Evening star., 1936-04-06
MYERS SENTENCED
TO LIFE IN PRISON
Wilson Slayer, Denied New
Trial, Linked in Baltimore
Murder Probe.
BY JACK ALLEN,
stan Correspondent of The Star.

Staf Correspondent OF The star.
ROCKVILLE, Md, April 6.-Ernest
w. Myers, Baltimore gangster. was
sentenced to life Imprisonment for
the Staying Of Allen B. Wilson, in the
Montgomery County Circuit Court To-
day as his name became linked with
o second murder investigation.
Sentence was imposed Immediately
after the court had rejected a motion
for a new trial and upheld the nnding
of the jury that three days ago pro-
nounced Meyers guilty Of the mis-
taken identity" murder OF the wash
ington newspaper route agent.
The plea for q new trial for Myers,
who was revealed today as one OF
gangster trio Baltimore detectives be-
lieve responsible for the fatal shoot
ing of Patrolman John Blank during
q hold-up in that city, was made by
Attorney F. Barnard Welsh OF Rock
vile.
Defense Plea Basis.
Welsh based his plea on the con-
tention that the testimony of William
Cleary, Philadelphia gunman, who
turned States evidence in the Wilson
staying in return for immunity, went
uncorroborated except for the state
ment of a colored man who said he
saw Myers in Washington "two or
three times about IS months ago"
The attorney further charged that
the presence Of the heavily armed
police guard in the court house dur
ing the trial removed the ''presump-
ton of law that man is innocent
until proven guilty"
Chief Judge Hammond Urner con-
ferred briefly with Associate Judges
Charles w. Woodward and Arthur D.
Willard after Welsh had concluded
and then announced that the court
would need to hear no arguments on
the part of the State.
Addressing the defendant, who sat
quietly beside his attorney through
out the proceedings, Judge Urner
asked:
do you have anything to say be-
fore sentence is pronounced?"
Myers, without arising. replied that
he had not.
The judge then announced the SEN
tence of life imprisonment in the
State penitentiary.
Mandatory Sentence.
The sentence was mandatory un-
der the jury's findings of guilty of
first-degree murder without capital
punishment.
Myers was led back to his cell in
the jail atop the Rockville Court
House, where he will be held until
Attorney General Homer S. Cum
mings determines whether the Bal
timore gangster will be released at
this time to serve the life sentence.
The Baltimore man, who was con-
fined at the Lorton Reformatory for
a Federal offense. was loaned" to the
State of Maryland for the duration
Of his trial
If Attorney General Cummings rules
he must serve out his time at Lorton
detainer will be placed against him
and he will be taken to the State
Penitentiary at Baltimore after he has
finished his sentence at the reforma-
tory.
1t is not believed. however, that any
difficulty will be experienced in OBJ
tanning Myers.
1t was said in Baltimore today that
an effort will be made to bring Myers
to trial there for the murder of
Patrolman Blank, but States Attorney
James H. Pugh declared Myers will
not be released to authorities in Balti-
more until after other members of the
gang that murdered Wilson are brought
to trial.
Cumberland Trial April Is.
This was taken to mean that Pugh
may present Myers as a witness when
two other Wilson case defendants,
Albert S. Sutton and Albert NC
Dermott, alias John slim" Dunn, are
tried at Cumberland on April 13.
Sutton and McDermott were
granted venue changes in the Circuit
Court last week. Myers had planned
to ask for a change of venue also, but
withdrew his request over the objec-
ton of counsel and elected to stand
trial at once in the local court.
The Baltimore staying with which
authorities are endeavoring to con-
meet Myers occurred on the night of
February IL, 1884, eight months be-
fore Wilson was shot down at Takoma
Park, Md. by gangsters lying in wait
for Edward G. (Mickey) Mcdonald,
well-known Washington gambler.