Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-11-25
Shocked Silence in Denver
Court Room as Mrs. Pat
terson Tells Life Story;
Says Life Was Threatened
CLAIMS SHE SHOT ..
AFTER ATTACKED
Husband Repeatedly Beat,
Choked and Bit Her, Says
Woman, When She Re-
fused to Bleed Admirer.

Denver Colo, Nov. 24.-Much Of the
testimony of Mrs. Gertrude Gibson
patterson, who today resumed the wit
ness stand in her own defense was
unfit for publication. Taking up the
subject of Patterson's illness-t Is
said he was nearly dead from tubercu'
4 losis when he was killed-Mrs. SPatter"
son said she had nursed him until
physician ordered her to take rest.
she continued to visit him, however,
and one day she testified he exclaimed:
'If YOU don't come back and nurse
6 me. Pm going to sue that"
HE patted his pillow" continued the
witness, .'and said, i have the thing
here that will fix YOU +"
From the hospital where this scene
is alleged to have transpired Patterson
was taken to q sanitarium where he
lived in house tent. For a time he
declined to see his wife but once she
said she was admitted.
q He drew razor" related Mrs. Pat
terson, "and said, I'll kill you as sure
as i live 81
In. July, 1910, witness said she filed
suit in Chicago for divorce and went
TO live with her parents In Sandova,
illinois. gss5 is4
my husband kept after me, for
money, saying he wanted to go west
y Tor his health. narrated Mrs Patterson.
when told him had none, he said
H get It from the fat cur"
This was reference to the Chi
cago millionaire whose name has
been brought into the case. Mrs. Pat
terson says she refused this request
and her husband beat her. Later
she said, that she wrote to Emil
I strouss of Chicago, and he sent her
Eve hundred dollars with which she
and her husband came to Denver.
While they were still living in Chi
cago, witness declared that Patterson
b by threats compelled her to sell an
electric runabout for which she Sc
cured 5000, which she declared she
turned over to Patterson. s%
Patterson Threatened to Sue Lover.
she said that she sold the car rather
than apply to Strouss for the money
which her husband at first desired her
to do.
1t was while they were in Chicago
4 that Patterson insisted that she Sc
cure more money with which he de-
sired to purchase property. Mrs.
Patterson declared she would apply
(; fer no more whereupon, she testified,
her husband exclaimed:
II think I'll sue that ---- for taking
YOU to Europe and get the money"
It was then that Mrs. Patterson says
she confessed to her husband that she
had $4,000 given her by Strouss while
they were In Europe. She gave her
J husband $1,750 Of It to buy the prop
erty
At this point the testimony took on
character which was succeeded by q
lead, shocked silence in the court
.oom. It dealt with the marital life
81 husband and wife. Answering her
attorney, O. N. Hilton, Mrs. Patterson
told OF receiving medical treatment
tor bites which she said were in
fiicted on her person by her husband.
Badly Bitten by Husband.
After reaching Denver, the witness
said her husband pursued her with
I demands that she secure money from
Strouss. Once, she declared, the
Chicago millionaire clothier sent her
check for $3.50 without comment.
Again Patterson demanded fifty dol
lars which amount he asserted he had
lost playing poker.
Speaking of sitting on q bench in
Paramount park In this city, with her
husband, she said:
Suddenly he attacked me. He
seized me by the throat and began
biting me. He nearly bit OF my
thumb"
..What do you mean by orr? in
8 quired her attorney.
"My nail | mean"
did it come of 2" s..
..No but 1t is coming of now"
At Hilton's request Mrs. Patterson
exhibited the injured member to the
Jury, walking and up and down past
the double row of her judges with the
lacerated digit held plainly to view.
After another attack by Patterson,
witness declared she went to District
Attorney Elliott.
"My face was bruised and swollen,
finger prints were still up my throat
and / could not turn my head" said
the narrator.
Through Elliott she filed suit for d.
yorce, When her husband was mott.
Continued on Page 3D.