The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-06-15
DEFENSE HITS
At EX-CONV|CT
WITNESSES
Defendant Leans on Mate AS
Lawyers Make Their Final
Pleas in Plot Trial
CONTINUED from Page y


crowded with perspiring, tanning
farm women. And beside them
sat the dainty wives of some Of
Montgomery county's most prom
tnent men. They wore their cool
trocks to the court today, but even
that attire could not overcome the
Suffocating heat of the room.
This jury that must judge the
slender woman, the former bank
secretary, the woman who admits
her indiscretion with Arthur w.
Beall, Jamestown Lothario, is
composed Of men. That is Mary,
land law.
They relaxed in their cushioned
leather chairs, gazed first at the
opposing counsel or at Mrs. Lyd'
dane. Five of them have NOUS
taches. the rest are clean-shaven.
One wears his hair in bangs
down his forehead-a slip Of a
man in his late forties.
Jurors PerSpire
Another brushes his hand over
the perspiring head where his
air sould be. One looks stern,
anoter pays little attention, and
one gazes out the window where
storm clouds gather above the
green trees Of the courthouse
lawn as if he would like to be
back on his farm.
In their chambers, these IL men
all good men and true, as State
and defense decided them so-will
pass judgment on Anne Lyddane
or fail to agree upon a verdict.
They probably would have to re-
main in the stuffy jury room for
at least "a hours before they could
report a deadlock.
And Anne Lyddane sits with her
husband, her gray-haired father
and her sisters, Mae Lyddane and
Helen Mclaughlin - in a family
group-charged with plotting to
kill.
Late last night, in a crowded
court room, Francis "Slom" Lyd-
dane, alleged to have been the
intended victim of the alleged
murder plot, told a tired jury and
three trial judges his story of his
life with the woman to whom he
is married.
Last Defense Witness
Unlike testimony he gave at the
preliminary hearings some weeks
ago, "Slom" said he was living
with Anne as man and wife. He
told of paying the premiums on
his $4,000 life insurance policy
the policy that the State has con-
tended was one Of the motives for
the murder plot.
Lyddane was the last witness for
the defense. It was the trump
card of Anne Lyddane.
Accused of plotting to kill her
husband, she called her husband
to the stand to say that he was
living with her and to further tes-
tify in her behalf.
Mrs. Lyddane previously had
testified that she supported "Slom"
for yearS-that she had been the
sole support of them both.
She said that when she was
arrested she had SITS in her bag
and it was part of the money
she had drawn from the bank to
buy a "baby bond" but that she
had changed her mind about the
security because she wanted to
buy her husband car.
To the stand the defense called
J. Newton Baker, who called him.
self an expert on typewriting and
handwriting.
Mr.. Baker had been called by
the defense to say that the so
called "Googy" note was not writ
ten on Anne Lyddane's typewriter
as contended by the State.
The prosecution had introduced
testimony to show that Mrs. Lyd-
dane had written the note to John
"Googy" CARMEL, self styled go.
between for the defendant and
John Martin Boland, with whom
it is said she plotted the killing.
The note written to "Googy"
demanded that he hasten the deal.
Quizzed by Court
Defense counsel, however, called
Mr.. Baker, long of hair and ner-
vouS of hand, to say that Mrs.
Lyddane could not have written
the misSive. But in the midst Of
questioning Mr.. Baker ran afoul
of Judge Charles w. Woodward
who forced him to admit that
there were many similaritieS be-
tween the original "Googy" note
and the copy made on Mrs. Lyd-
danes typewriter.
Then Mr.. Baker admitted that
some samples he had pasted on
cardboard to show a difference in
spacing on the typewriters had
not been spaced correctly.
Character witnesses thereafter
filed steadily to the stand.