Evening star., 1947-06-12
New Trial Move Defers
Sentencing Of Davis
To Life for Murder
By ]. B. Zotmon
star Stoff Correspondent

HAJEfIo1 Mo-, JUNE L.
A life Imprisonment sentence today
faced Bruce Davis, 81, of Laurel as
a result of his conviction of the
first-degree murder of Mrs. Flor
ence McAllister, %.
The verdict was returned late yes
terday by Washington County
Circuit Court jury with the recon-
mendation that the former sailor
should not die for the crime. Under
such a verdict, a sentence of life
Imprisonment is mandatory.
In response to request by defense
counsel, the court deferred sentence
pending hearing at 10 am. We'd
nesday on motion for a new trial.
Davis was charged with the
hammer Staying of Mrs. McAllister
whose body was found December 10
in the family home at Burtonsville
in Montgomery County. The case
was removed to Washington County
under a defense petition for a
change of venue.
Verdict in 50 Minutes.
The jury deliberated only so min
utes before reaching a verdict
Davis face remained expressionless
when he heard his fate. He rubbed
his hand over his mouth and sat
down. A few minutes later, he was
handcuffed and taken to the county
jail here.
About two hours earlier, Paul E
Sprecher, Hagerstown. member of
the jury, collapsed because of the
heat. A mistrial was averted, how
ever, when he was replaced by H
Maxwell Yingling, also of Hagers-
town, who was sworn in as an alter
nate Juror before the trial opened
Monday.
In their closing arguments, prose
cutting attorneys claimed there is
mot one circumstance in this case
that doesn't point to Bruce Davis as
the killer of Florence McAllister.'
Time of Death Uncertain.
Martin L. Ingram, Washington
County States attorney, admitted
the prosecution did not know the
exact time of the killing. But he
asserted that all the evidence points
to the fact Mrs. McAllister was
murdered the night of November "a
or in the early morning of November
%, the last time Davis saw her"
During the trial, three physicians
testifying for the prosecution said
Mrs. McAllister had been dead for
three days to possibly" two weeks
before her body was found.
At the opening of yesterdays ses-
sion, the prosecution agreed to de-
fense stipulation that Davis had
been in Tennessee, or surrounding
areas, from November 80 to Decem-
ber 10. when he was arrested In
Memphis.
Defense Hits Vague Points.
Defense Attorney Paul B. Mules
in his closing argument to the jury
said the State should be ashamed
to take up your time with such 8
case"
Cdu tIlcy say WlCll eiito "olhni
died?" he asked. THE prosecu-
tions entire case is based on the
theory she died November % o,
prior thereto. but there is no evil
dence to support it."
He described DR.. Richard Rosen-
berg, deputy District of Columbis
coroner, as a "scalawag whose testi.
mony can't be believed"
DR. Rosenberg had testified Mrs
McAllister had been dead at least
10 days.
Davis Denies Staying.
Yesterdays testimony was high
lighted by the vigorous denial BY
Davis that he had killed Mrs. Nc
Allister. He said he drove to Ten
nessee with her in her car Novem-
ber 29 and put her on a bus to At
lanta about midnight the same day
In Kingsport, Tenn.
He claimed he never saw her nor
heard from her after that.