Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-11-25
In CrOSS-Examination States
Attorney Scathingly Attacks
Two Vital Points of Her
Story
WOMAN FEARFUL AND
DEFIANT IN TURN
Denies Expulsion From School
For Immoral Conduct Admits
Illicit Relations With Emil
StrouSS, Chicago Millionaire.

StrOuSS, Chicago Millionaire,
IBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire.l
Denver, Nov. 24.-Against the two
vital points of the story, Gertrude
Gibson Patterson, charged with the
murder of her husband told upon the
witness stand. the cruelty and abuse
of her husband and the charge that
he had sold her for $500 to her
former admirer, Emil w. Strouss a
Chicago millionaire, with whom she
made trip to Europe. Special Prose-
cutor Horace G. Benson this after
noon directed three hours Of merci-
less cross examination. And the
state made more than a passing I'M
preston.
Led to repeat various instances of
his abuse and forced to declare that,
naturally. at the time she felt toward
him the greatest OF indignation and
contempt she was confronted by let
ters she herself had written to her
husband on dates but few days sub
sequent to those on which she aver
red the assaults had taken place,
The letters were couched in terms
of deepest affection, models OF what
devoted wife would write to an
affetionate husband.
on the trip tG Europe with strouss, a
trip undertaken she had said at the
urgent demand of her husband, who
received $1,500 from Strouss, the
state put an entirely different con-
struction and wrung from the wit
ness admissions that materially
strengthened the theory it advanced
Under the gruelling of the special
prosecutor, the mask Of imperturba-
! ility that Mrs, Fate son had worn
| throughout the early days of the h'ia
fell from her and vanished complete.
ly. She ran the gamut OF emouons
Twice she broke down and wept
while at other times doubt, scorn and
Indignation held her. Offending dig
nifty was often her attitude and sht
used II TO good advantage.
1t was when her relations witt
Strouss were being probed that Mrs
Patterson showed her woman's sid'
and the tears came. When the exam.
ination returned TO her life with Pat
terson, her nerves Of steel We're agair
in evidence; she held her head high
she answered defiantly and at time'
she shot back her answers like {
bullet.
After beginning with her early lif'
In Sandoval, H., where he wrunl
from her an admission that when She
was about fourteen years old she hat
! been expelled from school, but no
for immoral conduct, she declared, al
he had intimated, Special Prosecutor
Benson endeavored unsuccessfully L
! get Mrs. Patterson to admit that sh'
| had been an inmate of a house o
| prostitution in st. Louis, passed from
that to her life in Chicago witt
| Strouss before she met Patterson, anC
came down to the various instances
on which she had said Patterson haC
| beaten her. He took up the matter
| of her having seen a lawyer in Chi
cago about divorce in July, 1910.
"You took this step because of thu
| treatment you had received at you
husbands hands?" he asked.
| II did,
"You then felt indignant and in
| censed against your husband by reas
on of these indignities?"
II did"
Here Mr.. Benson handed her let
| ter which she admitted she had writ
| ten to Patterson, then In a sanitariun
near Chicago, only short time aftei
she had consulted her lawyer. TIL,
letter was read to the jury.
In It Mrs. Patterson called her hus
| band soul mate" and said:
| II got your letter and II you didn'
| sign the paper my lawyer has thi
fternoon, | will come to you sooi
w tn all my clothes, as ! am very un
| happy and you are the only cure. |
must be understood that we are new
er to separate-not even for a night.
| Not trace Of emotion was appar
ent in the little woman's demeanor a
the prosecutor read this letter to tn
| jury AL times he had difficulty il
making out a word and she interpret
ed 1t for him.
Then Mr.. Benson led her over tn
story of her husbands alleged abus
until the time when he was In tn
sanitarium at which he was livini
when she shot him to death Septem
Der 25, last He dwelt upon an as
sault she said Patterson had mad
upon her in the latter part of June
1910, and again drew from her tn
declaration that she felt bitterly in
dignant against her husband afte
this.
Another letter was handed Mrs
Patterson. She identified II as q let
ter she had written her husband oi
June 80, 1911. few days after tn
alleged assault II read In part:
my Dear Little Pet:--Yours jus
received. Now you must not worr
and feel there is a responsibility ol
you for there Is not. take all tn
responsibility on my own shoulders
You will be happy when you step int
your own little bungalow and YOU
own little sleeping porch just off m
room. Wait until / get everythin
fixed, and then see II you don't wan
to come home Just be happy, Char
lie, and the way to be happy Is t
know that you have got the best III
tie loving help mate and wife In tn
whole world. Lots Of love, and trus
me. am true all the time. Ar
your
Another letter in the same straiI
written to Patterson BY his wife