Evening star., 1938-03-25
Blood Test Made on Hands
of Suspect After Wife
Is Found Attacked.
PRISONER Is AOAMANT
IN DENIAL OF BEATING
Police Say He Admits 1mprovising
Sandbag as Precaution
Against Hold-ups.
BULLETIN.

James L. Lands this afternoon
was formally charged with assault
with intent to kill in connection
with the beating of his estranged
wife. after his attorneys had petit
toned Justice Jennings Bailey to
order him freed because he alleged
ly was being held illegally.
With the aid of science, investigators
today sought to break down the story
of James L. Lands, 23-year-old
rookie" fireman, that his estranged
wife. Mrs Blanche Gertrude Lands,
22 was injured in a leap from his
automobile shortly before she was
found beaten almost to death early
yesterday on a lonely section of
Twenty-fourth street NE.
Pvt Lands admission that he
slipped away from his firehouse to take
his wife for an early morning ride was
followed up late yesterday by state
ment from Mrs. Lands, which indi-
| Gated her husband had attacked her.
| Detective Sergt. John Wise. who
waited at the hospital in the hope the
wife might regain consciousness long
enough to name her assailant re-
ported Mrs. Lands became lucid long
enough to say:
Bring Jimmie in here and let him
see what he's done to mel"
! Meanwhile. Lands was to be re-
| questioned today. He was taken to the
scene of the attack late yesterday after
detectives spent hours in futile ef
| fort to shake his denial of having
beaten his wife with the two bloody
| stones and a broken sand bag which
| were found on the blood-spattered
pavement.
The prisoner pointed out to detec-
tives the spot where he said his wife
fell to the pavement after leaping
from his car. Lands declared the young
| Woman's head hit the rear fender
and he went back and bent over her,
getting blood on his hands and shirt.
Drove Away Then, He Says.
Frightened, and afraid he would be
caught "A. w. o. L." from the sta
ton at the District flreboat dock, Lam
dis was quoted as saying, he re-entered
his Car and drove away, leaving his
wife lying on the pavement about 2
o'clock in the morning.
Investigators brought out yesterday
that the young wife had charged in
a petition for separate maintenance
last August that Lands and his
mother forced her to take medicines"
to prevent her from becoming a
mother. The District Court petition
was answered by the husband, who de-
MED the charges and alleged he mar
| ried his wife because she was with
child.
Mrs. Lands remained near death at
the hospital today from a compound
skull fracture and deep cuts about the
face and body. Physicians saw little
hope for her recovery. but ordered a
blood TRANSMISSION today in a desperate
effort to save her life. Last rites of
the Catholic Church were administered
yesterday.
Sandbag Statement Claimed.
Lands was quoted by police as ad-
mlttlng he improvised Sandbag with
an old sock. He said he took the
weapon in his car as a precaution
against "hold-ups," and could give no
explanation of how it happened to be
found broken in two and lying beside
his wifes unconscious body
Tne fireman was arrested Yesterday
after police noticed he had a scratch
under his ear and bloodstains on his
shirt.
At first he insisted he was on duty
in the firehouse, then admitted he
slipped away after 80 am. drove to
MS Wife's rooming house at 2O14 Mon
roe street NE, blew his horn and
waited until she came and entered his
car and then took her for ride. After
the accident, he said, he went back
to the f1rehouse and re-entered un-
observed.
Deputy Coroner Christopher Murphy
yesterday made a benzidine test on
Lands hands to determine if they
had been stained with blood recently
The test was positive, DR.. Murphy
reported-that is, the fireman's hands
were stained blue, indicating there
had been blood on them.
Sand taken from a box in the fire
house was found to be of the same
type as that in the broken sandbag.
Lands shoes were taken for compari-
son OF dirt particles on them with the
soil in the vicinity of the attack.
The blood on Landis' shirt and on
the two stones was to be compared
with the type of Mrs. Lands blood,
and hairs on the rocks are to be
matched with the woman's.
Lands was said by police to have
admitted burning one of his socks and
his shirt sleeves in the stove at the
firehouse.
Asnes were removed from the stove
TO determine what materials were
burned there.