Evening star., 1936-03-18
"FORGETFULNESS"
H|SEY'S DEFENSE
IN MURDER TRIAL
Cant Recall" Is Printers
Answer to GrueIing Cross
Examination.
ADDITIONAL WITNESSES
ON STAND LATER TODAY
Defendant Insists He Was Intent
Only on self-Destruction in
Killing of Girl.
BY ". H. SHIPPEN. Jr.

Drunken forgetfulness was the de-
fense of Charles Frederick Hisey
against a gruelling cross-examination
today as the Governments case
against the 52-year-old printer on a
first-degree murder charge neared a
Jury in District Supreme Court.
The prosecution has demanded the
death penalty for Hisey in what 1t
described as the premeditated murder
of Miss Virgie Rosella Lyttle. 26. a
department store clerk, who roomed
in the Hisey home. at Ala Rittenhouse
street.
II can't remember can't recall,
the defendant kept repeating while
being questioned regarding events lead
ing up to the tragedy. Hisey was
cross-examined for more than an hour
and half by Assistant United States
Attorney Irving Goldstein.
The defense will put on two char
acter witnesses and the prosecution
three rebuttal witnesses this afternoon
before closing arguments are begun.
Testified to "Spree."
Goldstein attempted to show Hisey
could recall more of the circumstances
preceding the tragedy than he was
willing to admit when he took the
stand late yesterday in his own be-
half. At that time, Hisey testified he
had been "on a spree" for week prior
to the shooting, which occurred on the
morning of Augsut 20, and could re-
member only scattered fragments of
what occurred.
Defense Attorney Nugent Dodge
told Justice Daniel w. O'Donoghue
this morning he hoped to prove HiSey
was incapable of premeditating mur-
der because of his drunken condi-
ton.
Hisey reiterated today he could re-
call little of what occurred in his
wife's bed room, where the girl fell
fatally wounded with two bullet
wounds in her body. The defendant
wos positive, however, that he had
reached the peak of despair and was
intent on destroying himself. We in
sisted he had the girl roomer ac-
company him into the upstairs bed
room for the purpose of giving her a
suicide note to deliver to his wife.
Hisey said he also wanted the girl
to persuade his wife to go to work
that day so he could be alone at home
for the purpose of committing suicide.
Clerk Tells of Gun Sale
A clerk in the Rosslyn, Va, pawn
shop where Hisey purchased the death
gun three days before the tragedy
testified Hisey did not appear intoxi-
Gated when he obtained the automatic
Another witness this morning was De-
tective Sergt. John Dalglish of the
homicide squad, who told of talking
to Hisey at the hospital. where he
went for treatment following the
shooting.
Hisey during his direct testimony
yesterday afternoon sketched his
early life in the Army and Navy and
told how the death of his first wife ir
1915 started him to drinking heavily
The Government has sought to show
Hisey was particularly interested" II
Miss Lyttle and shot her during ar
argument over her refusal to accept 9
5000 loan.
This Hisey denied. He said his rela.
tions were friendly with Miss Lyttlt
and were based on mutual respect.
Hisey told the jury he could recall
only fragments of what happened fol
a week prior to the shooting. He re.
called buying the death gun from tht
pawnbroker in Rosslyn, and said HI
intended to destroy himself because
he had despaired Of ever curing him.
self of the drink habit and becoming
a man again"