Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-15
By Richord Rodgers
SAsr ekaf& ca1vaenaniSn.

turned to the witness stand
today to face cross-examination
on his assertion he does not
remember statements he made
in a signed murder confession.
There was slight chance the
case would go to the jury today.
Pleading insanity, the Hillside,
(Md.l veteran of Korea is on trial
in the fatal shooting of his
estranged sweetheart, Joan
Marie Ruzza. The pretty suit
: land High School drum major
cites body was found April 8
near her home, 813 Forty ninth
street, Capitol Heights. Md. !.
Shock Claim Attacked.
Carlyle j. Lancaster, States
attorney for Prince Georges
County, pounded away today at
the defense claim Bryant would
not have confessed if he had not
been in mental shock induced
by police showing him pictures
Of the corpse.
Mr.. Lancaster asked If Bryant
had been engaged before he
gave Miss Ruzza ring.
The sleepy eyed. wavy haired
defendant testified he was en-
gagged to two girls before that.
He was Is years old, he said,
when he became engaged to a
13-year-old girl.
Mr.. Lancaster also repeated
earlier questioning on Bryant's
Army record. He was discharged
as an undesirable after repeated
AWOL convictions and serving
q sentence for stealing an Army
carbine.
Admits Carrying Gun.
Bryant admitted taking the
.38-caliber revolver, with him
when he met Miss Ruzza the
night he killed her.
ST didn't have no intentions of
shooting nobody" he added.
He repeated his earlier testi-
Ilony he had the gun with him
only to use in case the girls
father refused to talk to him.
Bryant said he intended taking
her home to confront the father
with q demand for consent to
, their marriage.
The prosecutor exploded at
that.
did you expect Mr.. Ruzza,
he cried, t"to allow you to marry
Joan II you backed him into his
own house at the point of a
gun?"
Yesterdays session was re-
cessed twice as his parents had
emotional breakdowns on the
witness stand.
THE mother Of the 21-year-old
defendant was treated in court
by a physician after her COL
lapse.
When they recovered, both
parents testified there is insanity
on both sides Of the family.
Contempt Action Threatened.
But a psychiatrist-called by
defense-testif1ed young Bryant
knew right from wrong when he
killed Miss Ruzza, and realized
the consequences.
And in q side matter, Judge
James Clark threatened to fine
lawyers for contempt when the
trial, ends.
Defense Attorney Howard
Vogel had the trial transferred
to Howard County from Prince
Georges. An all-male jury is
hearing it.
Mr.. Lancaster was just getting
warmed up on cross examination
when the trial recessed about
IL o'clock last night.
In March, Bryant was con-
victed in police court of trying
to run his car over his former
fiancee.
Mr.. Lancaster brought out last
night that the night Of the slay-
ing was the first time Bryant was
alone with her since the March
trial.
THAT was the only time you
caught her alone" the prose-
cutor shouted. That's when
you got your opportunity"
Under his own lawyers ques-
tioning, Bryant testified he suf-
fers afnnesia attacks. He said
his mind went blank after he
fired the first of the i've bullets
that hit Miss Ruzza.
But when police showed him
autopsy photos Of the girl. four
months pregnant. II realized
they were pictures Of my Joan.
all cut up and ell like that" he
said.
He said he realized then he
had nothing left to live for,
earlier testimony established
he attempted suicide three times
while In the ArIny.l Il figured
the State would take care of me
hang me-and that all Of my
troubles would be over" he said.
Figured In Crashes.
''I didn't care what I told''
(police seeking 3 confesSionl
''I just said anything. ! said
yes to everything they asked. "
Confronted with the confess
sion, he had the same observa.
ton to make on point after point
that he could not recall saying
it or signing it.
His parents. Mr.. and Mrs.
Bainbridge E. Bryant. 54O3 N
street. Hillside. Md. said he had
suffered blackouts after three
auto crashes injured his head.
The latest, and worst. crash was
two years ago yesterday.
Mrs. Bryant testified o sister