The Washington times., 1936-01-14
DAUGHTER, "A,
SENT HOME
BY JUDGE
ParaIytic's Statement
Read to the Jury in
Criminal Court

his five-year-old son last sep
TENDER.
Ashcraft. ordered to Gallinger
Hospital for treatment for an in
durable malady, held his sleeping
son in his arms and turned on
the gas jets in a squalid basement
apartment in the 200 block Of
Third st. N. W., until the child
was overcome, according to his
statement read to the jury shortly
before the Government rested the
case.
He Missed Death
1t was revealed that Ashcraft
had intended taking his own life
at the same time but through
some strange freak Of circum-
stances the gas did not affect him
fatally.
Helen snowden Ashchraft, II
year-old step-daughter Of the de-
PENDANT, was a principal witness
today.
Unable to tell the court the
school grade in which she is
placed, the girl admitted on cross
examination of Chief Defense
Counsel Fred ]. Icenhower that
beer and wine were customary re-
freShments at the home of her
parents, who have been on relief
for long time.
At the conclusion Of the girls
testimony, she stepped into the
space in the courtroom reserved
for spectators, but so tawdry had
been the testimony in the case
that Justice Daniel w. O'Donoghue
directed marShalS to remove her
from the courtroom.
Ordered Home
When the attendants appeared
to misunderstood the courts di-
rection, Justice O'Donoghue called
to the girl and, pointing to the
courtroom door. said:
"YOu 90 home"
Shortly before the government
rested its case, Assistant United
States Attorney Samuel F.
Beach read to the jury Ash
crafts voluntary statement made
to Homicide Squad Detective
Clyde N. Strange at the time of
his arrest. The statement reads:
"AbOut 4 a. m. this morning.
September IL, 1885, just me
and my boy. David AShcraft,
were in the front room Of the
basement at 227 Third St.. S.
w. David's haIf.sister, Helen,
brought him down to 227
Third st. yesterday afternoon
to see me before went back
to Gallinger Hospital. / was
on the waiting list Of the T.
B. Ward at that hospital.
"Helen left David with me
and went back where she was
staying. About p. m. last
night Helen and Josephine
AShcraft, my wife, came back
to get David and 1 grabbed
ahold Of him and wouldn't let
her have him. They then
left. My wife, Josephine, told
me that she would be down
this morning to get David and
it was then that I made up
my mind that I was going to
turn the gas on the both Of
uS-David and I.
TURNED ON GAS
"About 1880 p. m. last night.
David put his pajamas on and he
was getting ready to 90 to bed,
and he told me that he wanted
some ice cream. Then he put his
clothes on over his pajamaS and
I took him down to the corner
of Second and G Streets South
west and he got a nickel box Of
ice cream and then 1 brought
him back home and then David
sat in my arms in the big chair
which I backed between the gas
stove and the sink. David went
to sleep in my arms. About 3
O'Clock this morning, September
IL, 1885, turned the two gas
lets on the gas stove while David
was in my arms asleep.
"After David passed away I
held him for about an hour
and then I did not feel the
effects of the gas until went
to get up. and then 1 laid
David in the same chair at the
side of me and then / went to
get up and 1 fell right on the
floor close to the sink and that's
where / laid for about . half
hour or so. Then I pulled the
chair that David was in over
across the room to David's cot.
Then sat OnNDavid's bed and
reached over andgOt David from
the chair and put him in bed
ana covered him up Then I =,
sat down in the big chair for 4.
ABOUT two hours and then 1
heard my wife, JOsev. line, out.
SIDE talking to the landlady.
Ihen she came to my door and
raped and I let her in and she
told me she wanted her baby
ana then 1 said to her We'll,
Josephine, you can blame it ali
on yourself. your baby is dead
and then she looked at the habv
ana saw 1t was the truth and
men she ran upstairs to the
landlady, Mrs. Fleming,
WHY HE DID IT
Then the Iandlady came
dOWn' herself. to see If my wife
was kidding. and then Mrs.
Fleming asked me what I had
uOne 1t for, and then l told Mrs.