Evening star., 1935-09-13
ASHCRAFT IS HELD.
in SONS MURDER
AFTER BREAKDOWN
Cripple Unable to Continue
Testimony After Con-
Tossing Crime.
CORONER'S JURY TOLD
LOVE FOR DEAD CHILD
Unfaithfulness Charged to Wife,
Who Sobs in Refusing to
Testify Against Him.

David Ashcraft, 45-year-old cripple
was held for the grand jury toda!
after he had sobbed out before a cor
oner's jury a full confession to tht
murder of his only child, David, jr., 5
Ashcraft made a voluntary state
ment in which he professed his lov'
for his son and sought to justify the
act through fear for the boys future
After telling how he held his sleep.
ing son over two open gas jets in theil
basement room at 227 Third street
early yesterday. the cripple broke
down and sobbed so violently he coule
not continue. The jury then consid'
cred the case and ordered him held.
Says Wife Is Unfaithful.
Ashcraft, destitute, victim Of par
alysis and tuberculosis, told the jury
his wife was unfaithful and he feared
to intrust young David to her care.
The wife. Mrs. Josephine Ashcraft,
80. sat near her husband and heard
the accusations with sad shake OF
her heard. She previously had re-
fused to testify against her husband.
Asked by Coroner A. Magruder Mac
Donald II she wished to take the
stand, Mrs. Ashcraft replied between
sobs:
mo. it's all in Gods hands now"
Testimony Voluntary.
The coroner explained to Ashcraft
he need not take the stand unless he
wished to make statement. Ashcraft
replied: II want to say few words. "
Ashcraft told his story from the de-
fendant's seat beside a policeman after
the coroner excused him from taking
the raised witness stand because Of
his crippled legs.
The cripple leaned toward the jury:
IT did this thing, men. because my
wife has 7-week old baby by another
man. She and the man went out to-
gether, night after night, through our
basement room. I stayed home and
cared for our baby boy. She left us
without food. I would have had Moth
ing to eat If my landlady hadn't given
me something now and then.
"She took my, boy away from me
Monday night. He was all I had.
When I finally got him back I made
up my mind might as well end US
both"
Unable to Continue.
Here he broke down and had to be
led from the room.
The 14-year-old stepdaughter of the
accused man, Helen Ashcraft, told
how she, her mother and young David
went to stay with a friend in the 1900
block of Twelfth street Monday night
in an effort to force Ashcraft to 90
to the hospital. The girl said Ash
craft sent word pleading for the re-
turn of David for a brief time, and
promised to 60 to the hospital on
that condition. She said she took her
half-brother to Ashcraft's room Weo-
nesday afternoon, and the man prom.
ised to 60 to the hospital the next
morning.
The little girl told how she, her
mother, her Stepfather and yourg
half-brother had lived for more than
year In the one basement room.
She said her mother wished to get
them away for fear both Of tubercular
infection and violence at Ashcraft's
hands.
The landlady, Mrs. Sue Fleming,
told how the mother came to the
rooming house early yesterday to pre-
pare her son for kindergarten and
found her husband seated beside the
body Of the boy. The police were
called and Ashcraft awaited them,
no effort to deny his guilt.
The cripple told how the gas failed
to put him out and then tried to
shoot himself with a gun which would
not fire. Policemen told the jury the
hammer had been snapped on car
tridges which did not explode In the
cheap revolver.
It was testified that the coroner's
autopsy yesterday showed the child
died of Illuminating gas poisoning.