Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-06-26
Policeman, on Stand
In Wife-5Iaying Case,
Weeps Frequently

the Metropolitan Police Wept fire.
quently on the witness stand today
as he told how he shot his wife
accidentally, according to his version
through the back door of their
home at 1922 Twenty third street
Sc. last December 81.
Policeman Richardson is on trial
on charge of manslaughter before
Justice T. Alan Goldsborough and
an all-male jury in District Court
The Government closed its case yes
terday and he was the first defense
witness.
The policeman said that he had
been on duty that day from am.
to pm. at the 18th precinct in
the Southeast section; that he had
Earrived home about AIS PM; that
he had changed his. clothes and put
his gun on high shelf in the closet
since his children were small" and
read a magazine until 8 pm. when
This wife came home.
Awakened by Noise.
Mrs Richardson was working at
the War Department, he said. She
had been employed there i've years.
He said she had planned to go to
the movies that evening. He helped
her prepare dinner, he said, and
after dinner my wife and ! cleaned
the dishes" He said he went up
stairs, undressed and lay on the bed
reading a magazine, He turned the
radio of and fell asleep.
Il was awakened by a noise d.
rectly under the bedroom he said.
Il grabbed my gun. and went down.
stairs. saw what thought was
man approaching the door from the
outside. I fired. I heard a scream.
I rushed out. It was my wife"
Il said, My God, thought you
were a man who tried to break In
the house asked her who turned
the lights out. She said. she did"
He said the woman next door
came over and helped him carry his
wife in the kitchen.
Il was just petrified," he con-
tinued. Il couldn't move, I Just
sat on the chair. realized I WASH
dressed. I asked to be excused.
went upstairs and put my trou-
sers on" ...
Richardson told of the arrival of
the police. He said his wife told
them. I'VE were struggling for the
gun
It said to her, tell them the
truth" he said.
Justice Goldsborough asked, Did
you give any reason for shooting a
man because he was on the back
porch?"
The witness answered, NO"
Tells of Phone Call.
Mrs Grace Stiles, Assistant United
States Attorney, asked him on cross
examination If he had not asked his
| wife, do you want me to go to the
electric chair?"
A fellow police officer had testified
that he asked this question. Richard
son denied it.
The Government closed its case
after calling IL witnesses.
Mrs. Ethel Hosley, 1916 Twenty
third street Sc, neighbor, testi-
fed that Mrs. Richardson had come
to her house to telephone shortly
before the shooting. She said Mrs.
Richardson was weeping. She was
dressed in a long gray coat over red
|pajamas, Mrs. Hosley said. Mrs.
Hosley said that when she later saw
Mrs. Richardson, lying wounded in
the kitchen of the Richardson
home, she had on blue pajama
trousers.
Mrs. Stiles attached Importance to
this in her opening statement. She
said the evidence would show that
Mrs. Richardson had entered he,
home after the telephone call, in con.
tradiction to Richardson's Statement,
diction to Richardson's statement
that he heard scratching at the
back door, thought it was q prowlel
and shot through the door, wound.
ling his wife. She died three days
later at Casualty Hospital.
Policeman Charles r. Sydnor, ont
OF Richardson's fellow policemen at
the nth precinct, testified that hi
asked the wounded woman what
had happened. He said that she re-
piled. I'VE were struggling for the