Evening star., 1936-10-06
LANDLORD IS HELD
FOR JURY |NDEATH
Widow Breaks Down at In
quest in Telling of Staying
by Stanton.

Treasury file clerk, today was being
held for grand jury action in the
death Of Ray E. Childress, 35-year-
old taxicab driver. fatally shot by
Stanton, his landlord, in an evic-
tion quarrel Friday night. A coro-
ner's jury ordered him held after
hearing three hours testimony yes
terday.
Childress, whose 22-year widow
and five young children were left
virtually destitute by his death, was
to be buried today Funeral and
burial expenses will be paid by the
undertaken and the taxicab company
which employed him.
Stanton claimed self-defense. TAX
ing the stand at the inquest, he said
the cab driver, a muscular, 240-
pound 6-footer, attacked him with a
board after he had attempted to
evict him for non-payment OF Sll
rent.
Emotion Overcomes Widow.
Mrs. Childress testified her husband
had simply sought to knock STAN
tons gun from his hand. Sobbing
throughout her testimony. she broke
down completely when she reached
the climax of her story. A brief
intermission was called as she raised
her heavy black veil and dabbed her
streaming eyes with her handker-
chief.
Il heard four shots" she finally
managed to continue in a muffied
tone. Two of them hit my husband.
He plunged upon the bed and lay
half off Of it. I fell on my knees
and called to him, but he didn't an
swer I wanted to help him. but
couldn't. I pulled at him to try to
make him comfortable. His body
was too heavy for me to move.
Wont somebody help me?'
cried. Then Mr.. Stantons wife
helped me to turn my husbands
body over. His eyes became fixed.
and I found that he had been shot
in the chest. I knew then he was
gone"
Stanton told the coroner,s jury that
Childress not only was in arrears
with his rent, but had used profanity
around the premises and was dis
turbing element.
Childress' widow said they paid 81
week for their small basement
bed room and partial use Of the
kitchen, and were only 10 days behind
with the rent. Furthermore, she
testified, Stanton had failed to grant
their request to install screen doors
and place a rug on the floor.
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert L. Ratterree,
who occupied a top floor in Stan
tons house. testified that five min
utes before the shooting Stanton
asked them if they had heard Chill
dress use profanity during an argu-
ment. Ratterree said he had not.
He quoted Stanton as saying, Cant
you stretch a point and say you heard
Childress use profanity"
Stanton admitted this, explaining
he merely wished to prove Childress
had broken the peace and could be
evicted by police.
The landlord stated he had sought
advice at police headquarters several
hours prior to the shooting He
asked Detective Sergt. jeremiah Fla
herty of the homicide squad how he
could legally evict Childress.
Flaherty Tells Of Advice.
Flaherty testified he advised STAN
ton that If the roomer were in fur
nished quarters he could be locked out,
and to call police if the tenant tried
to re-enter by force. Flaherty added
that this procedure was all right
only if the tenant was absent from
the premises. He said he was under
the impression Childress was a single
man, and that he would not have
given such advice If he had known
the cab driver was married and the
father of five children.
Mrs. Childress was in the kitchen
when she heard Stanton mailing up
her door. She said she ran for her
husband. who put his shoulder
against the blocked entrance and
crashed through it.
Stanton testified: He charged in
like lion jumping through paper
ring. He wrenched a board from
some shelves and lunged toward me.
My escape was cut of. I retreated
as far as I could and shot once. Chill
dress came on. He aimed a blow at
me, hitting my shoulder. I was
either knocked or fell to the floor.
fired at least two shots while lying
on my back. One of them entered
the ceiling over my head. I did not
know any shot had taken effect until
Childress swung around and fell half
way across the bed"
Mrs, Stanton confirmed her hus-
bands story that he was threatened
by the board Childress held before
he picked up his gun. She said it
was q question of ChildreSs' life or