Evening star., 1950-03-21
Dodson Testifies
On Mental Lapse
Since Injury
Tells Of War Blast;
Court Refuses
Assault AcquittoI

Francis E. Dodson took the
stand in his own defense today
and testified he has been subject
to violent headaches and lapses
OF memory since he was injured
by bomber explosion in England
during the war.
Dodson, 81, a suspended Airing
ton policeman, is on trial in Ar
lington County Circuit Court on
charges of housebreaking with in
tent to rob and rape.
His attorneys, John Paul Jones
and Frank l.. Ball, are attempt
ing to prove temporary insanity.
Commemorative Attorney Dem
man T. Rucker is seeking the
death penalty for Dodson.
At the opening session of the
trial yesterday, Mr.. and Mrs. H.
Jack Bartels, 2810-B South Six
teenth road, related in detail how
Dodson forced his way into their
home last September at pistol
point. After forcing the couple
to disrobe, he locked Mr.. Bartels
in a closet and made indecent ad-
vances to Mrs. Bartels.
Dodson's Leg in Cast.
AS he testified today, Dodson's
right leg was in a cast. He limped
to court on crutches to stand trial.
He was shot by a neighbor of the
Bartels when he tried to get out
OF the house after a struggle with
Mr.. Bartels.
Dodson related from the stand
that he was sergeant in the Air
Force in command of crash crew
On many occasions he had to pick
up bodies in baskets and things
like that"
We used to kill our sorrows in
drinking" he told the jury.
1t was in December, 1914, when
ne was injured, he related. A
plane crashed at the end of a
runway and as his crash truck
approached to fight the fire a
bomb exploded.
Explosion Is Described,
1T took me out of my CT shoes
and fioated me 35 feet in the air
TO a sewage canal" he said. Il
apparently was not hurt"
Since then, however, he testi-
fled he has been subject to violent
headaches and lapses of memory
He described two such occasions
one when he got in a fight with
a sheriff in Minnesota and an
other when he woke up in bed
at home after a moonlight cruise
here with no knowledge of pre-
ceding events in either case.
The court adjourned for lunch
at this point in his testimony. He
was to take the stand again this
afternoon to tell of another lapse
in memory-the night of the oc-
currence at the Bartels home.
! Acquittal Motion Denied.
After the State finished calling
its witnesses this morning,
motion for directed verdict of
acquittal-made by Dodson's at
torneys-was overuled by Judge
Earl l.. Abbott.
Yesterday, Mr.. Rucker described
the episode at the Bartels' home
this way:
THE things that took place are
almost too hideous to tell. Every
act of perversion depraved mind
could think of took place"
He then placed first Mr.. Bartels
and then Mrs. Bartels on the
stand to describe the "hideous de-
tails"
Mrs. Bartels, "a, an attractive
brunette and mother of two chill
dren. related how knock came
on the front door minutes after
a visiting couple had left. When
her husband opened the door, she
continued. Dodson forced his way
in. He was wearing a mask made
of a handkerchief and a woman's
halter.
Were Forced Upstairs.
After making Mr.. Bartels disrobe
In the dining room, he forced both
OF them upstairs, she said. He
put her husband in the closet and
then forced her to sit on the bed,
Mrs. Bartels said.
Mrs. Bartels said he talked to
her about 10 minutes, telling her
that he was married and that he
had been watching the Bartels'
home for several weeks. Dodson,
whom the Bartels testified they
had never seen before, had liquor
on his breath, Mrs. Bartels stated.
All the lights were out, she testi-
fed.
Mrs. Bartels said he made in
decent advances. About this time
her husband called from the closet
that he was suffocating, she said.
Dodson allowed him to come
out and gave Mr.. Bartels a Gig
arctic, she related. Then he or
CoroJ hin, RI u,ofoI, onJ %Lor x,a,