Evening star., 1932-04-20
THIRD WIFE TAKES
STAND AGAINST
HARRY c. W|MBLEY
Former Census Bureau Clerk
Says He Planned to Live
With Her in Missouri.
SAYS SHE LEFT HIM
WEEK BEFORE DROWNING
Defense Scores Point When One
Witness Says He Discussed Tes-
timony With Prosecutor.

prohibition informer of Baltimore, faced
his third wife N District Supreme
Court here today and heard her testify
against him in his trial with John M
Crowder for the alleged murder of his
second wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Traylor
Wimbley. 26.
The third wife, the former Miss Ida
May Graves. a Census Bureau clerk who
married Wimbley under the name oi
Howard c. Dickerson, waived her con-
stitutional rights to refuse to testify
against her husband and told the jury
of the circumstances surrounding their
marriage. April 8. 1881. at Rockville, Md
Mrs. Dickerson said that she met
Wimbley. or Dickerson, only two months
before they were married and that after
the ceremony he never did any work tC
my knowledge" She testified he did
not reveal the existence of a wife in
Virginia, but spoke only of having had
a wife in Baltimore, from whom he
claimed he had a divorce.
Planned to Go to Missouri.
After their marriage, she said, she
did not live with her husband at his
apartment, at 305 street, until July
10. when she stayed with him until
September 10, leaving then for her
home in Exeter, Mo. Mrs. Dickerson
said Wimbley told her he would come
to her home two months later, and II
was agreed that he would live there
thereafter
Under cross examination by Louis l..
Whitestona of defense counsel Mrs
Dickerson admitted she had frequently
gone to Wimbley's rooms before they
were married and cooked his meals, but
couldn't remember" about having told
him he would have to support her. She
denied she had proposed marriage IN
response to a question by Whitestcne.
The defense scored point shortly
after the trial opened for the third day
when William Max Jungren, a Govern
ment witness, was recalled after testify
ing Yesterday and admitted having dis
cussed the case since his first appear
ance with Assistant United States At
torney Collins.
Talked About Testimony.
After Jungren had quoted Crowder as
Saying plenty" in answer to question
as to what had happened on the canal
the day of the drowning September II
last, Defense Attorney Whitestone in
qCired:
Mr.. Jungren, have you talked with
the assistant United States attorney
since you left the stand yesterday"
Yes, sir"
And was it about your testimony in
this caSe?"
Yes. sir"
Collins in recalling Jungren, had told
the court he wanted to put a question,
(which he had overlooked" yesterday.
w. w. Chambers, an undertaken, was
the first witness this morning. He told
about Wimbley coming to his office the
afternoon of the drowning and dis
cussing funeral arrangements.
The undertaken quoted Wimbley as
saying.
Il Just had a wife that was drowned
up the river a couple of hours ago
and I want to make arrangements to
bury her"
Detective Sergt. Floyd Truscutt of
the homicide squad who followed Mrs
Dickerson, told of having taken state
ments from both Wimbley and Crowder
the night of the drowning of Mrs. VIM
bley and her 3-year-old daughter,
Wilma Traylor.
Discrepancies in Testimony.
Discrepancies in the stories Wimbley
told those who first arrived at the scene
OF the drowning were developed in tes-
timony yesterday afternoon at the trial
According to Of1cer ]. A. F1eishauer
OF the seventh precinct, who, with Pre-
cinct Detective william O'Connor, ar
rived first at the canal, Wimbley said
he had "dove and dove" for the bodies
of his wife and stepchild. But Lieut.
A. c. Kefauver, in charge OF the Fire
Rescue Squad, No. l, which responded
to the emergency call, testified Wimbley
told him he saw fishing pole floating
in the water. reached down and grabbed
1t and pulled his wife out.
'Wimbley told ne he had had a
little fight with his wife about going
alone in the canoe and had warned her
to stay out Of it," Policeman Fleishauer
began.
He told NE he was walking along the
towpath and saw colored man with a
bird dog down between the canal and
the river near where the spillWay is. He
went down to see the dog, he said and
then turned around to see where CroWder
was
Just then he saw his wife and baby get
IN the canoe and shove off. Then the
canoe capsized and his wife and baby
were thrown into the water. He ran to
the spot near where they had fallen in
He saw hat floating on the canal, he
said and dove for it. There was moth
ing under the hat Then he saw g
on the other end, he said"
Talked to Both Men.
Lieut.. Kefauver testified Wimbley told
him "he went down the towpath bit
turned around and saw his wife ano
daughter standing up in the canoe"
He said he shouted, For Gods sake
get out! and started for the canoe. II
upset and fell in the water.
Then he said he saw two fishing
poles floating on the water. He grabbed
one, but nothing was on the other end
so he reached and grabbed the othel
one. His wife had a 6eath grip on It
he said, and he pulled her out.
Il asked him how long his wife hac
been in the water and he said 'Abou
is or 20 minutes.
Rescue Squad Member Testifies.
MI. Curtis, first member of the Fir'
Rescue Squad to reach the scene, pre-
ceded Lieut.. Kefauver and told the jury
Wimbley had asked him how long aftel
a person had been under water coulC
he be brought to life again"
And what did you tell him?"
"Oh, about half an hour. l was try
ing to console the man"
Lieut.. Kefauver testified he aSket
Crowder If he was with these people
apparently meaning Wimbley and hi
wife and stepchild.
He said, No, was up here fishing
DR.. Joseph Rogers Young of the Gas
ualty Hospital staff followed Kefauve
to the stand, and testified he had pro
nounced Mrs. Wimbley dead He agree,
with Officer Fleishauer that Wimble
seemed very much upset"
Catherine Pearl Helms, who said sh
lives near the canal above Chain Bridge
told how Crowder, nearly exhausted
aane 10 her house and asked II sh