Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-07
COllapSes as She Denies
Charge of Killing
Husband.
RELY ON ALIBI TO SAVE
HER FROM DEATH CHAIR
Tells in Detail of Movements
on the Day of the
Tragedy.

Under a sharp fire Of questions BY
Prosecutor Mott the adamant nerve OF
Mrs. Mary J. Wilhelm failed her today
in the Court of Oyer and Terminer
where she is being tried for the murder
of her husband, Frank Wilhelm. She
broke down and wept bitterly, while
her counsel protested vigorously against
the prosecutors line of questions.
1T was not my fault the life I led
the woman pleaded as she burst ints
tears. My husband drove me to II.
rs it not true that you called your
husband a scoundrel2'' asked the prose-
cutor leaning towards the little woman
in black, while the courtroom was
hushed.
He made slave of me for years,
said Mrs. Wilhelm in voice that was
choked with sobs 7 worked for him
twelve hours day. He made me scruh
and do all the housework | think a
man who made me lead such a life
might be termed scoundrel"
las a matter of fact did you ever
love your husband p asked the prose-
cutor
Yes. l loved him once" sobbed the
witness. But his treatment OF me
lately killed it ALL"
Didn't you rebel against this treat
ment?" asked the prosecutor.
Many a time" Mrs. Wilhelm cried
aloud.
At this point she broke down com
pletely and Counsellor Black objected
to the prosecutors line of questions
but the prosecutor was allowed 10
/ proceed.
Fonowing the declaration by cou1set
for the defense that he would pr0~s
! a complete alibi for his client Mrs.
| Wilhelm today took the stand in b<s
own defense.
| As Mrs. Wilhelm went over in detssl
the events of The day of the murder
| II was so quiet that one could hear a
pin drop in the crowded court room.
Only once did she falter in her story.
and that was when she told of the finA-
ing of her husbands body.
When I got down TO the hail." sac
said, II lit the gas in the Kitchen and
/ couldn't find the shovel there and
went back into the hall When
stopped down / struck my husbands
feet. l knew they were his because
they were disfigured. l hurried back
to the hail and called for Mr.. Farmer.
and somebody went for DIR. Levy. But
/ he wasn't in and some other man came
in l really did not know what was the
matter with my husband"
Asked whether there We're any police
there that night, she said there were
F, plenty, and when she asked what they
! wanted they said, Never mind Never
mind!'
did Mr. Wilhelm have a pistoi?"
asked Mr. Black.
Yes. sir
o-Did you see the pistol that eres-
/ ing? Al don't know whether Saw
| it that evening or the next day
Q.-What happened 10 that pistoss
| A.-One of the officers asked me if
knew where ne kept it, and l told him
on a shelf. but it was not there. / be-
lieve it was taken away by one of the
officers
Mrs. Wilhelm next testified that ca
the Sunday night before the murder
she gave her husband S2l2 to pay the
I interest Of the house in High street
! What had he been doing for living
some time before his death?'' asked
! Mr.. Black.
Building houses. He first did busi-
ness under mis- name. and then changed
4 it to the Lyons Building Company. of
which l was made president When
f the panic came several years ago he
was pressed hard for money and pee
pie dunned him day and night Once
the front door was kicked in- Men
were always there lighting for money
Q.-Why did he stay away? A-He
was afraid of his creditors.
Q.-why2 A.--Because he feared
they would kin him
One man. she said came TO her house
and wanted to know where her HUSBAND
/ lived, and made threats.
Did you ever hear of any creditors
making threats?" she was asked
Yes, sir
DO you know who they were -
Mrs. Wilhelm answered that man
of the name of Cicone, and others had
made such threats, and another man
called big Jones" hit him on the head
Did you notice what clothing he had
on on the day of the murder2r
Mrs Wilhelm said that he was in his
shirt-sleeves, but that black eutaway
coat had been missing since her hus-
bands funeral.
Mrs Wilhelm was asked to tell OF
all the places she lived since her mar
riage to Wilhelm. she said that they
had been married in Boston, but did
not remember the date When Air,
Black, her counsel. sought TO refresn
her memory by showing her the mar
riage certificate. Prosecutor Mott OBJ
jected, and said that every woman
should remember the date of her mar-
riage. Questioned further. the witness
testified that they had lived in Boston
about six years. They then moved ~
New York. she said. where they stayed