Evening star., 1938-05-18
!, . stan Correspondent OF The Star.


., star Correspondent OF The Star.
|. LA PLATA, Nd, May 18.-T. Morris
sWampler. former Washington attor-
2ey, and his wife, Wyvil, were In
6ieted by the Charles County grand
fury today on manslaughter charges
] In the death Nof Charles Adams, 65-
year-old handy man, at their estate
a* Fenyick, Nd, on April 20.
Alan tBuck. 26-year-old writer Of
childrens stories. neighbor Of the
Wamplers, who had been held with
them On murder charges since pre-
liminary hearing two weeks ago. was
cleared when the grand jury returned
10 Indictment against him, but Sheriff
Russell Howard said Buck probably
would be kept In custody IS . ma
terial witness.
Bucks statement to Sheriff Howard
and other investigators In the case Is
understood to provide the States
pr4ncipal evidence He has told Of q
sftee-fo -for-all" night which broke out
when he said Mr.. Adams insulted Mrs.
Wemplef during . drinking party ct
the Wampler home. Mr.. Adams was
found dead from cuncuSsion . few
hours later.
Nay Az Chxnge ef Venue.
s Mr.. and 1eTs. WAmplcr, who pro-
oo6ted their i1snocence and said they
had been very good friends Of Mr..
Adams, wsre to h4Arraigned some
ftne latlr today. LIE trial was ex-
pected 70 begin the htter part Of this
wuek, but defense attorneys Indicated
thy might seek . change pf venue, !.
Vampler has coutended throughout
tn investigation that he did not re-
naember anything that happened dur
mr. the few hours preceding Mr.
Adams' death. Ofncers quoted Ars.
Wampler - saying she had . vague
spemory Of ~f1sts fiying and somebody
nptting hunt" but she could not recall
nv details.
4 In talking with reporters today.
Nampler said:
II cannot recall . sing1e incident
flnat led up to the unfortunate cir
eumstances which resulted In the
death Of Mr. Adams.
~Ssmething Happened.s
~Of course, II y true that Ne had
been drinking and Il seems % -
evident that sumething hanpsned
which cost ~. Adams his life.
although cannot remember any
thing that happened at the time, do
know that Mrs. Wampler and myself
were much to- friendly with Mr..
Adams 70 have done him any violence"
wampler was found lying In q
stupor beside q garden bench when
Adams body Was discovered there BY
two nshermen who had been sum-
moned u Mrs. wampler to help get
the men into the house after the
drinking party.
Onicers said bruises on Adams head
indicated he had been beaten with
acme blunt instrument. Buck said no
weapons Of any sort were used during
the nst-fght In which he took part.
~ said Adams spoke to him after
the fight was ended. but that he be-
came frightened and went home few
minutes later-about p.m.-when he
ncticed Adams apparently was in-
ocnscious.
Marriage Was Secret.
Wampler has been living on his
estate overlooking the Potomac River
most Of the time since he was released
n 1885 from the Federal penitentiary
at Lewisburg, Pa, where he served an
le-month sentence on income tax
charges. He was married secretly in
November. 1894. when he was released
ffom prison briefly pending appeal on
Q habeas corpus writ, to Miss Wyvil L.
HAslam.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wampler were In the
court room this morning waiting ar
raignment, and consulted with their
attorneys, 0ywnn Bowie and John r.
Mudd, about their defense plans.
Buck. who had made no effort to gain
bis release from jail on bond, sat In
his cell carving figures from cakes Of
soap and said he vas getting tired Of
staying there.