Evening star., 1938-05-19
WAMPLERS SEEK
/. ANOTHERA AUTOPSY
Hope to Find Evidence to
Challenge Charges in
Death of Adams.
BY a STAFF Correspondent OF The Star.

LA PLATA. Md, May 9-Attomeys
for Mr.. and Mrs. T. Morris Wampler,
facing trial next week on manslaughter
indictments charging they killed
Charles Adams. 71-year-old handy
man" on their estate, planned to seek
authority today for new post-mortem
examination of Adams body in the
hope of finding evidence to challenge
the States contention he was beaten
to death.
Their move followed disclosure that
States Attorney Edward j. Edelen
had the body of Adams, who died on
April % and was buried without a
complete autopsy being performed,
disinterred from it's resting place in
Bumpy Oak Cemetery on May 10 for
a secret autopsy.
It was learned that the report Of
DR.. Howard F.. Maldeis. Baltimore,
city post-mortem physician, who per-
formed the autopsy for the State, at
tributed death to bruises, abrasions
and cuts about the head and body,
followed by cerebral hemorrhage.
He also found Adams had suffered
from an enlarged heart.
Change of Venue Hinted.
Mr.. Edelen said he would be glad
to furnish the defense with copy
of DR.. Maldeis' report. John Mudd
and Gwynn Bowie, attorneys for the
Wamplers, indicated, however, that
they would insist upon the right to
exhume Adams body again for
another autopsy, because they were
given no opportunity to be present
at the original post-mortem exam
ination.
After a conference at noon with
Judges Joseph M. Mattingly and Will
liam M. Loker and Mr. Edelen. Mr.
Mudd and Mr.. Bowie said they would
file a petition in the Charles County
Circuit Court later today asking the
necessary authority for disinterring
the body again Immediately. 1t was
understood. however, that the petit
ton would not be acted upon until
tomorrow or possibly Monday.
The defense attorneys also were
considering asking for a change Of
venue, on the contention that Mr..
and Mrs. Wampler could not receive
fair and impartial trial. in Charles
County.
Wampler, once prominent criminal
attorney in Washington whose career
ended when he was sentenced to Fed
eral prison for Is months on income
tax charges in 1888. and his wife, Wy
vii, pleaded not guilty yesterday to in
dictments charging they did feloni-
ously kill" Adams.
Charges Reduced.
The grand jury action reduced the
charges against them to manslaughter,
for which the maximum penalty on
conviction is 10 years in prison. They
had been held on murder warrants.
Wampler was at liberty under $4,000
bond and his wife under $1,000 bond
pending their trial No date for the
trial had been fixed today, but it was
expected to begin next week unless a
change of venue is granted.
The grand jury returned no indict-
ment against Alan Buck, 26-year-old
author of children's books and neigh
Dor of the Wamplers, clearing him OF
murder charges on which he had been
| held with them for action of the grand
jury.
| At the request of Mr.. Edelen, how
ever, Circuit Court Judge Joseph M.
Mattingly ordered Buck held under
$500 bond as q State witness. He
had been held in jail since his arrest,
without any attempt to gain his lib
erty on bond. He posted bond today,
however, and was released.
Welcome Relief.
Buck, who told investigators he and
the Wamplers exchanged blows with
Mr.. Adams in a "free-f -for-all' fight
that broke out when Mr.. Adams in
suited Mrs. Wampler during drink
ing party at the Wamper home. said
the grand jury action clearing him
was welcome relief and insisted
he had not been promised immunity
to turn States witness.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wampler have in
sisted they could not remember de-
tails of the fight described by BUCK
and did not know how Mr.. Adams
died. The body of the elderly one
eyed "handyman" was discovered or
bench in a garden at the rear of the
Wampler home at Fenwick, Md, with
Wampler lying in stupor beside the
bench, about two hours after Bucl
said the fist hght occurred there.