Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-28

Continued from First Page.)
defense attorneys in another half hour
/ had outlined the case.
| AS Cloth is the principal witness
against his wife, the usual role of prose-
| cutting attorney was assumed by Albert
Bryan. corporation attorney for Alex
| andria. Mrs. Cloth was represented by
Louis Wendenhurg, criminal lawyer, OF
Richmond, and l.. c. McNemar and H.
| Smith Rucker, Arlington attorneys and
| political opponents of Cloth.
| In his opening address to the jury,
Mr.. Bryan made a sweeping denuncia-
| tion of the defendant. characterizing
| the assault as "a cold-blooded shooting
and a elimination of q hate and
malice accommodating for more than a
| year" out of their marital difficulties.
That Mrs. Cloth will depend upon a
| self defense plea entirely was indicated
1 by her chief counsel. Mr.. Wendenburg.
| who insisted that the defense would
show that Cloth came TO the house
drunk and threatened to kill his wife.
| The defense also viii try to show that
! Cloth was armed.
| The courtroom was crowded before
| the trial opened. Mrs. Cloth. accom-
panied by her mother. Mrs. Della
| Schneider and her 10-year-old son,
Billy" Cloth, jr.. were among the ear
| lest arrivals. just before the court
convened. Cloth took his seat at one
| Of the tables.
Throughout the proceedings Mrs.
| Cloth sat placidly tanning herself She
was entirely Unconditional. Her nus
band, on the other hand, chewed nerv-
ousiy on toothpick.
Jury From Another County.
In view of the feeling aroused itl
| Arlington County over the difficulties
| between Cloth and his wife. and the
| fact that he is commonwealth attorney
OF the county, the jury was selected
. from special venire drawn from
Prince William County. Judge Smith
| undertook the questioning Of the venire-
men, only two or three OF whom had
read OF the case. One venireman, G.. F..
| Butler, explained he had formed def
| mite opinion and was excused.
| Within 40 minutes the entire panel
| had been examined. and the following
Jurors selected: James w Flory, w, j.
| Green, II. w. Herring G, G. Herring,
| G. s. Smith, II. g. Splitter. Charles M.
| Wine, j. w Alvey. G. S. Garter. G. E.
Ellison. W. M. Lightnor and n, o. May
| hugh.
| Before the luncheon period Emery
| Hosmer, one of the principal witnesses
| for the prosecution, had started an ac-
count of how he went to Mrs. Cloths
| home the night of March z with the
commonwealth attorney and the events
| that led up 10 shooting.
| After the selection of the jury ID
/ witnesses for the State and 10 witnesses
| for the defense were called, all OF them
/ being dismissed from the courtroom,
! with the exception OF Cloth after the
! trial had gotten under way. MIR. Wen
/ denberg for the defense tried TO get the
| court to order Cloth out of the cham
| Der, but Judge Smith replied it was his
custom TO let the prosecuting witness
remain in the courtroom during the
! progress of the trial
Mrs. Cloths mother and little boy
J left her alone beside her attorneys at
the defendants table,
Opening the case for the prosecution,
4 Mr. Bryan declared the case involves
no personal animositieS,
Il am here for the Commonwealth
/ of Virginia and for no one else" he
declared,
He briefly outlined the steps leading
up TO Cloths alleged desertion of his
wife In July, 1926, after which Mrs,
Cloth obtained temporary decree of
divorce,
States Contentious
The prosecuting attorney said the
State would show that on the night of
March Z Cloth and Hnsmer met In
front of the Willard Hotel. In WASH
ington, and took taXicab to their
home IN Arlington County Their trip
took them In the vicinity of Mrs Cloths
home, lac claimed, and Cloth decided to
have talk with Ills wife When he
approached the hQuse aud knocked on