Evening star., 1936-01-14
GIRL TEST|F|ES
AGAINST ASHCRAFT
Tells of Quarrel at Staying
Trial of Crippled Step
father.

Trial of Crippled Step
father.
Thirteen-year-old Helen Snowden
Ashcraft was the principal witness
this morning against her crippled
stepfather, David L. Ashcraft. As, be-
ing tried in District Supreme Court
for the Staying September IL, of his
son. David, jr.. in their basement
home. 227 Third street.
The character of the evidence Is
such that Justice Daniel w. ODono-
ghue ordered the child taken from the
court room as soon as she finished
her testimony.
Shortly thereafter the Government
rested its case and a recess was taken.
Tells of Quarrel.
Under direct examination by Assist
ant United States Attorney Samuel
Beach the girl testified about the
quarrel between her mother, Mrs.
josephine Ashcraft. and her step
father. Defense Attorney Fred J.
Icenhower, in his cross-examination,
attempted to. prove by the child that
drunken parties went on at the Ash
craft home.
Ashcraft has told police he killed
the boy because he did not wish to
leave him in the custody of Mrs.
Ashcraft. The mans illness had made
it necessary that he enter Gallinger
Hospital, leaving his son in the care
of his wife.
sat in his pillowed wheel-chair, his
eyes closed. Seldom did he seem to
notice what was going on in the court
room.
w. J. Gaylor, the first policeman to
reach the Ashcraft home after the
Staying, said the defendant told him
II just killed my boy. He's better of
in heaven than he IS here"
Gives Account Of Tragedy.
The officer related Ashcrafts ac-
count of the tragedy. He said the
cripple told him he sat in a chair
between the kitchen sink and the
kitchen stove to hold his son over
the gas Jets. When the child was
dead, Gaylor said, Ashcraft turned of
the gas and laid him on q bed in
the other room.
Then Ashcraft said he went back
to the Stove intending to kill him.
SELF" Gaylord continued. But the
gas made him sick, so he turned 1t
of. Then he said he tried to get a
gun and shoot himself, but it wouldn't
60 off,"
The gun, together with the bullets
it contained, one of which bore the
dent made by the firing pin, was Of
fered as evidence.
| The defense is expected this after
noon to present the testimony of two
alienists that Ashcraft is mentally de-
ranged. As rebuttal witnesses, the
Government is prepared to call on DR..
John E. Lind Of st. Elizabeth's Hos
pital and DR.. Joseph Gilbert Of GAL
linger Hospital, both Of whom have ex-
amined Ashcraft.
Ashcraft Weeps.
Ashcraft broke down and wept yes
terday afternoon when Icenhower de-
scribed the defendants love for his
son and told of the actual Staying.
Icenhower told how he bought the
child ice cream and then pondered
for 2 hours before he held him over
q gas jet until he was dead.
Icenhower said he would show that
Ashcraft was the victim Of an ir-
resistible impulse. The attorney said
he would prove Ashcraft has the
mentality of q child 10k years old
by the testimony Of two alienists, DR..
Roger s. Cohen and DR.. Antoine
Schneider.
Mrs. Ashcraft, q small thin woman,
was the only witness yesterday. She
answered questions in shrill voice,
which some times sank to o barely
audible whisper.
as to whether she wished to testify
against her husband, but she finally
took the witness stand.
Telling the story Of their marriage
| in 1928 and their life together, Mrs.
Ashcraft said they we're happy for
Q while.
Then, she said, Ashcraft's condition
grew worse, and he gave up q job
selling pencils on the streets. The
family went on relief, receiving $2l
every two weeks for their room rent,
she related.
She told Of their quarrel the night
before the staying, and how she al
lowed little David to spend the night
with her husband, with whom she
was not living at the time.
Returning to the Third street base
ment apartment the next morning
to take the child to school, she had
| to wait . considerable time for an
answer to her knock, she said. Then
the door was opened.
Tive come to take David to, school, !"
she said.
you've come too late the wife
quoted Ashcraft Is answering.
l. A. n