Evening star., 1952-10-12
Wife Murder Trial
OF Grammer Starts
In Baltimore Tuesday

The trial of George Edward
Grammer, IS. will start in Balti-
more Tuesday. The State will at
tempt to prove he murdered his
wife and then tried to make it
look like an automobile accident.
Grammer'S attorney, mean
while, got Circuit Court Judge
John T. Tucker. in Baltimore, to
order three New Yorkers, includ-
ing a reporter for the New York
Daily News. to appear as wit
neSSeS.
The three were Joseph Martin.
the reporter. and Miss Linda Saar
and Mrs. Lyn Viegler, employe of
the Climax Molybdenum Co..
where Grammer worked as Office
manager. The extradition pro-
ceeding is under a reciprocal
agreement signed by most States
to force attendance of witness
at trial in another State.
Saw Careening Auto.
A similar attempt to force Scott
Leavitt. Life Magazine staff
member, to appear failed because
Mr., Leavitt lives in Chicago. Illi-
nois is not signatory of the
agreement.
What testimony the three New
Workers will be asked for was not
revealed.
1t was last August 20 that two
policemen in a prowl car in sub
urban Baltimore saw an automo-
bile careening wildly toward them.
It veered crafty up an embank-
ment and overturned, its engine
still racing.
The officers opened the door
and found Mrs. Dorothy May
Grammer, 33, dead inside. That
began the strange story that will
be climaxed Tuesday when Gram
mer goes on trial before Judge
Herman M. Moser of the Supreme
Bench of Baltimore City. Gram
mer's attorney didn't want jury.
Appeared Routine at First.
The death at first appeared to
be routine traffic fatality. Gram
mer was notified in New York at
his office. He said his wife let
him out at the Baltimore train
station: that he gave her a few
dollars for gasoline and left.
The two patrolmen who pulled
Mrs. Grammer from the car, no
ticed several things. A pebble
was lodged under one end of the
accelerator pedal. holding it down.
There was blood on the left side
of the car. seat but none on the
right side where Mrs. Grammer
was slumped.
There was no evidence the body |
had struck an object hard enough /
to cause severe head injuries.
A week after her death. DR.. Rus /
sell S. Fisher, Baltimore City Med |.
ical Examiner. made public his re-
port after an autopsy. He de-
clared:
my report said her death was
homicide--point blank. and no ifs,
ands or butts. Some one killed that
woman and then cleverly tried to
conceal it," -..'
Silent on Love Triangle.
Grammer was taken into Gus
tody August 80. On September l.
he was charged with his wife's
death.
Authorities have refused to say
the death resulted from a love tri-
angle. But. neither have they ex-
planned the woman in the red I
hat" who appeared before the grand
jury hearing the case. She was
identified only as Mary Matthews, |
%. of New York. She was released
in $4,000 bond as a material wit
ness.
A Washington resident, Edward
B. Layne, jr.. "a. of 1904 Fessenden
street NV, also is among the
more than 80 witnesses to whom
the prosecution has issued sub
poenaS.
Mr.. Layne, a student at George
Washington University law school,
has refused to discuss his role. He
worked for hotel in the District
during the summer and it is be-
lieved he will testify to something ,
that hapnened at the hotel.