Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-30
Surprise Plea Of Guilty
Ends Wifes Staying Trial
Mrs. Harrison
Is Sentenced
To 81 Years
BY JOSEPH b. BYRNEs
star stan Writer

Aic ElilhUcJn ann NhrTlSOn
murder trial, dramatic from its
outset, ended last night with a
surprise guilty plea 1--WE hours
after the jury got the case.
The attractive Cheverly ma
iron and her attorneys star
tied veteran Prince Georges
Circuit court observers by an
nouncing she wished to admit
murder in the second degree.
Judge John Dudley Disges,
Diminishing the jury, gave the
slender housewife an indeterm-
mate sentence OF up to ga
years on the murder plea and
another sentence not to exceed
one year on a charge Of carry
ing a concealed weapon. The
second sentence. however, will
run concurrently with the stiff
fer penalty.
Mrs. Harrison had gone on
trial charged with first-degree
murder Of her husband, william
Marcellus Harrison, %, a meat
packing machine mechanic, last
October. The 34-year-old red
head shot him five times outside
their Quincy Manor apartment.
Hung Jury Averted
Her plea ended what was
shaping up as a hung Jury.
The Jurors we're locked I'D at
$40 pm. and came out once for
instructions after about two
hours.
At that time it appeared they
were debating a lesser verdict
OF nianslaughter. However. q
poll after the panel was excused
an hour before midnight re.
vealed they were locked at II.
toll for conviction on second
OcSTce murder.
Defense attorneys Jerrold v.
Powers and Carlyle Lancaster
said they entered the plea at
the insistence Of Mrs. Harrison,
who said she would rather 20
to jail than suffer through an
other protracted court hearing.
States Attorney Blair H.
Smith accepted the plea, saying
he felt he had fulfilled my
duty to the community"
3 Husbands Killed
During his summation to the
all-male jury he had told them
ne wanted to keep Prince
Georges County safe for hus.
bands"
Three women have shot and
killed their husbands in the
county within the last year,
Mrs. Harrison is the first to be
sentenced.
During the long wait for the
jurys IL young housewives. all
friends of the defendant.
waited with her in the court
room. When Judge Digges seti-
fenced Mrs. Harrison. four Of
them began to sob softly.
Mrs. Harrison remained calm,
walked over and shook hands
with Prosecutor Smith and
then turned to assure the
weeping women she was salts
fed.
Had she been convicted Of
f1rst-degree murder, the jury
could have recommended death
in the State gas chamber.
Victim Seen as Philanderer
Most Of the two-day trial
was taken up with defense at
tempts to set into evidence the
fact that Mrs. Harrison's young
and handsome husband was a
philanderer.
He was walking away from
their Fifty-flfth and Quincy
streets apartment intent on
leaving his wife when he was
shot, 1t was related.
Mrs. Harrison, who testified
between sobs that she only
to scare Bill" straddled
her husbands form after the
first shot and pumped four
more bullets into his body.
The first shot. Judge Digges
remarked in sentencing her,
struck him in the back.
In describing the Staying.
Mrs. Harrison said she whipped
The gun from her purse intent
on using it to persuade her
husband to stand and talk to
her.
Il saw him fall, I don't know
Uhere-he just fell. That's all
remember except the click,
Nlialp