Evening star., 1951-12-16
District Attorney Talks
To Shooting Victim in
Walter Wanger Case
BY The Associated Pres,

BEVERLEY HILLS, Calf, Dec.
15.-The district attorney, given
the brush-off earlier in the day,
talked tonight with the pain
wracked victim of the Walter
Wanger triangle shooting.
I'VE got what we wanted" was
District Attorney Ernest Rolls
comment after his interview with
Jennings Lang. agent for Pro-
ducer Wanger's wife, Joan Ben
nett.
What he wanted, he wouldn't
say. But he described Mr.. Lang
as very cooperative" and said
the agent talked until he broke
into tears from the pain" With
him at the questioning was Lang's
attorney, j. w. (Jake) Ehrlich of
San Francisco.
Met Early Rebuffs.
Earlier. running into the silent
treatment as he tried to determine
what happened, Mr.. Roll threat
ened to go to the grand jury un-
less he got cooperation.
He tried unsuccessfully to ques-
tion the victim. Mrs. Lang. and
then Mrs. Lang. Finally, obviously
exasperated after two hours, he
announced:
Certain people apparently are
pensisting in defying the duly con-
stituted agencies which are at
tempting to procure evidence. If
this persistence on their part con-
tinues. the county grand jury will
be requested to subpoena every
person who refuses to cooperate. !"
Mr.. Lang. 80, was shot down in
q parking lot Thursday night as
he talked with Wanger,s wife.
Joan Bennett, Al, actress and
thrice-married grandmother. Mr..
Wanger. 81, was taken in custody
Immediately and declared to
police:
Il shot him because he tried to
break up my home"
Both Deny Romance.
This Miss Bennett and Mr.
Lang, her agent, denied, the latter
in a statement issued yesterday
through his wife. Both said their
relations were purely business, and
expressed hope that the matter
would be dropped.
But Mr.. Roll. the district at
torney, said earlier: "A felony
charge will be filed against
Wanger." He added that he
wanted to question Mr.. Lang be-
fore deciding on the charge, and
had been promised by doctors
that he would be given that
chance today.
When he first arrived at the
hospital, he went on, he finally
won permission to see Mr.. Lang
but without the stenographers he
had brought along. He entered the
room. to find a nurse, an attorney
and the wounded agents wife,
Mrs. Pam Lang.
Describes Visit.
"Mr. Lang was in bed," Mr.. Roll
said. He appeared-I'l put it
this way-his eyes were closed.
He did not move. / introduced
myself to the people. I said I
was here to ask questions
II asked several questions. Mr..
Lang gave no answers. He did |
not open his eyes. asked the
nurse If he had been given seda-
tion. She said he had at am.
I had been promised an ,oppor-
tunity to talk with him at 10 am.
In my opinion, the man was in no
condition to be talked to-"
He gave up, Mr.. Roll continued,
and asked to speak to Mrs. Lang.
In the hallway. an attorney,
Oliver Schwab. advised her not
to answer questions. said: Are
you representing her?' He said: T
am only friend I said: we will
talk to her alone"
But he said, "she refused to
answer several material ques-
tions."
Mr.. Roll said the grand jury Is
scheduled to meet on Tuesday.
For the first time today, Po-
lice Chef Clinton H. Anderson
disclosed that when Wanger was
arrested, he was carrying hunt
ing knife. Mr.. Wanger fired two
shots at Lang, one hitting the
agent In the groin. After delicate
surgery and two blood transfus-
ions, Lang's condition today was
described as generally good"