Evening star., 1952-10-18
Court 10 Re-examine
'GraI11mer's S Version
OF How His Wife Died
By W. H. Shippen
Stor Stoff Correspondent

lu11A1tUCO 4AkLO CV1NCA1CC 1dCC yes
erday.
Grammer, IS, the Office man
lger of mining and metals firm
n New York, waived his right to
rial by Jury and elected to place
lis case before a branch of the
Supreme Bench. Judge
Herman M. Moser was assigned
% try the case.
Judge Admits Confession.
Judge Moser heard testimony
surrounding a statement made to
police by Grammer and admitted
the confession at the conclusion
IF a long contest to exclude it.
Judge Moser stated that he
reached the conclusion that
did not make his con-
to the murder under
duress. The judge also said the
testimony did not convince him
that the police had promised
Grammer his freedom if he would
confess.
One of Grammer's boyhood
friends, Detective Sergt. John
Gordon Holmes of the Baltimore
County police. related the con-
feSsion of the accused man.
States Star Witness.
The States star witness was
expected to be Miss Mathilda
Mary Mizibrocky, %. citizen of
Canada, employed as a secretary
at the United Nations headquar-
ters in New York.
States Attorney Anselm Sodaro
Grammer killed his wife
because he was hopelessly in love
with Miss Mizibrocky and prom
ised her she would become his
bride. . ...
Mrs. Grammer was found dead
after midnight on August
20 in a new automobile, which
had run out of control down a
hill on the outskirts of Baltimore
and overturned on its side. Testi-
mony by the medical examiner
was that Mrs. Grammer had died
as a result of several skull frac-
lures that could not have re-
suited from the automobile acci-
dent.
Played Together as Boys.
Sergt. Holmes told the Judge
that he used to play with Gram
mer when they were boys. He
said he later was in the same
high school with Grammer anC
that he considered him a friend
The detective was permitted by
Judge Moser to read into the rec.
ord of what he said Grammer tolc
him on his arrest on August 81
Sergt. Holmes quoted his for.
mer playmate to the effect thai
he and his wife drove away from
the home of Mrs. Grammer's
mother between 1890 and 1O:4s
pm. on the night of August 10.
Grammer was returning to his
job as Office manager for a min
ing and metals firm in New York
City. His wife and their three
young children were staying tenn.
porarily at the home of Mrs
Grammer's mother, following 8
death in the family.
Original Statement.
Grammer, in his original state
ment to police. said his wife drove
him to the Pennsylvania Railroad
station and that he kissed hel
goodby there before taking a train
for New York. He said he gave
his wife 81 with which to buy
gasoline for their new car before
he left her to get on the train.
Sergt. Holmes declared, however
that Grammer later altered thi.
version. He said that. when the
couple left for the station, Gram.
mer suggested they stop at {
tavern and have a few drinks.
Grammer said he and his wifi
had several drinks of Scotch anc
water, the witness declared.
Grammer was quoted as saying
he had five or six drinks and tina
his wife took only two or thre'
drinks. .f H'.
Got Into Argument, He Says.
The detective said Grammer tolt
him he and his wife drove ava!
from the tavern and got into al
argument over whether he con
sidered his job more importan
than his wife and family.
Dorothy declared my job wa
more important than she was,
Grammer was quoted as saying.
Sergt. Holmes said Grammel
told him he got out of the auto
mobile and seems to recall that HI
hit his wife once in the head
Grammer, it was said, told ,tht
sergeant he might have placed hi!
wife in their car and propped tht
gasoline throttle open.
Sergt. Holmes said Grammel
later showed him and other in
vestigators where he had thrown
an 18-inch length Of pipe. useG
to beat his wife on the head.
How many times did your wifi
scream?" Sergt. Holmes said h,
asked the prisoner. The witness
said Grammer could not recall thi
detail.
Asked How He Struck Wife.
The detective testified he theI
asked Grammer how he had strucl
lis wife, and the latter replied ht
swung the weapon from left Il
right. Sergt. Holmes said Gram.
mer later led them to the pipe HI
had used.
1t. John F. Huttchen of the Bal.
timore Homicide Squad said HI