Evening star., 1938-02-25
WIFE Of STANTON
TELLS0F Staying
Husband Fired After He Was
Attacked, She Says, in
Describing Fight.

Mrs. Catharine B. Stanton told a
District Court jury today that her hus-
band, Donald K. Stanton, jr., acted
in self-defense when he shot Ray Z.
Childress, IS, taxicab driver, last Oc-
tober 2. The defendant was expected
to testify this afternoon.
Speaking in a slow, Southern drawl,
Mrs. Stanton said Childress had
struck her husband to the floor with
. heavy board and was standing over
him when the fatal shots were fired.
Stanton was Childress' landlord at
SO New York avenue N. E., where the
tragedy occurred following q dispute
over rent.
The au-male jury was told by the
defendants wife that Childress had
acogsed Him of attempting to raise
the rent he paid for. his basement
apartment where he lived with hi.
wife and five children. She explained
today the increase was because she
was providing him with an additional
room.
Childress was cursing and swear
ing and ripping and roaring at the
top OF his voice, so Mr.. Stanton left
to get the police" she said. The
police did not return with Stanton.
she continued. She said her husband
then boarded up the Childress apart
ment while Childress was away. Soon
Chlldress returned and began beating
on the door, the witness testified
stanton. from inside the apartment
called to her to summon police, Mrs
Stanton related, and she did so, get
ting back just in time to see the cab
driver smash in the door.
Says Husband Struck Down.
He snatched up q board and hit
Mr. Stanton on the shoulder, knock
Ing him down." she said. Then
Childress leaped toward Mr.. Stanton
and stood over him"
Her husband was holding his re-
volver' straight upward pointed toward
the ceiling when he fired the hrs,
shot, Mrs. Stanton declared. There
were two or three other shots, she
declared.
She told the jury the police arrived
Immediately after the shooting and
her husband showed them where he
had placed the gun.
More than-a dozen witnesses testi.
ned late yesterday, after the Gov.
eminent had rested, that Stanton had
An excellent reputation for peace
and tuthfulness. A number of them
were from the defendants forme,
home, Marlboro County, S. c., anc
others were men and women who
had worked with him in the Pro.
curement Division of the Treasury
where he was employed at the time
Of the shooting.
Testify sn Defendants Character.
Among others who testified rs t.
the DEFENDANTS character were r. w
Nettles, clerk in the ONCE Of Rep
resentative Allard H. Gasque Of South
Carolina, and Gustav Slight, secre-
tary to the House Pensions Com
mittee.
The principal Government witness
was Mrs. Ruth M. Childress, n, WHIT
told between sohs Of her husbands
death.
She said Stanton shot Childress
after the latter had forced his way
into his own apartment, which STAN
ton had boarded up in an attempt
to eject the family. She told the
jury that she stood in the doorway
with her 2-month-old baby in hel
arms and watched while her husband
was slain.
Others put on the stand by As
sistant United States Attorneys
Charles B. Murray and William Hit
included Policemen John r. Wallace
and william J. Webb Of the second
precinct, who were the first officers
on the scene, and Detective Sergt
Jeremiah Flaherty, to whom Stanton
made = statement.