The Washington times., 1928-02-13
IN THE LONG AGO
TRY DRY AGENT
FOR KILLING

sN = Fl y g
BALTIMORE. Nd, Feb. 1S.--J.
Randolph Brewer, Federal prohibi-
ton agent, went on trial alone to-
day before Judge William c. Cole
man, iii the Federal Court, charged
with first degree murder in con.
nection with the shooting of
Charles r. Gundlach, aged st.
Mary's county farmer, last Septem-
Der while he was defending his
home near LeonardtoWn, against a
'warrantless' raid.
Assistant Attorney General Robert
Archer, of Maryland, who will as
sis. States Attorney Phillip M. Dor
sey, jr.. Of st. Mary's county, in the
prosecution, announced after the
Jury was selected that three Federal
prob fbftion agents had been sub
lI0enaed by him to testify against
Brewer. They are Agents. Coyle,
Ander and Lewis, Of the Washing
ton office OF the prohibition unit.
Judge Coleman excluded the pub
lie from the trial, and announced
that only the witnesses and repre-.
sentatives Of the press would be ad-
n1itted to the courtroom.
Accompanying Brewer in court
were Mrs. Brewer and their 6-year.
old daughter.
Under an agreement between
United States Attorney Woodcock,
defending Brewer and three agents
who accompanied him on the raid"
and States Attorney Dorsey, who
will prosecute the case. the agents.
John T. Fisher, Dan M. Jacklev
and Robert M. Cornett, jr.. will be
tried at the conclusion of Brewers
trial.
Selecting Jury
The task of selecting jury be.
gan as soon as court opened today
in the Federal building and it took
only a short time.
The veniremen were asked If
they were related to the defendant
and as to theirs attitude toward
capital punishment, but when
Archer for the prosecution wanted
to ask them concerning their posi-
BILE affiliation with the Anti-Saloon
League. Judge Coleman would not
permit the question.
Judge Coleman explained to the
jury how the case came to be in
the Federal Court instead of the
State Court, and said that the
charge was "the high crime of
murder in the first degree, punish
able by life imprisonment or death
by hanging"
The three other agents who will
go on trial later, were in the
court room.
The principal witness against
Brewer, a native of st. Mary's
county. will be Mrs. Fannie Gund.
ZACH, the mans widow, who was in
the court room while the jury
was being selected. She charged
both before the grand jury which
returned first degree murder indict-
ments against the four, and again
before Federal Judge Morris Soper
In Baltimore when he took the case
away from the State courts, that |
Brewer deliberately shot to death
her husband as he lay PROSTATE on
his door sill.
Mrs. Gundlach said the raiding
party had approached the Gundlach
one Saturday afternoon
last September and she saw them
through window. She notified her
husband, who got his gun. and when |
he recognized Brewer. whom he had
known for years, and knew they
were prohibition men, called to
them to halt.
Actuated by Grudge
In an exchange of shots that fol |
lowed, Fisher fell to the ground |
with a shattered knee. 1t was
while all but Brewer were return
ing to the waiting automobile that |
their wounded comrade, Mrs. Gllnd- |
ZACH insisted, that Brewer, actuated |
by a grudge, she said. advanced
and fired a shot at Gundlach which |
hit him in the right eye and came
cut the back OF his head.
States Attorney Dorsey produced
witnesses before the st. Mary's
county grand jury who told of find
Ing the death bullet imbedded in
The house about two feet above the
ground. at about the spot where
Gundlach lay with his head resting
against the house. Gundlach had
been disarmed by his wife when he
fell sometime before the fatal shot
was fired. she said.