The Washington times., 1938-06-27
'ROW-SLAYING
TRIAL OPENS
+ OR WAMPLER
Author to Testify
Against Attorney
BY CARROLL PEEKE
Times Staff Correspondent

Times Staff Correspondent
LA PLATA, Md, June 27-Cen-
trail figure in hundreds of trials as
one of Washington's best-known
attorneys, T. Morris Wampler to-
day fought to save himself and his
wife from long prison terms as
their trial on charges of man.
slaughter opened in Circuit Court
here.
The Wamplers are charged with
beating to death Charles Adams,
IS, handyman on the Wampler
summer place at Fenwick on the
Potomac, April 20, last.
ADVISES COUNSEL
Alert and seemingly self-confi.
dent, Wampler scanned the faces
of the farmers and small town
merchants summoned to try him
and constantly advised his at
torneys as they challenged 80 pros
pective jurors.
After II men had taken their
seats in the jury box, the panel
was exhausted and Sheriff
Howard Russell was sent out to
summons additional Jurors from
the streets. He returned in half
an hour and the jury was com.
pleted.
BOTH CONFIDENT
Before Chief Judge Walter
Mitchell and his associates, M. C.
Loker and Joseph M. Mattingly
assembled to the bench, Wampler
told reporters:
II am confident we will be
acquitted. Mr.. Adams was a
close friend of ours and neither
of us would have injured him
in any way. His death was
great shock to U.s..
Its absurd to think we
would have injured that old
man." said Mrs. Wampler.
The State contends that Adams
was killed during a drunken brawl
and will rely largely on the testi-
mony Of Alan Buck, 26. author Of
children'S stories, who was guest
at the Wampler home that day
and took part in the fight.
The defense, which is being
handled by Attorneys John Mudd
of La Plata and Gwynn Bowie Of
Upper Marlboro, will contend
that the elderly man died from
natural causes and not from any
blows struck during the fight.
To strengthen their case, de-
fense attorneys secured a court
order and had the body of Adams
exhumed and an autopsy per.
formed by their own physicians.
Results of this autopsy have not
been disclosed.
Wampler had steadfastly denied
that there was any fight at his
: home, and claims he does not re-
member anything that happened
: that day.
Mrs. Wyvil Wampler admitted
that there was some sort Of a dis
: turbance and that she saw fists
/ flying" but did not know who
5 struck who.
States Attorney Edward Edelen,
who is handling the prosecution,
is relying largely on the testimony
). of Buck, who admits that he
struck the first blow in the braWl.
V Buck was charged with murder
e when he and the Wamplers were
j., arrested several days after the
death of Adams.
! The grand jury later returned
/ indictments charging the Wamp-
lerS with manSlaughter, but ig.
nored the charges against Buck,
and he agreed to become a wit
Y ness for the state.
= Buck declared that Adams made
! an insulting remark about Mrs.
e Wampler while the four were
: drinking. Buck struck Adams. he
admitted, and claimed that then
! the Wamplers both jumped on the
= old man.
Wampler was convicted Of VIOLA
l tion of the income tax laws and
D.. sentenced to 10 months in prison
| in 1884. It was while he was
serving his sentence that his first
wife died. He was released from
prison temporarily on a writ Of
habeas corpus, and it was while
, he was out that he secretly mar
ried his present wife.
Since his release from prison
f they have been living at the Fen.
= wick place.