Evening star., 1933-10-25
FRAT HOUSE FIRE
AL|B|S OFFERED
Goucher Student Says They
Visited Her on Day of
Blaze.

A closely-knit web Of alibi was offered
today in defense of H. Albert Smith,
26, and Edward j. Carlton, %, in Dis
trict Supreme Court, where they are
on trial, charged with setting fire to
their own fraternity house the George
Washington University Chapter of
Sigma Chi, on the morning of July 9.
Following completion of the testi-
mcny given by Smith yesterday after
noon and in the first half hour of
today's session, defense attorneys, Percy
H. Marshall and Fred j. Rice. called
more than half a dozen witnesses in
an effort to Substantiate Smiths con-
tention that he and Carlton were out CT
town when fire swept their organiza-
tion's quarters at 1912 N street
Fifteen fellow members of the frater-
nifty narrowly escaped with their lives
from the blaze, which caused more than
$4,000 property damage.
Girl Defense Witness.
Among those who took the stand for
the defense today was Miss Helen E.
Fried. Goucher College student, who
connrmed Smiths statement that he
and Carlton had visited her In her
nome IN New Freedom, Pa, on July 9.
She received telephone call from
the youths between and 73O that
morning, Miss Fried said, informing her
they were in New Freedom, but plan
ned to go on to York, Pa. to get a
tailor to press their clothes and me-
chanic to repair Smiths car which pre-
Vlously had broken down on the road
Later in the day She went to York
with girl friend and the young men
returned to New Freedom with them,
she said.
Ihe defense also sought today to
refute the Identification of Carlton as
the man who purchased 10 gallons of
gasoline at local filling station a short
time before the Sigma Chi fire. leaving
t 50 deposit on a can which later was
1ound IN the fraternity house garage.
Identity Denied.
Carlton was identified the first day of
tne Trial by Charles Kercy, an employe
OF the gas station. but this morning
Columbus Mack, colored, who also was
present at the time the gas was sold
said he could not identify either man
and insisted the larger of the two men
VINO bought the gas was much taller
and heavier than either Smith or
Carlton.
Stanley Dave, colored, houseboy at
tfe fraternity house, was called by the
defense to testify that he had seen
around the place several days before the
flre can similar to the one the Gov
ernment has offered in evidence.
In his testimony yesterday Smith told
how he and his friend, Carlton, we're
sitting in a lunch room near Thomas
on he inc of fI,n ot -
Fried. They left at 3:1o or s:i5 am. am
were In Baltimore at 4:10, and between
4:30 and 5 stopped on the road because
of motor trouble.
The first alarm for the fraternity
house fire here was turned in at 4:20
am.
He caught ride to a garage at Her.
ford, Nd about 60 miles from Wash.
lngton. and brought a mechanic back
with him to fix his car, the defendant
testified.
Identities Confused.
At the conclusion of cross -examina-
tion by Assistant District ATTORNEY
John j. Sirica this morning, Paul Wine.
muller, the mechanic. followed Smith
on the stand. He said he remembered
distinctly the time the youth arrived al
AAo 6oAd6C UNScuoC llC WdS JuSC OptlllIlE
up at his regular hour of $50 am
Winemuller's wife also testified as tc
the time but she said it was Carlton
who came to the garage.
Some confusion between the identity
of the.two defendants developed yester-
Gay also. when a Government witness
Miss Anna May Wiley, waitress at 9
Gunpowder Falls, Nd, restaurant, sale
Carlton had approached her on July II
and asked her '' to do favor for a pal
and IF they say anything to you about
this case, we were here between 43(
and S."
Smith later testified it was he who
talked with Miss Wiley, and claimed ht
said to her IF these people say we ar
rived between 4:30 and 5. I don't sex
how they can try to accuse us of the
fire. He said he referred to remark!
of the owners Of the restaurant. Mr.
and Mrs. Schultz, who fixed the time o.
the boys arrival ct about that hour.