Evening star., 1950-03-21
Dodson Defense
Fails in Plea for
Directed Verdict
Temporary Insanity
Claimed in Assault
On Arlington Couple

On Arlington Couple
Defense efforts for a directed
verdict of acquittal in the trial OF
Francis E. Dodson failed today and
sthe suspended Arlington police
mans attorneys launched, into
their defense of temporary insan-
ity.
Dodson. 81. is on trial in Airing
ton County Circuit Court on
charges of housebreaking with in
tent to rob and rape.
His attorneys, John Paul Jones
and Fronk L. Ball, said they would
show that something snapped" in
Dodson's mind. causing him to put
a young Arlington couple through
q sexual ordeal.
At the opening session yester-
day Mr.. and Mrs. H. Jack Bartels,
2S10-B South Sixteenth road, re-
lated in detail how DodSon forced
his way into their home last Sep
tember at pistol-point. After fore
ing the couple to disrobe, he made
indecent advances to Mrs. Bartels,
the husband and wife testified.
Case Left Up to Jury.
Mr.. Jones moved for a directed
verdict of acquittal after the State
had concluded with its witnesses
this morning.
He contended the prosecution
has failed to prove rape.
Judge Earl L. Abbott overruled
the motion and said it was up to
the jury to decide the question
raised.
when a man comes to your
door with gun and says it is a
stickup. it certainly should be up
to the jury to decide his intent.
When man takes your wife up
stairs, disrobes her and makes ad-
vances. there also the jury should
decide his intent"
Judge Abbott added:
IF Mr.. Bartels had not gotten
that gun when he cid there may
have been a rape and a robbery"
Dodson Crippled by Shot.
Dodson's right leg was in cast
and he limped into 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.
Mr.. Jones declared the events
that occurred were not the ac-
tions of a sane man. He said Dod-
son, a veteran of the Air Force
during World War II, suffered a
head injury while stationed in
England.
Dodson. he told the jury, was
fighting a fire on crashed Amer
ican bomber when an explosion
blew him out of his shoes and
threw him 35 feet into a ditch.
He had a complete mental lapse
in the Bartels affair, Mr.. Jones
declared.
Bartels, Wife Testify.
Commonwealth's Attorney Den
man Rucker described the cpl
sode this way:
The things that took place are
almost too hideous to tell. Every
act of perversion a 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.
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 continued, that he
made indecent advances. About
this time her husband called from
the closet that he was suffocating
she said.
BarteIs Grabs Revolver.
Dodson allowed him to come
out and gave Mr.. Bartels a Gig
arctic, she related. Then he or
dered him to watch and then par
ticipate in the indecent acts.
It was at this point that Mr.
Bartels grabbed his revolver and
the fight started. Mrs. Bartels
said.
Mrs. Dodson said she ran next
door to the apartment of Maj
Fred M. Frey for help.
While Mr.. Bartels was on the
stand, he became faint at one
point while describing Dodson's s
advances to his wife. Court at
tendants gave him vial of smell
Ing salts and he continued his
testimony.