Evening star., 1938-05-04
MURDER CHARGED
TO WAMP[ERS IN
DEATH OF ADAMS
Writer Also Accused After
Story of Drinking Party
and Fight.
HANDY Man INSULTED
WOMAN, BUCK SAYS
Hearing Set for Today for Trio.
Lawyer and Wife Refuse
Comment.
SpeC.al D,sra tch to The Star.

LA PLATA, Md, May At Morris
Wampler and the young wife he mar
ried secretly during brief freedom
from Federal prison sentence nearly
four years ago were held in Jail here
today, together with writer of chill
drens stories, on charges of murder
ing 65-year-old HANDY man" al
legged to have insulted Mrs. Wampler
Wampler. 54, former Washington at
torney who was sent to prison for Ia
months in 1888 on income tax charges
refused to discuss the murder charge
with reporters and he and his wife
could not remember" vital points
about the case when questioned by Of
ficers, Sheriff Russell Howard said.
The Wamplers and Alan Buck, 26-
year-old writer. who has lived near
their Fenwick home for the last year
were accused formally of killing
Charles Adams, handy man" of the
neighborhood. on the basis of story
OF drinking party and fight Sheriff
Howard said he was told by Mr. Buck
The three were locked up in the
Charles County Jail at 8 o'clock last
night on warrants charging they did
'feloniously kill and murder" Adams.
They had been questioned most of
the day by Sheriff Howard.
Hearing Set for Today.
A preliminary hearing was to be
held today before Justice of the
Peace Walter H. Gray.
Adams was found dead on a bench
In the rear of the Wampler home,
with Wampler lying in semi-stupor
at his feet, about pm. last Friday
by two fishermen whom Mrs. Wampler
told investigators she had summoned
to help get the two men into the
house after drinking party.
Sheriff Howard said Mr.. and Mrs
Wampler and Buck had returned to
the Wampler home about pm Fri
day after going to Marshall Hallsfor
drinks of liquor and dozen bottles
Of beer.
The sheriff said Buck told him he
and Mrs Wampler walked out of
the house about S pm. and found
Wampler and Adams sitting on the
bench drinking beer. 49,, =.
Buck lay on bunk in his cell today
: and described the events that followed
He said he and Mrs. Wampler went
out on the lawn some time after their
return from Marshall Hall and found
Adams and Wampler sitting on a
garden bench, drinking beer.
LAS Mrs. Wampler and I walked
over, Mr. Adams stood up and in
suited Mrs. Wampler. saying he didn't
want to have anything more to do with
, her" Buck related.
He raised his arm as if to strike
Mrs Wampler, and I put up my arm
to ward off the blow. my fist hitting
him lightly on the chin.
"Told Him to Sit Down."
"Then I told Adams to sit down
and drink his beer. He Immediately
attacked Wampler, sitting there on
the bench beside him. Wampler
struck him back Mrs. Wampler and
I then tried to separate them. 1t de-
veloped into something Of brawl, in
which blows were exchanged by us all
II don't remember exactly how it
came to an end I noticed blood on
Adams face and went into the house,
got towel, wet it and went back out
and wiped off his face
Adams asked me then if thought
Mrs. Wampler forgave him. told
him that we all had been drinking,
and for him just to forget about it.
Some few minutes later I looked
at Adams, and he had either passed
out from the drinking. was uncon-
scious or was dead. His mouth was
hanging open and I got scared and
hurried on home"
Denies Weapon Used.
Buck insisted that no blows with
any sort Of weapon were struck while
he was there Sheriff Howard had
said he believed Adams was hit on
the head with q sharp-edged piece of
wood
IT anything like that happened, it
was after left" Buck declared. I'm
all the squabble while I was there,
Adams hat was not even knocked off,
so don't see how he could have
been injured on the head"
Mr.. and Mrs. Wampler refused to
see reporters today. Joseph Turco,
Washington attorney, who said he
represented the Wamplers, stood out
side their cell door and said he had
avised his clients not to make any
statement He also declined to dis
cuss the case.
Wampler has lived at Fenwick
most of the time since he was released
in July, 1885, from the Federal Peni-
tentiary at Lewisburg, Pa, after serv-
ing his l8-month sentence on income
tax charges. He won his release then
without paying . $4,000 fine, which
( also had been imposed by the Balti-
more court.
His sentence was interrupted for .
brief time in 1884, when he won tenn
porary liberty on bond pending appeal
on habeas corpus writ. While he was
out Of prison then, in November, 1884,
he married secretly Miss Wyvil L.
Haslam, who gave her age as 28 and
/, her address as the Hamilton Hotel
at the time.
Buck, who was born in England and
! lived In ireland most Of his life until
he came to this country in 1929, said
he had lived near the Wamplers for
about year. He met them, he said,
at Mr.. Adams home. where he was
buying eggs some time ago.
On the day Of Mr.. Adams death
! the. elderly man had spent some time
at his home drinking with him, Buck
said.
Buck said he was the author of two
hooks for children. when I Was .
Boy IN Ireland" and MY Saint Pat
rick" He has written another while
living near here, which Is to Be pub
/. hal3ed In the fan. he saad. 50