Evening star., 1938-06-21
LIFE Of lands
SPARED BY Jury
Verdict of Second Degree
Murder Returned-20
Years Is Minimum.
By w, H. SHIPPEN, Jr.

fatal beating of his estranged wife
Mrs. Blanche Gertrude Lands, %.
Lands, %, formerly of the Fire De-
partment the National Guard and the
United States Navy received the ver-
dict with the same GOODNESS which he
has exhibited since the Government
began its parade Of witnesses against
him Monday, June 13.
A woman spectator tainted and a
babble of excitement swept the
crowded courtroom but Lands stood
unmoved while the jury foreman an
nounced the verdict, arrived at after
2 hours and SO minutes of delibera-
ton. Trial Justice Jesse c. Adkins
will pronounce sentence later.
Prosecution Demanded Death.
Assistant United States Attorney
Cecil r. Hefiin had asked the jury of
2 women and 10 men for verdict of
murder in the first degree as indicted
with its mandatory death penalty. He
had described the young defendant as
murderer who became infatuated
with another girl and. after due con-
sideration, took his wife to a lonely
spot and deliberately, purposely, one
blow after another" crushed her head
with stones.
On the other hand, Defense Coun-
sci E. Russell Kelly and Jean H
Boardman insisted that Lands, as the
defendant had told the jury, took his
wife for ride on the morning of her
fatal injury, March "a and was only
guilty of panic in that he drove away
and left her at about am. as she
lay bleeding on lonely stretch of
Iwenty-fourth street NE.
Justice Adkins instructed the jury
as to first and second degree murder
convictions and acquittal With re-
gard to motive he said: IF you be-
lleve the testimony that the defendant
was keeping company with Miss Vir-
ginia Lee Simpson that may be evi-
dence of a motive" The importance
OF the motive, the justice said, might
be shown in testimony that Lands
met the girl in July. before he sep
arated from his wife, and gave her a
wrist watch for Christmas and a dia-
mond ring on her birthday anniver-
sary, March Is.
Claim Miss Simpson Told.
Miss Simpson, comely young bru-
nette student nurse. testified Wednes-
day, and thereafter attended all ses-
Sions Of the trial until it entered its
nnal stages yesterday. She declared
she had not know Lands was married
when she was going with him, while
two defense witnesses. including the
defendants mother, Mrs. Millie Jones,
said yesterday they had told Miss
Simpson that Lands had a wife.
The jury received the case at 4:O5
pm. and deliberated for two hours
and half before going out to dinner.
The jurors returned about o'clock
and 20 minutes latter announced they
had reached verdict When Justice
Adkins arrived in court to receive the
verdict. and before the jury was
brought in. Attorney Boardman made
several motions
He first moved for directed verdict
Of acquittal on the ground the in
dictment charged Mrs Lands was in
tured March "a, 1898, and died March
Is of a previous year. Overruled in
this, he asked for a new trial on the
same grounds, and then sought to have
the charge quashed because Mr.. Hef1in,
IN his closing statement, had asked
the jurors to consider the murder VIC
tim as daughter or sister" when
they took the case under deliberation
All motions were overruled
New Trial Motion Undecided.
Almost score of policemen and
deputies were on hand to maintain
order and hold back the crowd as
Lands was led from a side door of
the courthouse, ushered into the
prison van and returned to the Dis
trict Jail. Defense attorneys said they
had not determined if they would file
motion for a new trial
Justice Adkins. while charging the
jury, said they must consider the
deep personal interest" of witness
IN weighing the credibility of testi-
mony. Lands had taken the stand in
his own behalf to tell how he and his
wife separated last August because
he was going to a National Guard
camp and did not want to pay an extra
months rent
The defendant said his wife served
him with separate maintenance papers
court order to pay her $45 a month
He declared he repeatedly sought a
reconciliation, but Mrs lands refused
to return to live with him. He ad-
mitted meeting Miss Simpson in July
and that he gave her wrist watch for
Christmas and SITS diamond ring
for her birthday.
Lands declared his wife telephoned
him at $50 on the night prior to her
fatal injury and that he slipped away
from the fire station where he was
supposed to be on duty to take her
for ride in his car In response to
her summons. Lands said he wished
to discuss doctors bill' with his
wife.
Explains Blood on Hands.
He said the girl became panicky
and leaped from his automobile on
Twenty fourth near Taylor street NE,
and that he. becoming panicky in turn,
drove away and left her on the street.
He said he got blood on his hands,
clothing and automobile when he tried
to help the injured girl.
The witness related to the jury in
detail how he cleaned up the blood
stained shirt sleeves and socks.
Mr.. Heflin told the jury that one
Of the principal bits of circumstantial
evidence showing Lands had premedi-
tated the crime was piece of blood
stained sock found at the scene
Lands admitted he filled the sock
with sand. tied the open end and keps
the sand bag in his car as protection
against nold-up men. He could not
explain how the broken sock, still
containing sand, happened to be lying
near the body.
Mr.. Heflin brought out that Lands
claimed he carried the sock for pro
lection" in his car while at the same
time he had As automatic and a