Evening star., 1953-05-14
0panowich Defense
Motion Interrupts
Baby Murder Trial

Trial of Mrs. Peter Opanowich,
42-year-old Arlington housewife
accused of numbering her infant
son. was interrupted suddenly
today when Judge Walter T. Nc
Carthy ordered a recess to con-
fer with attorneys for both sides
in his chambers.
The recess was ordered Is min
utes after the judge denied a
motion by Defense Attorney Will
liam c. Nemeth to strike the
Commonwealth evidence on the
grounds that corpus delecti had
not been proven.
Mr.. Nemeth argued that Com
monwealth Attorney William j.
z Hassan had failed to prove a
murder had been committed or
that the defendant had commit
ted any murder. His motion was
made when the Commonwealth
q concluded its case shortly before
noon.
PSychOSiS Discounted.
Just before the recess was de-
clared, DR.. Amino Perretti, as
sistant chief of pSychiatry at
Gallinger Hospital. testified his
examination of Mrs. Opanowich
indicated "she does not have any
psychosis at the present time"
DR.. Perretti said he examined
the defendant at her home at
Ills South Eighteenth street
during a weeks period beginning
April %. He said she was a
difficult person to examine be
cause she is quite a negativist.
She wouldn't talk, just Stares at
you and you have to probe and
dig deeply to get at the facts"
he said.
During his investigation DR..
Perretti said the defendant told
him she was very happy when
she became pregnant and eager
ly awaited the birth of the
baby"
= Husband TeStifieS.
The second day of the trial
opened this morning with testi-
mony by Mrs. OpanoWich's huS-
band that he was the father of
the infant son she is accused OF
,,o,,rIariVoo ClohrI1o1.u II
Her husband was called by the
prosecution. He declared he knew
of the birth of the child, but could
not recall the date and said the
child lived only few days. Dur
ing yesterdays proceedings two
other men were named in teSti-
mony as being the father of the
infant.
Mr.. Opanowich declared he
wanted the child, in response to
a question by Mr.. Hassan. Under
croSs-examination, he said the
baby was buried in Arlington
Cemetery, but he could not re-
call the date.
I The body of an infant. identi-
fed as the Opanowich baby,
was found in a paper bag in a
woods near Army-Navy drive
February IA. 1t was buried in
Arlington Cemetery.
Medical Experts Disagree.
Two doctors yesterday in Ar
lington County Circuit Court,
gave different reasons for the
death of the woman's five-day
old son.
Principal witness was DR..
Jacob Verne, an assistant medi-
cal examiner for Queens Bor-
ough. N. Y. He appeared for
the defense.
On the stand for nearly four
hours, DR.. Verne said an lnfec-
ton and not s1nothering caused
the baby's death. E
Testimony COntradicted.
The New York pathologist's
testimony, however, was con-
tradicted by DR.. William D.
Dolan. an Arlington Hospital
pathologist. DR.. Dolan admitted
the child had a slight throat
infection, but said it did not
cause death. The Arlington
physician said Peter died of
asphyxiation, but he could not
say what caused the lack of
oxygen.
Earlier, a surprise witness
testified. She was Mrs. Mar
garet Cutcomb of the HOO
block of South Eighteenth
street, neighbor of Mrs.
Opanowich.
, She testified she overheard on
their party telephone line con-
versation between Mrs. Opano-
wich land a man named Julius"
She said the 42-year-old de-
/ fendant told her listener "some-
thing terrible has happened. I
have had a baby. My husband