The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-22
ON TRIAL FOR MURDER
MRS. RICHARDSON CHARGED WITH
KILLING HER HUSBAND.
Case That Has Aroused Much Interest
in Nissouri-Effort to Learn Who
Is the Man in the Case.


d. Richardson faced a jury of farmers in
the Circuit Court here to-day, and her trial
on the charge of numbering a year ago
last December, her husband, Frank W.
Richardson, a merchant, at their home in
Savannah, Mo-, began in earnest. Mrs.
Richardson was surrounded by her three
youthful sons and several other members
of her family, and that of the man whom
she is charged with numbering, including
his brother, John d. Richardson, Of Chi
cago.
The prosecution, under the indictment Of
murder in the first degree is based on the
proposition that the prisoner either killed
ner husband or knows who did. The belief
that all members of the Richardson fam
lily have all along expressed in the inno-
cence of the widow appears to be mistaken
by the recent arrest of Stewart Fife, the
former business associate of Richardson,
by any information that may have de-
veloped in the last year. Mrs. Richardson
still adheres to her story. made at the time
of the shooting, that she was alone in the
house when she heard a buggy drive up
and her husband enter the hall; that she
heard some one say, Has it come TO this?"
and that the pistol shot was fired by some
one unknown to her as he entered the door
to the parlor bedroom, where she awaited
him. No one has professed to believe that
Mrs. Richardson fired the fatal shot, but
the State has expected that in defending
herself against the charge she would be
forced to tell who did.
Mrs. Richardson has aged perceptibly in
the last year, and when she entered court
to-day her features showed plainly the re-
suit of the strain she had undergone. Mrs.
Richardson held her youngest boy in her
lap during the session of court to-day.
When the indictment, charging her with
'maliciously and deliberately numbering
her husband" was read she displayed no
emotion, nor later when Attorney c. F.
Booher, in the statement of the case for
the State, said LAS a motive we will try
to show that Mrs. Richardson was unduly
intimate with Stewart Fife and we expect
to show that Fife was in the neighborhood
of the house that night"
Mr.. Booher. in presenting the case for the
State, told of the murder at the Richard
son home on the night of Dec. "a, 1900
Richardson had planned to accompany her
to Christmas entertainment. AT the last
moment she telephoned to him at the store
that she had decided not to go. Twenty
minutes later" SAID he Richardson was
a dead man in his own home" richardson
shot and killed as he was about 10
enter his wife's bedroom. We will show, ."
SAID MI. Boomer, tnat so lar as the state
is able to present it that the defendant
was the only person in that house at the
time. As a motive we will try TO show
that Mrs. Richardson was unduly intimate
with Stewart Fife, clerk in Richardson's
store, and we expect to show that Fife was
in the neighborhood of the house that
night"
Stewart Fife was arrested in Washing
ton recently charged with completely in the
crime and was brought back from the
West Sunday last; The defense reserves
Its statement until after the States rests.
George ID. Crowley, former business
partner of Mr.. Richardson, was the first
witness. He told of going with Richardson
from his home early in the evening to
to the entertainment, and Mrs. Richardson
remained alone. He was at the house after
FRUSTRATED. He told of making an exam
ination of the premises, and of discovering
fresh buggy tracks in the snow.
a. w. Brewster, state senator, who is
one of the attorneys for the defense, in
sisted on being allowed TO question the
witness in regard to Mrs. Richardson's
character and reputation, but the court
would not allow IL at this time.
Bessie Phillips was called, but did not
respond, and an attachment was issued for
her. Bessie Phillips was a domestic in the
der and at the coroner's inquest gave tes-
timony rejecting on Mrs. Richardson's re-
lations with George Crowley.
NJ. +. Brown, a clerk in Richardson's
store, told of Mrs. Richardson telephoning
that Crowley had left his gloves at the
house. and that she would bring them to
the store.
Mrs Richardson is specifically charged
with firing the shot that killed Frank Rich
ardson: Fife is charged with doing the
same thing. When r. A Morris was asked
If at any time he had seen Fife and Mrs
Richardson together objection was made
by the defense that it tended to prove a
conspiracy and no conspiracy was charged
in the indictment. The court took the ques-
ton under Amusement.
Six other witnesses testified. Mrs. Kerr
the next-door neighbor of the Richardson's,
TO whose house Mrs. Richardson went to
telephone before and after the killing was
asked If she heard the sound Of a shot
testified that she heard a peculiar sound
after which she heard the sound OF buggy
wheels driving away. Although Mrs. Kerr
was subpoenead by the State. she proved
a strong witness for the defense. Her testi-
mOny had a tendency to revive one OF the
earliest theories advanced-that Richardson
was shot by some one who drove away in
a vehicle.