Evening star., 1938-05-05
WAMPLERS HELD
WITH WRITER IN
|. FENW|CK Staying
Court Action for Bail for
Lawyer and Wife Is
Considered.
FREE.F0R-ALL FIGHT
DESCRIBED AT HEARING
Mrs. Wampler Collapses in Arms
of Mother, Who Makes Plea
for Her Custody.
Bv staff Correspondent of The Star.

Bv STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.
LA PLATA, Md, May 5-Court ac-
ton to free Mr.. and Mrs. T. Morris
Wampler from Jail under bond pend
ing grand jury action on murder
charges was being considered by their
attorneys today after Mrs. Wampler's
mother made frantic appeal for her
daughters release as "a sick woman"
Wampler, 54, former Washington
attorney who served prison sentence
on income tax charges four years ago;
his wife, Wyvil, 80, and Alan Buck,
26, writer of children's stories, were
ordered held without bond for the
Charles County grand jury at pre-
liminary hearing before Justice of the
Peace Walter H. Gray last night.
| Mrs. Wampler collapsed in her moth
ers arms when Judge Gray read the
warrants accusing the three of mur-
| dering Charles Adams, 65, one-eyed
handy man." during a drinking party
at the Wampler home in Fenwici.. Md,
last Friday.
Mother Makes Plea.
please let her go home with me to-
night" Mrs. Wampler's mother, Mrs
Charles Attick of Berwyn, Md, ap-
pealed to States Attorney Charles
| Edelen when her daughter was re-
turned to jail from the hearing. She
Is too sick to stay here. will have
her back here any time of day or
night she is wanted"
Mr.. Edelen explained to Mrs Attick
that only Circuit Court judge could
decide whether any of the defendants
could be given their liberty and fix
their bond
| Mrs. Attick then conferred with JOS
eph Turco and Gwynn Bowie, attor-
neys representing the Wamplers, and
Mr.. Turco said another conference
this afternoon would determine
whether petition for writ of habeas
corpus would be filed.
Buck, who told investigators Of a
"free-for-all" fight involving the Wam-
piers, himself and Mr.. Adams a few
hours before the elderly man was
found dead, was not represented by
an attorney at the hearing last night.
Judge Daniel Thew Wright, retired
District of Columbia Supreme Court
justice. who now lives $50 yards from
the Wampler home and testified about
the scene there followed discovery of
Mr.. Adams body, conferred with Buck
later and said he would be glad to
represent the young English born
writer should he need counsel later.
When she found she could not
take her daughter home with her last
night. Mrs. Attick left two pillows,
some clean clothes and safety razor
with Mr.. Edelen and Sheriff Russell
Howard for delivery to the Wamplers
Mr.. Edelen said later the razor was
not delivered.
More than 100 curious neighbors
crowded into and milled about out
side the small frame Office building
on the lawn of Judge Gray's home
for the hearing last night.
The Wamplers and Buck, who had
lived near their Fenwick estate for
the last year, were arrested Tuesday
night after several hours questioning.
Investigators were busy yesterday on
undlsclosed angles of the case, delay
ing the preliminary hearing until 8 80
pm.
Mr.. Wampler had lived at Fenwick
most OF the time since he was released
on July 81, 1885, from the Federal
Penitentiary at Lewisburg, Pa, after
serving an 18-month sentence on in
come tax charges. During temporary
freedom on bond pending appeal in
1884. he married secretly the wife who
was held in Jail with him today.
Detective Tells of Drinking.
1t. William c. Feehley, Baltimore
detective who aided Sheriff Howard
and Mr.. Edelen in the investigation.
said Buck told him of drinking whisky
and beer with the Wanplers and Mr..
Adams last Friday. Between and
o'clock that afternoon, he quoted Buck
as saying, the young writer and Mrs.
Wampler walked out to where Wamp-
Ter and the handy man" were sitting
on garden bench, and Mr.. Adams in
suited Mrs. Wampler. Blows were
exchanged and "free-for-all" fight
developed, he said
Buck told him he went home when
he noticed peculiar look" on Mr..
Adams face after wiping blood off it
with towel, the detective said.
Mrs. Wampler admitted under
questioning that she had faint rec
election Of some fists flying and some
body getting hurt, but didn't know Just
who it was" 1t. Feehley added.
"Wampler said he didn't know what
happened that day, and remembered
no trouble with Mr.. Adams. He said
he thought the old man had died of
heart failure"
1t. Feehley said all the defendants
agreed there was no one else at the
Wampler home the day of the Staying
but the three Of them and Mr.. Adams.
Judge Tells Of Shouts.
Judge Wright said that between
Sis and 500 pm. that afternoon
some is minutes after Buck insisted
he became frightened and went home
he had heard Mrs Wampler cry
In an excited, loud tone, Stop that,
stop that" Dense shrubbery OBJ
scured his vision of the Wampler
yard, he said.
One of two fishermen, who had
been called by Mrs. Wampler to help
get her husband and Mr.. Adams into
the house, came to his door shortly
after pm. and told him Mr.. Adams
had been found dead on a garden
bench in the rear Of the Wampler
house, Judge Wright added.
Later he went to the Wampler
garden and saw Mr.. Adams bruised
body lying on the ground, blood stains
on the bench and three quarter inch
smear of blood on Mrs. Wampler's
right cheek, Judge Wright said.
Dr. George c. Bicknell testified that
Mr. Adams had died of conclusion of
the brain, and said he saw recently
inflicted wounds on the elderly mans
ear, under his eye and on top Of his
head when he examined the body.