The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-01-08
HESS SAYS KILLERS WANTED
W|7CH'S HAIR To RUIN SPELL
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residents here take pride in the
fact that it was in this city tina:
the Continental Congress sat in
1777-78 and that here is located the
historical site OF the Lambs School
where Wilkes Booth, the murderer
Of Lincoln, attended.
Old residents lemphatically deny
the published charge that a
large part of the population IN.
dulges in the practice of witchcraft.
At any rate there are no outward
evidences that such an allegation
10 true.
Witch Signs Few
For instance, this writer did not
see a great many barns along the
countryside marked with chalk ks
to keep bad luck away"
Neither did he observe in the
barber shop where he was shaved
this morning any patrons putting a
lock Of their shorn hair in paper
bags to be saved.
Stories have gone out that many
natives fear that if they allow their
hair to be blown away and birds
make a nest out of it they will De
This correspondent has yet to see
any person indicating fear of head
aches.
Judge Ray P. Sherwood, presiding
at the trial, denied there is any
studied attempt to keep the witch.
craft angle out of the case.
He made this assertion when pro-
tests were made over his ruling that
in hA L
guaranteed only to two local news
paper men and three representatives
OF press associations, including In.
ternational News Service.
He explained he made the ruling
IN the interest of maintaining court
room decorum and that he did not
aim to bar the 20 or 80 other spe.
cial writer's who came here from
New York, Philadelphia, Harris.
burg, and other cities to cover the
trial. Some Of the most indignant
correspondents wired their protests
TO the governor.
switch Angle" Cited
All references to witchcraft were
Studiously avoided by both State
and defense during the first day
Of the trial until the last five min.
utes Of the session. Then CLAYTON
u. Hess, brother Of WILDER Hess
who is jointly indicted with Blymyer
and John Curry, suddenly blurted
out the witch angle"
Blymyer told me the day after
the killing Of Rehmeyer that he
got the MANTLE witch. and that
he alone was to blame for what
had happened" Hess testified.
It was with reluctance that Hess
said the words ''the WITCH" He
asked Attorney Cohen should he
say the words Blymyer used and
when informed in the affirmative.
he said in q rather awed voice,
$the WITCH"
Court was adjourned and It was
indicated that Hess would be cross.
examined today.
Defense Attorney Cohen, in dis.
eussing the case with the Interna-
final News Service correspondent,
said he intended to delve into the
witch phase, adding, however, that
he would have to see what the
State brings out.
States Only Chance
"The reason the Commonwealth
stressed robbery and not witch.
craft as the motive" said Cohen
this morning, sis that the robbery
motive is the States only chance
Of convicting Blymyer. as I see it.
1T may put Blymyer himself on
the stand; realize he might be his
own best witness. From his lips
could come a recital of how he
was reared to believe in witchcraft
and how it took hold Of him and
strangeld his conceptions of right
and wrong.
"yet. by not placing him on the
Stand, the prosecution will lack a
witness to the killing as the CO.
defendants, Curry and Hess, can.
not testify in this trial"
Blymyer. according to Cohen. is a
poor client, not in a pecuniary sense,
but because he Is reluctant to discuss
AiB plight and hRs very little to say