Evening star., 1941-09-29
0den Tells Jury
He Didn' Mean
To Shoot Girl
1T Seemed Like Gun
Just Went Off, Says
Accused Slayer
Earlier Story on Page B-1.D

y
Guy Oden took the witness
stand this afternoon in District
Court, where he is on trial for
his life on a charge of murder
ing his 15-year-old sweetheart,
and told the jury he didn't
mean to shoot" Ellen Cannon.
The government completed its
case early this afternoon, and
Oden was the first witness as the
defense began.
The 19-yesr-old youth, whose voice
was hardly audible, said:
1T seemed like the gun just went
of. I didn't mean to shoot any
body. I ran because I was scared
by the shooting. I didn't know had
shot anybody"
When Oden had completed his
testimony. Justice Jesse c. Adkins
ordered the trial recessed until to-
morrow morning. 1t was indicated
that no further witnesses would be
called and that the case would go
to the jury upon completion of
closing statements by defense and
prosecution.
During an hour on the witness
stand, the youth kept his eyes fixed
on the floor and had to be reminded
time and again to speak loud enough
for the jury to hear him. He said
under questioning by his attorney,
Milton l. Lewis, and under cross
examination by Bernard Margolius,
prosecutor, that he didn't remem-
ber" much about the shooting nor
about statements which he made
to police after the girl had died.
Carried Gun Several Days.
He said he had been carrying the
.25-caliber automatic pistol with |
which his sweetheart was slain for |
several days and denied that he
had gone home to get the gun with
the idea of shooting her.
He told the jury that he had lived
as man and wife with his sweetheart
for some time at the home of her
sister Mrs. Helen Yates, during the
last Christmas holidays. He claimed
that he and the girl considered
themselves married
Did she ever call you her hus-
band?" he was asked.
Yes, sir"
The youth admitted that he knew
that they had not actually gone
through marriage ceremony.
Il told her we should get mar
ried, but she didn't want to-" he
testified.
He said that her family opposed
the marriage. However, he said
that his friends believed them to
be married.
Denies Premeditation.
He testified that the shooting was
en- action which had occurred on |
the spur of the moment and de-
hied that it was premeditated. Un-
Ger cross-eXamination Oden said |
he was unable to remember many |.
of the passages from the statement |
he made to police following the
shooting. The statement had been |
read to the jury earlier.
Il might have said anything at |
that time he repeated several times. |
Questioned by Mr.. Margolius on .
the circumstances of the shooting. |
he said:
Il just pulled the gun out to scare
them more or less"
Did you say anything to her?"
asked the prosecutor.
No, sir, I didn't say anything. |
i didn't intend to shoot her. 1 didn't |
know I shot her until about four
hours later"
AS the government closed its case.
Mr.. Margolius read to the Jury a
statement made to police by Oden
following the Cannon girls death .
July 10. The youth said in it that |
he hadn't intended to kill the girl |
when he went to see her at her sis
ter's home at ia o street SW., and
had carried an automatic pistol with
him only to be smart and scare
her"
Knew Her IL Months.
II have known Ellen Cannon for
about IL months, he said in the
statement. I'VE got along all right
at first. Then I lived at her home
for a while. Before that I had
stayed with Ellen for two weeks at
her sisters home.
Something happened or other
and her mother got sore at me and
my mother didn't want me to go
with Ellen. 1 loved her so I went
with her anyway. Then different
things happened"
The youth stated that the girl was
en expectant mother and that he
(See ODEN, Page 2-XD