Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-25
VERDICT KISSED
I'm DUDEN TRIAL
JURY IN SAN DIEGO FINDS
WOMAN NOT GUILTY
WAS ACCUSED OF MURDER OF
5RoTHER-IN-LAW
Relatives Clap Hands When Decision
is Rendered, but Others Evince'
DIspleasure, and Judge
Threatens Them
nav Aasoolated Press. l


Attorney Daney of the defense out
lined the statutes concerning first and
second degree murder and manslaugh-
ter, and touched upon what constituted
self-defense under the law, and at 1880
o'clock the jury retired.
At 2:05 o'clock the jurors filed into
the court room and announced that
they had agreed on a verdict.
AS L. A. Creelman, foreman of the
jury, arose and announced to the court
that a decision had been reached Mrs.
Duden leaned forward, a strained look
on her face, her hands twitching and
her body trembling.
When the verdict had been passed to
Judge Lewis and handed to the clerk
of the court for reading there was a
deathlike silence in the court room.
1--WE, the jury, find the defendant not
guilty"
Immediately following the reading of
these words by the clerk a storm of
Kisses, mingled with the hand-clapping
came from every part of the room.
Judge Lewis raped for order and
threatened to clear the court room IL
the demonstration did not cease.
When Mrs. Duden heard the verdict
she started up and turned to her hus-
band, who took her in his arms, en-
bracing her StrenuouSly.
Then he broke down and cried like a
child. Mrs. Dudens emotion, so plain
ly visible before the jury reported and
before the verdict was read seemed to
fade when she heard the words Not
guilty." and she received the congratu-
lations of her relatives, attorneys and
friends in a calm manner.
History of Tragedy
Mrs. Effie Duden, with her husband,
J. H. Duden, her two sisters, Misses
Eva and Effie James, and Bruce Shelf
| fer husband of Mrs. Duden's dead
sister and partner of Mr.. Duden in
| the contracting business here, lived at
the Sixth street rooming house, which
had been owned by Shelters wife and
| was a part of her estate, which, up to
| January 20, had not been settled up.
On the evening of that date two
shots rang out followed in a short in
terval by another. Officers rushing to
| the scene found Bruce Shelter in his
shirt sleeves on the sidewalk in front
of the rooming house, unconscious. He
| died without making a statement. Up
stairs they inquired If he had commit
ted suicide.
NO" responded Mrs. Duden, his
sister-in-law, 'he tried to knock a
pistol out of my hand and shot him.
Is he dead?"
Mrs. Duden was at once placed under
arrest. AS she was being led away to
| Jail she turned to her husband and
| said:
81 just had to do it, Jack. He tried
to kill me-"
She also asked her husband to send
some magazines to the Jail.
When the grand jury convened Mrs
Duden was indicted for the murder
of Shelter, her husband. despite the
rumor that he was implicated, not be-
| ing indicted. After her Incarceration
her attorney, Eugene Daney, said II
was freely admitted that Mrs. Duden
shot Shelter, but added that when the
case was tried it would be found that
she had shot to defend that which was
most dear to all women.
| This was the only indication given
as to what the defense would be. Tht
state contended that it was a deliberate
plot to murder.
Testimony at Trial
When the trial was begun witnesses
for the state told of the confession
Mrs. Duden had made that she shot
Shelter because he tried to knock the
pistol out of her hand. One witness
told of finding a woman's switch, g
shawl, some hair pins and comb In
the room, scattered in different parts
of the room.
another states witness swore he saw
Duden come down stairs immediatel,
after Shelter had staggered out, ant
look up and down the street and thel
go back up stairs.
Another said that from an upstairs
window he saw Mrs. Duden look out
before the police arrived. All whit
heard the shots testified that there wa
an interval between the first two ant
the third shot.
This last shot, the state showed, hat
| been fired down the stairway, the pros
ecution contending that it was fire.
at the fleeing man. The defense al
legged that Shelter had attempted t.
induce Mrs. Duden to sign over he
share in his dead wife's estate to hin
and that when she refused to do so, h
grabbed her by the throat and chokeC
her, that she retreated and that h
| followed her up and that when sh'
reached the chiffonier upon which wal
| living Shelters revolver, she picked /
! up and when he continued to advance
she shot him. The last shot down thu
stairway was accounted for by Duder
testifying that when his wife came GU
of the room after Shelter had fled dowI
/ stairs, MORALLY wounded, he had calico
to her to stop, which so startled heI
that she stumbled, the revolver being
accidentally discharged.
The prosecution in rebuttal produced
doctors who swore Mrs. Duden's throat
showed no signs of having been choket
and other witnesses who told of tht
character OF Mrs. Duden when she re-
sided in Ottumwa, Qowa), police Off
GERS from that city testifying that hel
reputation there was not good.
The case extended through two
weeks, the introduction of evidence be.
ing concluded Saturday, March 20, a.
noon. Monday the attorneys for the
prosecution began their opening argu'
inent followed by counsel for the de-
| fapsa