The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-11
WOMAN SLAYER'S
WEIRD RECITAL
Mrs. ROOIey Details Killing of
Her Husband With Little
Show of Feeling.
BEFORE INSANE BOARD
MANY CAUSES ASSIGNED FOR
Her Rash ACT.

'G'a 'hFfN'' ~
Edla Elfrida HooIey. who shot and
killed her husband Tuesday morning, told
her story to the commission appointed to
examine into her sanity before Judge
Armstrong of the district court yester-
day afternoon.
1t was a simple. straightforward story,
although at times incoherent that was
told by this strange woman. Only on
two occasions did sine show the slightest
signs of emotion, and during most of the
proceedings her face was as impassive as
that of stone image.
An ill-defiued hatred Of her husband
the fear that he would take her children
away from her and that she would again
be sent to an asylum for treatment
seemed to be the Dredominatiug motives
which aatuated her mind when she COM
mitted the homicide. Around these cen
trail motives were woven a maze Of less
consistent reasoungs bordering at times
on the mysterious. BrOoding on the death
OF two Of her children she had laid the
blame for no apparent reason on the man
she shot. and again her distorted intel
( lect had seen one of them appear to her
as she lay upon her couch.
Saw Little Girls Image.
u saw my little girl and she came to
me-. said the woman My darling put
her arms around my neck and 1 reached
out mine to grasp her and then she was
[ gone. just kind of gone away in the air
/ Concluding these words she gave a pierre
/ ing shrek and buried her face in her
hands. saying over and over again. "Oh,
my child oh. my child"
/ In a moment she had composed her
self and was the same impressive figure
as before
While detailing the events leading up
! TO the shooting Mrs. HOOley BETRAYED not
7 slightest IF rrr1F cNa
t came to tell of where the shots took eff
! feet. Questioned by District Attorney
! Loofbourow. she said that she rose early
in the morning and had a few things
! packed to go to Bingham.
/ when your husband went to the tele-
! phone. what did YOU dO?''
Well YOU see it was a good chance
. the best one that / had. and ! went to
the bureau drawer where I kept the
gun and took It out and pointed it at
him and fired.
Where did the bullets striker"
20. one Of them went in his back and
the other i'm his neck Here Mrs. Hoolcy
I endeaVored to illustrate on her own body
where the shots struck. and then a sud
den tTemOr seemed to take possession or
her delicate frame, she raised both gaunt
arms above her head. uttered a loud cry
and fell forward on the table In min
ute she was herself again and went on
with the explanation as if nothing had
happened.
Were YOU angry at him ar the timer"
was asked.
Not Very Angry.
''I do get very angry just in minute,
and / guess / was
Then she contradicted herself after
thinking for moment. and said; NO.
guess ! was not very angry. then Won
see it was the best chance / ever had to
shoot him.
"Then you have had this idea Of shoot
ing him in your mind for some timer"
How long ago did you begin to think
About ten months ago when 1 bought
You bought it to kill him With"
We'll. not exactly. but I thought 7
might do it some time When / took It
home 1 showed it to my children and
told them that it was a good thing 10
have to scare burglars away with I
also told them not to tell their papa as
ne might not like it. Yes. | have always
intended TO kill him.
/ Was he not q kind husband?''
Yes he always gave me ali the mon
! ey he earned and was good 10 me. but I
just didn't like him and wanted TO get
, ! rid OF him.
Pluring this whole discourse the woman
T was unnaturally calm. She did not hest
tate to tell of her generalization but her
explanation of the cause Of her action
i which followed were incoherent and IN
: definite
f Feared Her Husband.
She seemed to be possessed with a un-
I reasoning fear that her husband would
! harm the children in some way and
! blamed him for the death of the oldest
bov because he lived two weeks with his
! father at Bingham during the cold wealth
! er. She also said he played roughly with
! the children and she seemed to have an
! idea that her youngest chid's death was
: caused by some mysterious injury sUs-
> tanned while rompng with the father.
1t appeared from her evidence that the
! couple had had trouble for considerable
period and that about ten months ago
. both had gone to attorneys and signed an
7 : agreement to live separately The hus-
: band had however. torn up his agreement
and had persisted in coming to visit her
f once a month. AT these visits he left
; most of his salary. amounting on an ay-
I erage to 800 a month.
+ Gle was disag reeabIe to me-" she said.
land I did not want to live with him.
Then once in while my heaa would give
out. Nv body would give out, too, and
= could hardly move
She could not give any reason for this
) condition and when asked if 81 was be
2 cause of OverwOTlS said that il was not.
as she had an easy time OF IL
BIanes Her Temper.
e Maybe it was my temper that made
{ me shoot him." she commented. "Of
course that is bad thing for d woman
e rs there any other reason why you
y shot hlmE
{ "Wen. 1 thought it would be best for
e the children. because I did not like him
2 and because / did not want TO go 10
: bingham
AFTER YOU shot once why did you shoot
! AGAIN.
ssVVell YOU see he did not fall and
, thought 1 did not do it right and so |
] shot once more and hit him in the neck.
Absolutely unconcerned she appeared
: when she uttered these words Not a
trace Of sorrow could be seen IN ner race
nor could there be traced q line which
: would indicate a vindictive or murderous
: disposition She was the ealmest one in