Evening star., 1935-04-20
LYDDANE HEARING
ON PLOT CHARGE
MARKEDLY CLASH
Detective First Witness
Against Pair in Rock
vile Court.
DEFENSE DEMANDING
SHOWDOWN ON COUNT
Women Are Predominant in
Court Room Packed With
Fellow Townsmen.
BY w. II. SHIPPEN, JR.,

ROCKVILLE, Nd, April 20-Mrs.
Anne Lyddane and John Martin
Boland entered upon a preliminary
hearing today before a packed court
room on charges Of conspiring to
assassinate Mrs Lyddane's husband.
Francis Lyddane.
Spirited clashes between defense and
States attorney marked the examina-
ton of the first witness. Detective
James McAuliffe, who swore out the
warrants against Mrs. Lyddane and
Boland
The court room was packed to ca
pacity with her fellow townsmen as
the defense demanded a showdown OF
the State charges that the young
woman plotted to do away with her
husband. Francis Lyddane.
A predominantly feminine audience
filled every seat, aisle and available
space at least half an hour before the
preliminary hearing opened before
Police Court Judge Donald A. De Lash
mutt in the Montgomery County
Court House.
Bailiffs and county policemen had
to close the court room to further
spectators All men who entered we're
searched for concealed cameras.
Separate Hearings Asked.
Prescott asked a separate hearing
In each of two separate charges Of
conspiracy. James H. Pugh, States
Attorney, objected on ground that two
offenses arose out of the same trans
action.
The court then said it would be
very difficult to mix the cases and
asked which case the State wished to
take up first.
The Lyddane and John Mostin
Boland case" Pugh responded.
Judge Delashmutt then ordered Mrs.
Lyddane and Boland to stand up.
Mrs. Lyddane stood alone. Slender
and we'll tailored. she wore her dark
suit and small Spring hat with an air
of distinction and dignity. Beyond
an expression of harrassment. she
showed no sign of emotion
Boland Brought From Jail.
Boland, however. was not in court,
and had to be Brought from the jail.
He also was ordered to stand and
hear the joint charge that they had
conspired to murder Mrs. Lyddane's
husband.
Both demanded a preliminary hear
Ing.
When the trial opened Lyddane sat
beside his wife. Ruddy. handsome
and blond, he was dressed in a new
gray suit and neat gray cravat.
Mrs. Lyddane was represented by
State Senator Stedman Prescott and
Attorneys Robert Peter and Kenneth
Lyddane.
Legal Tilt Develops.
A sharp legal tilt developed over the
admissibility of the testimony of the
first witness, Detective James Nc
Auliffe, who swore to the warrants.
Prescott objected to what he de-
scribed as a hearsay summary of the
States case by McAuliffe while wit
nesses referred to and the alleged con-
fessions of Mrs. Lyddane's accusers
could be produced.
Pugh then said:
These are our charges, and II the
defense will leave me alone we'll clear
them up
A burst of applause followed this
statement and the judge threatened
to clear the court room If there were
further demonstrations.
McAuliffe testified he went to Wash
ington accompanied by fellow officer
on March 6 and obtained information
which led him to shadow Mrs. Lyd-
dane.
He told how he saw Mrs. Lyddane
60 to Lincoln Way Inn here on March
% and return to her apartment and
how he followed Mrs. Lyddane and
her husband to Annapolis. Under
cross-examination he admitted there
vas nothing unusual in Mrs Lyd-
danes action on either of these occa-
sions.
Payment of $200 Alleged.
McAuliffe quoted Carnell as saying
he received 5000 from Mrs. Lyddane
ut Lincoln Way Inn as a down pay
ment to Boland for killing Lyddane
or having it done. McAuliffe testified
he found SITS on Mrs. Lyddane at the
time of her arrest. She explained she
planned to buy a baby bond or an
automobile for her husband. Nc
Auliffe was on the stand an hour and
Q half.
The second witness was Detective
Joseph Nolte, the Montgomery County
oficer who investigated the case with
6ergt. McAuliffe.
While Nolte was on the stand, Pugh
read Bolands confession which said
in effect that he received $50 from
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