The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-24
DEFENSE HAS INNING
TESTIMONY AS TO 1lnS. RICH
 AKDSoN'S CHARACTER.
Her Night Trips With Fife Were for the Purpose of Finding Her 1n- toxicated Nusband-cond-
 dent of xcquittal.

Plattsburg, Mo, Jan. 23.-Mrs. Addie B. Richardson's defense was begun today in her trial here for the murder of her husband. Frank W. Richardson of savan- nah. Today 1t was shown that Mrs. Richardson's trips about the streets of Savannah after night in company with Stewart Fife, which fact the State brought out yesterday. were to ind her husband.
 Johnnie Richardson, 14 years of age, the first witness called by the defense toA of going with his mother at 1:30 o'clock at night to find his father and how. after Fife had located him. intoxi- gone there and taken him home. This was corroborated by Mrs. Gertrude Grant. sister of the dead man. and by the hotel proprietor.
 character. They were Rev. John Atwill, rector of the church where Mrs. Rich- ardson attended and who had lived at the Richardson home: Rev. A. R. Hunt and Peter Christiansen. the latter 3 Mrs. Richardson. Bruce stanton testified that he had made tracks in the snow about the Richardson house on the night of the murder while examining the prem ises.
 The last witness for the defense will be Mrs. Richardson. That probably will be tomorrow afternoon. The first witness introduced by the de- fense was Johnny Richardson, the 14- questioned with a view to explaining the
 mission of his mother, who. witnesses for the State had testified, had been seen in company with Stewart Fife. sitting on the steps of 2 church some distance from the Richardson home. M
 Young Richardson said that on the night In question he had left homo in company with his mother about Il o'clock to find Mir. Richardson. They Fife had gone to the St. Charles Hotel and reported that Richardson was there. Then his mother had gone alone to the hotel and had taken his father home.
 Mrs. J, w. Grant, a sister of the mur- dered man. testified that she was at the Richardson chs rd home the night that Mir. Mra: from the hotel. She said her brother was very much under the influence of liquor. Mrs. Richardson's general repu- where she had lived. was. she said, good.
 Dr. W. M. Kerr, resident of eavari- nah for twelve years. and Peter Chris tiaffsen, who was member or the grand testified to Mrs. Richardson's good char acter.
 Christlansen was asked:
 You never heard others discuss her CndrdcteT!
 No, sir; because I suppose there was nothing bad in 1t to discuss"
 And you signed the indictment against her for murderT'
 "Yes. sir"
 A score of witnesses rom the leading families in Savannah re placed on the stand late this evening and they all tes- titled to Mrs. Richardson's good char acter. John D. Richardson, brother of the murdered man, testified that when he went to Savannah after receiving the news of his brothers death he hired two lawyers to help the prosecuting attorney run down his brether's slayer. This ac. ton was taken, he said, independent of the interests of his sister-in-iaw. The witness also testified as to Mrs. Rich- ardson's good character:
 When court adjourned tonight all of the testimony for the defense was in ex- cepting that to be given by the defend- ant. Mrs. Richardson. She will probably take the stand tomorrow morning. Mrs. Richardson tonight expressed herself as being confident of verdict of acquittal'