Evening star., 1946-12-12
Hendricks Testifies
In Own Defense; Case
Goes 10 jury Today

The case of Homer Hendricks,
46-yesr-old Washington tax at
torney on trial in the Montgom-
cry County Circuit Court at
Rockville on charges of murder
ing his wife Gertrude, was ex-
pected to 60 to the jury today.
States Attorney Joseph B. Simp-
son, jr., this morning began sum
ming up the States case after a
| dramatic 14-hour session yesterday
which did not end until after II pm.
Mrs. Hendricks was shot and killed
early on October 2 at the Hendricks
home, 5514 Hampden lane, Bethesda.
Hendricks pleaded not guilty, due
to temporary insanity, to the murder
charge Conviction could result in
verdict of death by hanging.
Not Guilty Verdict Asked.
James H. Pugh, one of three oe-
fense attorneys, in his closing argu-
ment, asked the jury for verdict
of not guilty.
He said Hendricks went into a
state of hysterical amnesia when
this savage, raving, mad woman"
appeared at the defendants door
the morning of the shooting and
he was not capable of knowing
what he was doing.
why would man live with
woman like that?" Mr.. Pugh asked.
THE only answer-this man was
in love with her
F. B. Welsh, another defense at
torney, reviewed testimony that the
killing was in self defense. He
also reviewed evidence of "the life
of horror" which he said caused
Hendricks to reach his mental state.
. Mr.. Simpson outlined the pos
sible yerdicts to the jury and was
to finish the prosecutions closing
argument this afternoon.
Years Of Trouble Described.
Yesterday lurid tale of years OF
marital troubles was unfolded to the
jury and packed courtroom when
Hendricks and a string of defense
witnesses took the stand to brand
Mrs. Hendricks "a wild woman"
Hendricks testified his married life
had been fairly happy until in 1910
his wife discovered she had syphilis.
From then on she became increas-
ingly violent and he was in fear Tor
his life every day, he said.
He was nervous, his voice almost
turned into sobs and his eyes filled
with tears as he related his story
of marriage to demon woman"
81 loved her." he told the jury.
when they told me about the
syphilis l thought of my father who
died of syphilis in 1914. I saw him
drag around until his death and I
didn't want her to go through those
horrors. I put my arm around her
and told her I'd see her through
SAYS He Was Beaten on Head.
But she got worse" he continued.
"If we had a week in those days
without a fight, was happy. But
by last August she was getting
drunk every day. She made verbal
and physical attacks on me every
day and night
Hendricks said his wife threat
ened often to kill him, hit him in
the head with chairs, ash trays,
lamps and water glasses and once
deliberately crashed their automo-
bile head-on into a bus in an effort
to kill him. Often he would be
awakened at night by his wife
smashing something over his head,
he testified.
| She also beat his 69-year-old
mother and threw box of candy
in her face, he said. A later wit
ness testified the mother now is
in a private institution as a result
of the uproar.
Once his wife was so violent he
had to call police, Hendricks said,
but she threw them out of the house
bodily. Three Montgomery County
police took the stand to confirm
this story.
II often worried about Gertrude's
eyes" he declared. They were like
a child's."
Heard Threat on Life.
He said he got no sleep for sew
eral days before the shooting be-