Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-08-20
WOMAN HELD FOR HUSBANDS
DEATH.

Charged with causing the death OF hei
husband, John q. Stricken, 65 years old,
by striking him on the head with bot
tie at their home on Tuesday night,
Mrs. Lena stricker, As yea old, known
to the authorities as ''P >Msry," il
locked up In Baltimore TO. ait The &C
ton of the coroner's jury.
William Stricken, the i8.yesr-lld sou
OF the dead man, wss held as witness,
having test fed tn t he sa@ his mtth'r I
strike her husbas IS the old man lay
on the b d. 10 his testimony he claimed
to have advised her to call for doctor,
bot claimed that the woman had replied
"Lst the dog die here If he's going to
die; doctors cost money /" The woman
admits having been drunk on Tuesday
night, but denies that she struck her hus-
band, and claims that he received the
blow by tall.
When the son was arrested yesterday
NOR ling by Sergeant Murphy and Pa
trolmen Hughes and Roche he told the
same story of his fathers death as his
mother had when she was placed under
arrest few minutes before, that the old
man bad died In q fit, due tU excessive
drinking. The police, however, con-
ronled the boy with bloody shirt,
which was found in the bedroom near
the dead man, and be broke down.
'T'll tell you all about 1t, sergeant"
he cried. "My father, who is painter,
came homo last night about seven O'Clock.
He bad been drinking little bit, while
nay mother had been drinking all day.
Father had not had much work to do
lately, but lsst night be said he was tired
and laid down on the bed as soon as he
got in. He had been there but a short
while when my mother walked over to
the bed and demanded some money.
When father told her that he had none
she picked up whisky bottle and hit
him on the head twice. Father fell
back on the bed and | wanted 10 run for
doctor, but my mother said mo, lei
the dog die was afraid to disobey
ber, but ran downstairs and called Mike
Hambelry, who was in the saloon on the
first A1or. He came NJ and asked my
mother to send for doctor, but she
said No, LET the dog die here Soon
afterwards | ran out and went to the
house OF doctor on Fay yette street. He
had a case and could not coo,e and then
did not know what to do. l went back
home and later 10 the evening doctor
came when | went to the University
Hospital. He wouldn't give us death
certificate and went away. Then this
morning after / had gone for an UNDER
tlker the coroner came aud then the
police"
Sergeant Murphy, who wruug the con.
fession from the lad, says that Mrd.
Stricken became violent when the police
entered the rooms yesterday morning,
and when one Of the officers discovered
the bloody shirt she attempted TO snatch
it from him and destroyit. When asked
why abe wanted to get rid OF the shirt
she said it worried her. Stricker Was
found by the coroner dressed only 10 a
suit of underwear, the same condition
in which Hamberry said he left him
the night before. To the police when
first arrested Mrs. Stricker said she
had been drunk the night before and
said that she did not know how her
husband had hurt bis head. After young
Stricken had confessed, however, she
said that fall had caused the bruise.
When the police made sesrch for the
bottle with which the blow was believed
to have been struck, it wss found In
the other room of the fiat, the kitchen.
William Strlcker identified 1t at once as
the bottle that his mother had used.
Mrs. Stricken has been knoSn to the
police for many yesrs. She was asked
Yesterday what remedies -he had given
to her husband when she found he was
sick. epson salts and whisky and
vinegar and water" she said. We al
ways gave him those things when ne had
SPELLS"