Evening star., 1938-06-18


allotD CaDe road this morning be
bride she ,0ould haze seen such
the house in the 1000 block of Monroe
street NE, where his estranged wife
roomed.
The statement said Lands blew his
horn and the young woman came
downstairs and got into the car.
The couple drove to Mount Rainier
and on toward Hyattsville, turning
about after they agreed Lands was
to borrow the money for the bills and
she would allow him to pay her $40
instead of $45 . month in separate
maintenance ordered by the District
Court.
The couple drove back Rhode
Island avenue, into Eastern avenue,
and to Taylor street NE. As the
car turned into Twenty fourth street,
the statement said, Mrs. Lands seemed
frightened and asked her husband
what he had in his jacket.
She feared he had a gun. Lands,
1t was said, made move to open his
coat to show the girl he was unarmed.
Tells Of Leap.
She became panic-stricken and
opened the door as If to Jump accord
ing to the statement. The fireman,
1t was said, had slowed down for
some bumps in the road, but seeing
his wife about to leap, speeded up in
an effort to stop her At this time,
1t was said, Mrs. Lands plunged from
the car, striking her head on the
right rear bumper. Lands stopped
the car, backed up and got out. The
statement quoted him as saying he
found his wife lying in the street,
with her head In a pool of blood.
He said he picked her up and got
blood On his hands and clothing.
Becoming frightened. the statement
continued, Lands recalled he was sup
posed to be on duty at the fire station.
He drove away and left the woman
lying in the street. When he got back
to the fire station. it wais said, his
mind seemed to clear" He thought
Of going back to his wife's assistance,
but realized he would not have time.
Lands then cleaned his clothing of
the blood and washed his hands. Later
q fellow fireman saw him up and asked
II anything was wrong. 1t was some
time after this that Lands received
call to come to the hospital to identify
his wife.
In response to questions, Lands, the
Rf n fAHA Asaf pAx%ljAA hA -.
wife had not quarreled. He explained
that he was married In November of
1896 and went to live with his mother
after he separated from his wife about
August.
How many times did you see your
wife after the separation?" he was
asked
"Spasmodically," was the reply,
sometimes two or three times a week
and then not for two or three weeks"
Lands, the statement said, esti-
mated he had seen his wife 20 or 80
times since the separation.
The statement continued:
Lands was shown part Of a mans
sock and asked If he ever saw it be-
fore. The sock was found near where
Mrs. Lands was injured. He replied
he had seen the sock.
"Where?"
In the f1rehouse about two weeks
ago. filled 1t with sand" He said
he took the sand from a box used by
a cat, which was a pet Of firemen,
filled the sock and tied the open end.
did you carry the sand bag in your
carr"
yes. for protection against hold
up men,"
He said he usually kept the weapon
under the back seat of his car. He
said the last time he saw the sock
1t was In one piece, and denied hav-
ing broken the material.
Did you beat your wife with the
sandbag?"
NO" Lands replied.
How did it get out of the carr"
Il don't know" Lands was quoted
As replying, unless 1t fell out q door
when l stopped on the street." He
denied that he knew how blood stains
got on the bag.
Lands then was shown a Jagged.
blood-stained stone found at the scene.
Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald and
his two deputies during the trial had
testified the stone fit into fatal wounds
IN Mrs. Lands head, and that in their
opinion she was beaten to death by it.
The doctors added that they were
convinced Mrs. Lands could not have
been injured in the manner which
brought about her death II she had
fallen from q car.
Said He Never Saw Stone.
did you hit your wife with this
stone?" Lands was asked. His re-
ply was, NO" He denied that he
ever saw the stone before, or another
found on the street, also spotted with
blood.
He also denied he had hit Mrs. Lam
dis with a As automatic found in his
car. Testimony was to the effect that
the gun had blood on it. Lands said
ne Kept the gun IN glove compart-
ment OF his Car, and had bought 1t
Tor use In the National Guard,
In response to q question Is to why
he did not tell about being out with
ms wife when Intercepted the first
time, Lands explained. police said,
he was afraid Of the consequences"
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