Evening star., 1945-07-22
64-Year-0Id Man
Held for Grand Jury
In Fatal Stabbing

A coroner's jury held Charles D.
Wise, 64-year-old retired iron work.
er, for grand jury investigation after
an inquest yesterday afternoon into
the fatal stabbing of James Nc
Clellan, Sc, his friend for 40 years.
The victim, who lived at 1921
Reservoir road NV died shortly
after fight at the streetcar stop
at Reservoir road and Wisconsin
avenue. Police said Mr.. Mcclellan,
who was a guard at British
agency, tussled with Wise over the
latter's attentions to Mrs. McClel-
Ian. Wise did not take the stand
at the inquest, but police officers
testified he told them he acted In
self defense.
Wise, burly, white-haired man,
has become familiar figure to res
idents in Georgetown, according to
Police Capt. Archie Winfree. In
the years since his retirement from
the building trades, the captain
said, Wise arrives each morning at
Wisconsin avenue and M streets,
remaining there through the day to
talk with friends and passers-by.
Five Witnesses Testify.
Five witnesses testified at the in
quest. The first was DR.. Joel Wes-
ley Reid, youthful physician at
Georgetown hospital who testified
Mr.. Mcclellan died at 2:30 am.
from stab wound in the left side
of the chest.
DR.. Christopher ]. Murphy.
deputy coroner testified an alcohol
test of the dead mans blood showed
a count Of IT The count of 0.5 is
considered intoxication.
Mrs. Bridget Lillian Mcclellan,
wife of the dead man, testified she
and her husband and his brother,
Thomas ]. Mcclellan, had gone to
Connors Restaurant on Wisconsin
avenue near o street, had two beers
each and started home in a street.
car. She spoke with a marked
brogue.
When she alighted from the car,
she said, Wise, also passenger who
had got off ahead of her, held out
his arms to assist her. She told
him, she said. she did not need his
help, that her husband was with
her.
Hit Broher-in-Law First.
On the sidewalk, she said. Wise
passed remark" which she did
not hear. Her brother -in-law OBJ
jected, she said, and Wise struck
him and knocked him down. Her
husband then came up, she said,
and they tangled"
She said Wise struck her hus-
band twice but she could not re-
member how many times her hus-
band hit Wise. The fight ended
and Wise disappeared across Wis
consin avenue, she said. Then she
noticed her husband was bleeding.
She and her brother-in-law tried
to help him home but he collapsed
just after they turned into Reser-
voir road. She hurried home and
called an ambulance, she said.
After much shouting of questions,
Wise's> attorney, Charles Ford, OBJ
tanned an admission from Mrs. Nc
Clellan that Wise had never touched
her. This was in conflict with
report earlier given to police.
Had Several Beers.
Thomas Mcclellan, brother and
next door neighbor of the dead
man, testified he and his sister i'm
law had walked down the hill to-
gether and had beer there before
going next door to Connors where
they all had three or four beers.
He had known Wise for 40 years
he said, and he was sure his brother,
former plasterer, had known him
as long. In the alteration, he said,
Wise caught him of balance and
knocked him down. His brother
came up and a few blows were ex-
changed, Mcclellan testified.
When he got up, he said, he
stopped the fight. II told him,
Charlie, go on home.'" He said
Wise went halfway across Wisconsin
avenue and then came back. Wise
said to James Mcclellan, his brother
testified, "IIl get you, you ~"
Another clash resulted, the witness
said, with neither scoring blows.
After he ended it, the witness said,
Wise disappeared. and he then no.
iticed his brother was bleeding.
Pvt. Hubert Harmon OF the Sew
enth Precinct testified Wise was I'M
bed when he arrested him at 2:.3Ol
am. The policeman said Wise ad-
mitted the stabbing, gave him an
ordinary size pocket knife and said