Evening star., 1938-04-13
lands IS INDICTED
ON MURDER COUNT
IN DEATH OF WIFE
Rookie Fireman Is Charged
With Her Fatal Beating
on Lonely Road.
DATE EARLY IN MAY
TO BE ASKED FOR TRIAL
Another Woman Is Mentioned in
Observation-Disclosures
Set for Tomorrow.

~ lHot-ueSIee IHuIueT IlOlClilleliV
was returned today against James L.
Lands. 23-year-old rookie" fireman,
charging him with beating to death
his estranged wife, Mrs. Blanche G.
Lands, %, who was found with a
crushed skull on a lonely stretch on
Twenty-fourth street N E, early on the
morning of March "a.
He will be arraigned tomorrow when
the Government will suggest to the
court date early in May for his trial,
United States Attorney David A. Pine
declared
The evidence linking Lands with his
wife's death. collected by police in the
three weeks following the tragedy, was
presented to the grand jury yesterday
afternoon. Among the witnesses was
Mrs. Mildred Jones, SOL Twelfth street
NE. mother of Lands, who was sub
poenaed to produce two rings which
the young fireman reported he had
purchased for a nurse who told police
she did not know Lands was married
Mrs. Jones attorney, Jean NJ Board
man, advised her not to produce the
rings, since she could not be legally
required to do so He said later he
understood she followed his advice
Three Counts.
The indictment is in three counts
The first charges that Lands killed
his wife with a sand-filled stocking.
the second that he killed her with a
stone, and the third that he used "a
certain hard blunt instrument. more
particular description whereof is to
The grand jurors aforesaid unknown"
Mrs Lands died two days after she
was found lying on the street, brutally
beaten. Police said they obtained
deathbed statement duplicating her
husband
On March % a coroner's jury heard
the evidence then in possession of
police and bound Lands over to the
grand jury.
During the inquest Detective Sergt.
William j. Liverman testified that
bloodstains were noticed on Lands
shirt and under his right ear, and the
sleeves of his shirt had been cut of. at
the time OF his arrest. The officer said
Lands also wore no socks, and admit
ted burning the socks and sleeves in
the stove at the fireboat station house,
where he was assigned, because he had
gotten bloodstains on them trying to
aid his wife as she fell from the car"
Landis' Version.
Detective Sergt Robert j. Barrett
told the coroners jury that Lands said
he slipped away unobserved from the
f1reboat to take his wife for an earlv
morning ride
The fireman was quoted as saving
he drove to 20l4 Monroe street NE,
where his wife lived, and blew the
norm three times in prearranged
signal. Mrs. Lands came out and
got in the car, the officer continued.
Lands told Sergt Barrett, the latter
stated, that his wife feared he had a
gun and he reached under his coat
to show her the pocket was empty.
She became alarmed and leaped from
the moving automobile, striking her
head on rear fender, Sergt Barrett
quoted Lands as saying According
to Sergt. Barrett, Lands added that
he could not lift the dead weight"
OF his wife, and, becoming frightened
that he might be caught absent with
out leave, drove away and left the in
jWed woman on the street.
Two bloodstained stones and an i'm
provlsed sandbag were found near
where Mrs. Lands lay.
according to Assistant United States
Attorney Cecil Heflin, who presented
the case to the grand jury, the nurse
has said Lands gave her only one of
the rings which his mother was called
on to produce.
lh Other Indictments.
Others indicted were:
Frank F. Daughton and John Moore,
grand larceny; Cooley Hill, joyriding,
Carl Shelton, David j. Purcell, Rufus
Smart, Arnold o. Dye. Charles B.
Blackburn, Thomas johnson, jr.;
Rubin Braxton and Harry w. Egle-
hart, robbery; Arthur Lee Schultzes
and Bessie Mcneil, housebreak-
ings George Harris, Andrew W.
Swami and Alonzo Hutchins, house.
breaking and larceny; Frank A. Cop
pock Eddie Stafford, Ben Lee Butler
eud James Butler, assault with a dan
gerous weapon; William Luck and
John Haley, violation of the liquor
taxing act; John w. Donald, Herbert
Donald, William E. Larman Joseph A.
Arnato, Dorsey T. Queen, Ella Bethea
and Irma Noble, gaming law viola
tions; Earl w.. Pearson and Leroy G
Hunter, violation of the Marihuana
Act; Charles Levister. Rosie Lee Wat
kinS and John c. Bates, narcotic law
violation; Percy Caldwell, rape, and
Richard Rose, incest and carnal
knowledge.
The following charges were ignored
Mphonso Feenster, joyriding
Thomas H. Benton. assault with in
tent to commit rape, and Fleetwood
Brown and James Dixon, assault with
A.,danrerolls weaDOn