Evening star., 1934-05-12
MRS. LYTLE SObS
| DENIAL OF Staying
Detective Tells Coroner'S
Jury of Finding Man
StrangIed.

Sobbing convulsively as her hus-
bands necktie was exhibited to a
coroner's jury today, Mrs. Elizabeth
Byrd Lytle, 38, muttered an tndig-
nant denial that she had used the
cravat to strangle him in the base
mens Of their home at 1907 Pennsyl-
vania avenue southeast early yester-
day.
AS Detective Sergt. John c. Dali
gish Of the homicide squad described
to the jury how Mrs. Lytle had been
found sitting beside the PROSTATE body
Of her husband, Samuel L. Lytle, jr,
42-year-old plumber and dance hall
operator, with the middle finger of
her left hand clutching his necktie
so tightly that it was swollen to
twice its normal size, she sobbed:
II didn't do that!"
Repeats Story.
The attractive, brown-haired widow
was questioned extensively last night
by Detective Sergt. George E. Dar-
nall, chief of the homicide squad. who
reported she clung to her original
story Of the strangling.
In her first statement. made to De-
tective Sergt. Dalglish soon after her
husbands body was found, Mrs. Lytle
said:
She returned home shortly before
nightfall from a neighborhood deli
catessen, where she had spent most
of the afternoon, drinking beer with
girl friend. She and her husband
talked for while: then he took her
hand and suggested they go down
into the cellar together Downstairs,
he lay on the concrete floor, between
the furnace and the coal bin. and
pulled her to a sitting position beside
him.
When she discovered he was uncon-
scicus she tried to free herself, but
he still held her hand in a viselike
grip. She screamed and beat on the
coal bin with a furnace shaker, finally
attracting the attention of her next
door neighbors, Harry and Lena
Odell. who summoned police.
Police found Lytle lying face down.
ward. with his necktie looped around
the middle finger of his wife's left
hand. The cravat was pulled so
tightly around Lytle's neck that it
was buried in the flesh. 1t was cut
of by DR.. William H. Beard. who
accompanied an Emergency Hospital
ambulance to the home.
Examination of Lytle's body dis
closed, according to DR.. Macdonald.
that one of his ears had been cut.
and his wife's arms also bore
scratches and bruises. Both of her
hands were black and swollen" the
coroner said.
Broken Bottle Found.
In the cellar, police pointed out
were signs there had been a struggle
including two broken whisky bottles.
one of which had been smashed
against the furnace, and a pencil
sharpener, which had been wrenched
from its screws. A large butcher
knife was found on a table in Lytle's
Office. in the front part of the cellar,
but police said there was no evidence
it had any connection with the case.
Mrs. Lytle's story of her visit to
the delicateSsen was confirmed by
Joseph C. Tolson, 1886 E street SOUTH
east. an employe of the establish
ment. He contradicted her statement
she had gone home at dusk, however,
asserting she had stayed in the place
until IL pm, or later.
Lytle, who had plumbing office
in the 1000 block Of K street, also
conducted a dance hall in Congress
Heights. He and his wife had been
married about l8 years, according to
members of his family.