on the
third, that Brewer had fired during
this approach.
Revenge State Plea
The State contends that Brewer
was actuated by revenge and an
old grudge because Gundlach had
caused some stills it charges Brewer
had an interest in, to be rafded
by other prohibition agents from
Washington.
Brewer, a native of st. Mary's
county, the State claims, was known
by the Gundlachs, had drunk beer
at their horne, and had later on
one occasion raided the farm and
had destroyed home brew
plant. IT was this last raid that
caused Gundlach to retaltate by
causing Brewers stills to be broken
up, the State contends.