Evening star., 1949-03-12

Monday; RomsdeII
To Await Recovery
The final chapter of the sensa-
tional Baltimore g. Ohio train
holdup may be written in court
here with both bandits meekly
pleading guilty.
George L. Duke" Ashton, 81,
one Of the pair charged with the
shoot -'em-up robbery of the Balti-
more -to-Detroit Ambassador lin
tied near Matinsburg, w. Va,
Wednesday night, has agreed to
appear in District Court Monday
and waive West Virginia grand
jury action.
United States Attorney George
Morris Fay, who made the ar
rangements with the Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation and West
Virginia authorities, said the nor
NAL outcome will be a guilty plea
from Ashton and his sentencing
by a District judge without for
mality of a trial.
Similar procedure may follow
for Luman Skip" Ramsdell, %,
who has indicated he, too, will
plead guilty and spare the Gov
ernment cost of a trial, an FBI
spokesman said.
RamsdeIl Recovering.
Shot by a policeman when he
and Ashton were arrested in a
Pennsylvania avenue pawn shop,
Ramsdell is recovering slowly at
Gallinger Hospital
Ramsdell is doing very we'll, :"
but is still on the critical list to-
day. After an operation such as
he underwent for a gunshot
wound through the stomach and
liver, it is usually four days be-
fore you can feel safe" Hospital
Superintendent Alvin R. Sweeney
said.
The possibility that the pair
will face another and more seri-
GUS charge developed today.
The FBI said they may be
charged with the anti-racketeer-
ing statute covering interference
by violence with common car
riers in interstate commerce.
Charges May Be Altered.
Mr. Fay will make the deci-
sion on whether to press the
charges, which carry maximum
penalty of 10 years and $4,000
fine, the FBI said. The present
charge against the suspects, theft
in interstate commerce. is pun
ishible by five years and $4,000
Ashton, the slim, dark-haired
wrong side the tracks half of
the rich boy-poor boy" team,
spent most of yesterday away
from his District Jail cell in Gus
tody of the FBI.
During the day he agreed to
the Monday District Court ap-
pearance, and the machinery was
oiled for an all-District windup of
the affair.
Under new procedure permit
ting Federal prisoners to waive
grand jury action in the locale of
a crime, Ashton will have chance
formally to waive after the court
appoints an attorney for him and
Ramsdell.
Method Explained.
He. if so chooses. may plead
to information filed here, and the
waiver will be forwarded to the
United States attorney in West
Virginia district where the crime
was committed.
West Virginia authorities then
would return an information to
the District, and Ashton again
would be brought into court here.
At that time he would have the
opportunity to plead guilty. and
would be sentenced.
The exchange of papers between
the District and West Virginia
would require several days and
Ashton probably would not plead
before Friday. Mr.. Fay said.
If Ramsdell sticks with his de-
cision to plead guilty. the legal
process must await his recovery so
that he may personally appear in
court.
Other Thefts Denied.
Both Ashton and Ramsdell have
denied other robberies in the area,
including the $4,000 holdup of a
Union Trust Co. branch in Balti-
more, February 13. the FBI said.
The FBI would not say whether
either has disclosed whereabouts
of any hidden money from the
train robbery. When arrested,
they were carrying a total of 1868,
but the announced losses of the
more than 100 persons robbed was
more than $1,000.
Under normal procedure, the
recovered money will be turned
over to the United States attorney.
Robbery victims then may make
formal claims. Usually, when the
recovered money is less than the
amount lost, it is paid back on a
per capita basis.
Although Ramsdell's wife and
mother are expected from Miami,
Fla, hospital officials said he
had no visitors yesterday. He is
in a ward with five other prison.
ers and is being guarded by a
deputy United States marshal, in
addition to the regular guard.
"a proeorllf0r