Evening star., 1938-06-18
JUDGE QUESTIONS
lands ON W|FE'S
LEAP FROM AUTO
Court Is Then Adjourned
Until Monday-Jury Is
Not Locked Up.
Defendant DESCRIBES
ATTEMPT TO LIFT BODY
Testifies He Got Injured Girls
Head on Running Board and
Got Scared at Blood.
By w. H. SHIPPEN, Jr.

After subjecting the young defend
ant to brief but searching interroga.
ton Justice Jesse C. Adkins at noon
today adjourned court until Monday
at the trial of James L. Lands on q
nrst-degree murder charge in the
death of his estranged wife, Mrs.
Blanche Gertrude Lands, %.
The justice interrupted the cross
examination Of the 23-year-old former
hreman shortly before noon and asked:
How fast did you say you were
driving shortly before your wife left
the carr"
ABOUT 10 miles an hour" Lands
replied. lands previously had said
that his wife attempted to leap from
MS car when he slowed down for q
rough section of pavement near Twen.
ty-iourth and Turner streets NE.
Ihe prosecution contends Landis
fatally beat his wife with stones, while
the defendant has told the jury that
she was injured when she plunged
to the street from his car.
When you slowed down." Justics
Adkins asked, why did you not let
your wife leave the carp"
Well" was the reply, II was taking
her home
What made you think she would
try to get out Of the carr" the Justice
asked.
I thought so because after I slowed
down she opened the door and said
she would jump"
Previously Told Of Speeding I'm.
Lands previously had told the jury
tnat when this occurred, he speeded un-
MS car IN an effort to prevent his wife
from leaving it. The defendant had.
added that he backed his car and
lay.
When you returned to your wife.
now was the body lying?" Justice
Atkins asked.
On the side. think"
Was she conscious?"
Not that know off,
DID she say anything to you?"
NO"
Did you see which part Of the body
"ei ucA lie ground nrSt?"
Lands indicated it must have been
the head, since that was where the
young woman was bleeding.
Snow us what you then did" the
judge ordered.
Describes Wife's Position.
Lanols got up from the witness stand
and stood between the Judge and
jury. She was lying beside me like
TINS. he said, gesturing toward the
moor with lengthwise sweep Of his
arm I stopped like this, put one
hand under her head and the other
under the shoulder. The car was
alongside me. I got her head on the
running board"
Lands said he had to lay his wife
back down. He previously had testi-
ned that he became frightened at this
point and drove back to the fire sta
tion. He also had said he Thought
MS wife struck the right rear fender
When she fell from the car.
How could she have struck thu
fender on getting out?" the Judge
asked
I can't be sure" Lands replied.
but heard thump''
Lands was asked to describe the
automobile door and his wife's posi-
ton as she fell. The judges ANAL
question was:
DO you know how blood got on the
front and rear of the carr"
ct dor,,f Lnor,
Court Is Adjourned.
At this juncture Justice Adkins adj
)ourned court until GAS am. Monday,
He did not order the jury locked up.
but instructed them not to discuss the
case or read the newspapers before
reporting back for duty. Lands was
expected to resume the stand to COM
plete his cross-examination when the
trial reconvenes Monday.
Lands was cross-examined by the
prosecution in particular about when
ne met Miss Virginia Lee Simpson,
pretty brunette student nurse, to
whom he gave jewelry, and under
what circumstances he separated from
his wife.
The cross-examination was con-
Quoted by Assistant United States At
torney Cecil r. Heflin. Lands was
questioned in his direct testimony by
Defense Counsel E. Russell Kelly.
Defendant Composed.
The dark, handsome defendant was
neatly dressed and composed when he
assumed the stand at $50 am. He
appeared a bit nervous as the exam.
nation progressed, but continued to
talk in an unrufled voice. He spoke
30 softly, however, that his words
failed to carry at times throughout
the packed and silent courtroom.
Lands declared that Miss Simpson
(see Lands, Page A-3.)