Evening star., 1938-06-28
WAMP[ER'S WIFE
RELATES VERSION
OF ADAMS DEATH
Says Spouse Was Drunk
and Unconscious of
Everything
DOCTOR ADMITS STROKE
MAY HAVE KILLED MAN
Post-Mortem Examiner Testifies
No Evidence Was Found of
Skull Fracture.
BY GARNETT d. HORNER,
stan Correspondent Of The Star.

BY GARNETT d. HORNER,
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.
LA PLATA, Md, June 28.-T. Morris
Wampler was very intoxicated" and
perfectly unconscious of everything
that was going on" during an alterca-
ton that preceded the death OF Charles
Adams on the Wampler estate April
20. Mrs. Wampler told Charles Coun-
ty Circuit Court jury today.
Her testimony came after defense
attorneys had brought out in cross-ex-
animation of State witnesses that
Adams, in whose death Mr.. and Mrs
Wampler are charged with man.
slaughter. might have died from a
stroke" instead OF having been beaten
to death, as the State alleges.
Wampler, former Washington at
torney, sat with his wife's black purse
in his lap. making notes while she
described the drinking party which
ended with Adams being found dead
on a red garden bench at the rear
Of the Wampler home.
Mrs. Wampler said that as she and
Alan Buck. 26-year -old neighbor, sat
on the ground in front OF the bench
where her husband and Adams were
drinking beer. Adams looked down
at her. said You are just nothing"
and raised his hand as If to strike
her.
Buck jumped up and struck Adams,
then Adams started scufling with her
husband on the bench and she and
Buck tried to separate them, Mrs.
Wampler said.
MY husband was very intoxicated
and perfectly unconscious of every
thing that was going on" Mrs. Wam-
pier said.
Went Into Kitchen.
After the brief scufne, she said. both
Wampler and Adams leaned back on
the bench as If they were asleep. She
went into the kitchen for . while and
when she returned, she could arouse
neither Of them. she said.
Then she went for help to get them
into the house and returned with
Adams elderly sister and two fisher
men, Mrs. Wampler said. They carried
Wampler into bed, she added, and re-
turned to find Adams dead.
Mrs. Wampler said she did not re-
call having screamed stop that" as
neighbors had testified yesterday, but
said that on many occasions she had
made such outcrys to her dog.
Mrs. Wampler was placed on the
witness stand shortly after the de-
fense opened its presentation OF testi-
mony. Her husband was to testify
later in the day.
Testimony Of Doctor.
DR.. Howard ]. Maldeis, Baltimore
post mortem examiner for the last 81
years. who performed an autopsy on
Adams body May 10, had testified
this morning the cause Of the elderly
mans death was multiple bruises
lacerations and abrasions over his
head, face. neck and body. followed
by cerebral hemorrhage.
On croSs-examination, DR.. Maldeis
said this cerebral hemorrhage was
similar to what is commonly known
as stroke"
Did your examination show Adams
had suffered from high blood pres
sure?" he was asked by Frank Hall,
one Of three attorneys for the Wamp-
lers.
He replied in the Affirmative
Gould not this high blood pres
sure have resulted in this hemorrhage,
independent Of any physical injury?"
Mr.. Hall asked.
"Yes, that is true" DR.. Maldeis re-
piled.
Found No Skull Fracture.
The witness said he had found no
evidence of skull fracture in examin-
ing the body, but that there had been
q hemorrhage at the base Of the skull,
apparently independent Of . hem
orrhage within the brain.
The state rested its case at 1904
am. with the testimony of DR.. George
c. Bicknell. local physician, who ex-
amined Adams when he was found
dead, and assisted DR.. Maldeis in the
autopsy. He said he had not issued
certificate Of death from natural
causes because Of broken glass and
bottles lying about the body which
might have inflicted evident wounds.
On cross-examination by John
Mudd Of defense counsel DR.. Bick-
nell said Adams had died as q result
Of hemorrhage following the rupture
OF a blood vessel to the brain.
But you could not say what caused
that ruptured blood vessel?" he was
asked.
II could not" DR.. Bicknell said.
Testify to "BrawI."
State witnesses had testified yester.
day about q drunken brawl" In the
Wampler yard, during which Mr.. and
Mrs. Wampler were said to have hit
Adams several times with their fists
not long before Adams death.
One Of the first defense witnesses
was DR.. James L. Mackavanath, local
physician who with DR.. Fred Chap
pelear performed q second autopey on
Adams body on May 20. He said
they had not been able to determine
definitely what caused the death of
the elderly handyman.
A verdict in the case was expected
late today. Conviction would carry
penalty ranging from . small fine
to maximum Of 10 years in prison.
Other defense witnesses to be heard
include Dr.. Chappelear and County
Physician Donald 8. Campbell, who
was prepared to testify that stains on
q sweater worn by Mrs. Wampler on
the evening Adams was found dead