El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-18

then into consumption The man and
the wife became poor Times were
when they did not know where the
next meal was coming from They
struggled along, and ever IN the mind
Of the wife was the memory OF the
wide and deep and well-filled purse OF
the man to whom she had sold herself
as girl Now, as wife, she might
sell herself to him once more And. II
her story is true, she did. or rather yer
husband sold her to him
Says Husband Sold Her.
Mr. Patterson forced me 70 sell my
electric, and the $500 got for it went
to him." she declared The club he
held over my head was my disgrace.
the slavery into which he had sold
me-"
The amount which she said Strouuss
paid the husband was $500.
He threatened to make it all pub
lie" she said. and to save my people
I bought him off
Then he demanded more, and when
I refused, he filed his suit for $4,000
for alienation of affections against
Mr.. StrOuss- I was heartsick- knew
the disgrace that would be brought
upon me and my family, and I deci6ed
to kill myself. I wrote, though, to Mr.
Patterson to ask him to come to me,
that we might talk things over I
thought I could dissuade him from
prosecuting the unjust suit. So I wrote
him q note, and then I phOned to find
out II he'd see me-
Ny suggestion was that we go to
the sanitarium, because there IS a nice
park there where we could sit and talk.
but he said he would prefer to meet
me at the Richtofen castle. / went
there. I told him what a terrible thing
was doing, and he said that if would
deed to him my bungalow, he would
let me get q divorce without a contest
and never mention Strouss's name
again.
80 or nrn-fr 81 81
the thing, but had bought him off be-
fore on some such agreement and he
had never kept his word I knew that
when / gave him every thing / had in
the world he would turn on me again
Then I did the only thing that was left
to me- killed him"
I have told my story, she cried Tt
seems strange, unusual one Well. in
my heart. 7 believe it is the old story
of other women, at least in the chap
ters leading up to the final tragedy.
They keeping their sorrow hidden be-
meath smiles and laughter, fate wrung
mine out"
Thus it can be seen from Mrs. Pat
tersOn's story that her line Of defense
probably viii be in the nature Of an
"unwritten law plea. Another argu
ment that is expected to be advanced
is that Of temporary insanity.
PattersOn's Diary.
A diary kept by the dead Patterson,
which will be exhibited in court is ex-
pected to figure prominently in the de-
Tense 1t so far substantiates the story
told by the unhappy young woman, in
her declaration that her husband sold
her into slavery for S1,500 that her
lawyers believe it alone would cause
her to go free.
Although Patterson had filed suit
against StrOuss for alienation Of his
wife's affections. his diary cOrrobor-
ates the wife's story that he knew
she was in Europe with Strouss dur
ing January and February, 1909.
The following are excerpts from the
diary:
February IS. 1909 Cwhen Patterson
said in his court complaint that he
thought his wife was in st. Louis visit
ing her family)-Gee, it must be an
awful long way from Europe. Seems
like a million miles to me-
February q, 19O9-Gertie expected
today; Daily News reports ship
aground; awaiting some word and wor
rying until my head is queer
February 25, 19O9-Hurrah: best
news in the world! Gertie is coming
on a flyer
The prosecution is said to depend
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