Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-26
Says She Fired, But the Bullets En-.
tered His Back.
GRILLED BY PROSECUTOR
State Claims Patterson Was Muir
dered Because He Wouldn't With
draw Alienation Suit.

| iiIcu Tic SllOtS Indt look MS u1e-tef-
trude Gibson Patterson today re-enactsd
before the jury the scenes of the mo-
ment that brought her to trial for her
life. charged with her husbands muir
der. 1t was near the close of a long
ordeal of excitement.
And he swung his right arm for anoth-
er blown" asked the prosecutor.
Eyes. yes"-and her breath came fast
and he looked like a demon
And you shot?"
Yes. yes; l don't know how many
times"
| And you shot him in the back?"
| Against Mrs. Patterson's version of
| the shooting the state Is content with
| the testimony of the physicians who
performed the autopsy and the mute
evidence of the dead mans clothes.
Both show that the bullets entered the
| back. One went through his right
shoulder, the other through his heart.
Theory of the Prosecution.
Just before Mrs. Patterson had been
| asked to show how the shooting had
| occurred, the state had placed before
the jury its version of how Patterson
had met his death.
when your husband told sou posi-
| lively lndL ne WOulO uOL ulSIIllSo ulS
alienation suit against Emil w.
Strouss. didn't you say I told you Sat-
urday that If you wouldn't I'd kill
you, and didn't he start to run, and
didn't you shoot him in the back, and
while he was on his hands and knees
God,' didn't you put the muzzle of your
gun within a few inches Of this coat
| that he was wearing and shoot him
through the hearth
AS he asked the question Mr.. Benson
thrust almost in her face the coat her
| husband wore at his death. his finger
on one Of the powder-b burned bullet
holes in the back.
mo. sir; no. sir. That's a lie," she
replied.
| by Mrs. Patterson. on which she had
caused to be imprinted the initials "G
g." Mr.. Benson inquired why she had
| not used her initials as a married
woman.
Because I was expecting to secure a
divorce and resume my maiden name,
was the reply, somewhat defiantly.
You did this at the time you were
writing endearing letters to your hus-
band, telling him to take care OF his
health, that you were coming to him
within month and declaring that you
must never be separated again-not
even a night-from your soul mater
Yes. Mr.. Benson" still dehantly.
Repudiates Dearest Gertrude Letter.
The prosecutor secured an admission
that the defendant took trip to CHI
cago in the midst Of her work Of prepar-
ing the Denver bungalow, to which she
had advised her husband he would better
not come for a week or two, until 1t was
completely furnished and arranged.
Are you aware that during your alb
sence your husband did visit the bunga-
low, and that he found a letter address,
ed to you, and which, in his anger, he
tore to pieoes?"
/ Mr.. Benson produced the letter, pieced
together. 1t was addressed to Dearest
Gertrude" and was signed "a W. s."
the initials of Emil w. Strouss Of Chi
cago.
The witness denied all knowledge Of the
+ A letter written by Patterson July 10
last to his. wife was identified. 1t read
| in part:
Dear Gertie: I suppose you are pretty
we'll worn out since your moving. You
| looked awful. awful tired last night.
You must not try to do too much for
me, small as you are. You must go slow
and get back the weight you have lost
The epistle expressed anxiety over the
writer's illness and his inability to pro-
vide for his wife. but closed with hope
fu. expression that he might soon be
able to secure work, and the sentence
II love you
A letter written by the defendant to
her husband two weeks before the shoot
ing was read. as follows:
Dear Chic: Your letter was very sweet.
have just put an advertisement In the
paper to sell my horse and my dog and
my sealskin coat. l have not cent in
my checking account / am worried very
much about money. One by one every
thing goes-Iny end-I prefer death to
poverty.
Relations With E. w. strouss.
Prosecutor Benson here ended his
cross-examination and turned the wit
ness over to her counsel. 0. N. Hilton.
for redirect examination. Mr.. Hilton
took up Immediately her alleged relations
with Emil w. Strouss. the millionaire
clothing manufacturer Of Chicago. q point
avoided by the defense's direct examina-
ton, and brought out by the prosecution
on Characterization.
How did you meet Mr.. StroussT ne
asked.
Il was visiting Chicago and wa. was asked ss
to dine with Mrs. E. j. Weller. Mr..
Strouss also was guest.
How long after that did you so to
Europe with him"
Mine or ten months after"
What did he say to you before you
went?"
"He promised marriage"
State briefly what took place.
Mr. Stlouss took me to boarding
school In Paris. / stayed there until
March, when he came over and brought
me back We lived at the Grand PACING
Hotel, as Miss Gibson and he as Mr..
Strouss." -.
How long did you remain there?"
Until the following fall. when he took
me to Paris alain and said he would
marry me after had finished school, He
promised marriage month In and month
out. When we came back to Chicago he
tooL me to the Stratford Hotel and intro
duced me to his friends as his WIFE,
sHow long did you live with him in this
| way?"
about three years"
During which you were known as
Mrs. Strouss?
YES"
Letters to Her Husband.
NET Hilton took UP the matter Of the
letters written by Mrs. Patterson to her
husband only few days subsequent to
various dates on which she had testified
he had given her brutal beatings. These
letters, introduced by the state. were
couched in terms of deepest affection.
why did you write these lie tiers In
that strain, Mrs. Patterson" Mr.. Hilton
asked.
son He said l was mean to him and I'm
kind to him. I never felt any malice
toward him for the way he treated me
lust tried to get along" and Mrs. Patter-
son laid her head down on her arms and