Evening star., 1953-10-22
Court Hearinq
Set in Stabbinq
OfBank Worker
Former Messenger
Held; Woman in
Critical Condition

A court hearing was scheduled
today for Fitzhugh McCandlish.
48. former messenger for the
American Security g. Trust Co.,
accused of stabbing woman
stenographer in the bank late
yesterday.
The victim, Mrs. Viola Will
liams, 80, of COG Raleigh place
Sc, the mother of three chill
dren, was in critical condition in
Emergency Hospital. She was
stabbed in the abdomen.
A bank official said the attack
was made after McCandlish had
complained the bank owed him
Sc in overtime. The bank con-
tends the complaint was un-
founded.
Spends Night in Jail.
McCandlish was taken to the
central cellblock pending
hearing in Municipal Court on
a charge of assault with a dan
gerous weapon, a small pairing
knife with a 4-inch blade. He
spent the night in the cellblock.
Mrs. Williams, who had Moth
ing to do with funds, was at
tackled while she was sitting at
her desk in the personnel Office
on the fourth floor. 1t is parti-
toned from the offices and is
nearest the door from the main
corridor.
At about 2 pm. fellow en-
ployes rushed into the Office
after hearing her screams and
means of pain.
McCandlish. who is a retired
city fireman, was calmly sitting
in a chair. reading a magazine,
when police arrived, they said.
They quoted him as saying: II
did it, I did it." He then looked
at Mrs. Williams, they said and
added: We'll both go to hell
together"
Worked as Messenger.
McCandlish had worked as a
messenger for the bank for four
days last May. Then he failed
to show up for duty, bank
officers said.
He was arrested at the scene
by PvtS. Paul w. Knight and
John w. Portch. Pvt. Knight
said McCandlish told him he
quit the job as messenger be-
cause the bank owed him the Sc
in overtime and would not pay
him.
Police said L. Pierce Riddle,
personnel director at the bank,
for whom Mrs. Williams works
as secretary, told them Nc
Candlish's claim had mo basis
in fact"
McCandlish, police said, fur
ther told them he went to the
corporation counsel's Office and
from there to the United States
attorneys office with the idea of
filing a civil suit in connection
with his claim of overtime. Off
cialS there told him he had
nothing to work on, according to
what he told police, and then
he went to two lawyers and re-
ceived the same answer.
Police said McCandliSh appar-
emily went to the bank office late
yesterday with the overtime still
on his mind.
Stabbed in Abdomen.
Mr.. Riddle told police he heard
Mrs. Williams cries and went
to her office. McCandlish had
backed Mrs. Williams against
the wall and then stabbed her
in the abdomen, Mr.. Riddle told
police. He said he rushed for
ward. grabbed the man and
twisted his arm behind him.
Mr.. Riddle quoted McCandlish
as saying: why are you hold
ing me-I'm not going any
where"
Then McCandliSh started to
read the magazine. and the bank
officer called the police.
There was little conversation
between Mrs. Williams and her
alleged attacker, according to
Pvt. Knight. He said he learned
the man asked for the $6 and
that she replied that she didn't
know anything about it.
McCandliSh said he retired as
a fireman in 1899 because of
physical disability.
Mrs. Williams has been with
the bank since 1947. She has
three children, Dorothy May, IL:
Joseph, IL, and Mildred Lou, 9.
She and her husband are Sepa-
rated. He is Baltimore inSur-
ance man.